WI Solar Project Receives $62M Federal Greenhouse Reduction Grant

WISCONSIN — A solar project in Wisconsin will receive $62,450,000 in grant funding under a $7 billion federal program to bring solar energy to more than 900,000 people nationwide, saving them $350 million annually in utility costs, the Biden administration announced on Earth Day Monday.

Solar power could save about $400 per household in electricity costs, and prevent 30 million metric tons of carbon pollution over 25 years, the Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement.

“Through a combination of grants to homeowners, incentives, tax credits, loan offerings, and partnerships, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) will remove barriers to solar energy throughout Wisconsin,” reads a project description on the EPA website.

“The main pathways of the program will assist disadvantaged communities in Wisconsin by installing solar on single-family and multifamily residential properties. Wisconsin SFA will ensure that participants have limited or no up-front costs to participate in solar programs.The overarching goal of the program is to reduce household energy bills. The strength of the Wisconsin Technical College System and other workforce partners will be leveraged as they are already training individuals for clean energy careers, particularly solar installation.”

“Solar for All” grant funding is provided by the EPA’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act.

The projects funded this year not only lower energy costs in low-income and disadvantaged communities but also create good jobs in communities that have been “left behind,” advancing environmental justice and tackling climate change, the EPA said in a statement.

As the cheapest form of energy, solar-generated energy is one of the best ways to lower utility costs for American families. The Solar for All awards “will mean that low-income communities, and not just well-off communities, will feel the cost-saving benefits of solar,” John Podesta, senior adviser to the president for International Climate Policy, said in a statement.