Maine has received $62 million in federal funding to increase the accessibility of solar power for low-income households throughout the state.
This grant comes as part of the $7 billion Solar for All competition funded by the Inflation Reduction Act’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which is administered through the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
According to the United States Department of Energy (DOE), the Inflation Reduction Act made “the single largest investment in climate and energy in American history, enabling America to tackle the climate crisis, advancing environmental justice, securing America’s position as a world leader in domestic clean energy manufacturing.”
Gov. Janet Mills (D) explained in a press release Monday that this funding will be used to create a new statewide program aimed at bringing solar power to “low-income households and communities,” while simultaneously “creating job and economic development opportunities in the growing clean energy industry.”
This program will be administered through the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) and is expected to launch by the end of the year.
Before the program becomes available, however, the GEO has said that it will “solicit public input” to help “shape program design.”
Final receipt of this award is expected no later than September 30 of this year. Once the funding has been secured, the GEO will begin sharing updated information and accepting public comment.
Click Here for More Information from the GEO on the Solar For All Grant
According to the two-page summary of Maine’s Solar for All application — as well as the governor’s Monday press release — the state plans to pursue three primary goals with these funds.
First, the GEO intends to create “new incentives for residential rooftop solar and energy storage” in “affordable multifamily housing” and “low-income and disadvantaged single-family homes.”
Second, it plans to provide “new technical and financial assistance to support cooperatively-owned community solar” in order to allow participation “in solar energy ownership without barriers of homeownership or rooftop suitability.”
Lastly, the office will establish a “new community solar and energy storage program focused on serving low-income and disadvantaged households.”
Click Here to Read the 2-Page Summary of Maine’s Solar for All Application
Maine was one of 60 projects nationwide to receive an award from the Solar for All competition. Among the winning endeavors were 49 state-level projects that were awarded a total of $5.5 billion, six tribal projects worth a combined $500 million, and five multi-state projects that were given an aggregate of $1 billion.
“All Maine people should have access to clean, affordable, reliable energy to power their homes and businesses, regardless of income level or home ownership status,” said Gov. Mills. “I welcome this funding from the EPA to help Maine establish a program to enable low-income communities across Maine to participate in and benefit from solar development in our state.”
“With funding from EPA, Maine will ensure the benefits of solar and energy storage are accessible to low-income homeowners and renters, who often face the highest energy burdens, by lowering barriers to solar adoption,” said GEO Director Dan Burgess. “By making solar more accessible, this new program can reduce energy costs, spur job growth and economic development in Maine’s fast growing clean energy sector, and fight climate change.”
Click Here to Read Gov. Mills’ Full Press Release
“On Earth Day, it’s important to not only appreciate our planet and all it has to offer, but to reaffirm our commitment to protect our environment,” said Sen. Angus King (I) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D). “This funding will allow the [GEO] to develop more affordable, reliable, and local energy, while also creating well-paying new jobs in Maine.”
“This project builds on Maine’s strong track record of clean energy deployment by ensuring the benefits of solar and energy storage are accessible to those who stand to benefit the most while delivering cost savings on monthly electric bills,” Sen. King and Rep. Pingree said.
Click Here to Read Sen. King and Rep. Pingree’s Full Press Release
Also on Monday, the Mills Administration announced that the state has been awarded a separate $10.5 million grant to replace infrastructure along the coast, as well as to upgrade fisheries and marshlands to defend them from future storms and a predicted increase in water levels.
[RELATED: Biden Grants Mills Taxpayer Funds to Aid Her in Her Quest to Fight the Weather]
Earlier this month, Maine received $7 million in federal funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency investments at farms and businesses throughout rural Maine as part of a $124 million nationwide dispersal from the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) program, which was spread across a total of 541 projects in 44 states.
[RELATED: Maine Receives $7 Million in Federal Funding for “Energy Efficiency Investments” in Rural Maine]
In February, Mills announced that Maine had received $10 million in federal funding to subsidize the installation of heat pumps in mobile and manufactured homes throughout the state.
[RELATED: Maine Pols Tout $10M in Tax Dollars to Subsidize Heat Pumps]
That same month, Maine also received $4.4 million to “increase electrical grid resistance” and support the state’s “climate and clean energy goals,” with portions of this funding being made available to electric utilities, electricity generators, and storage operators.
In a separate statement released Monday, the governor celebrated Earth Day by asking Mainers to “remember that each of us plays a meaningful role in securing a cleaner, healthier future for our planet and our people.”
“On Earth Day 2024, may each of us recommit to doing our part to reduce pollution, preserve our planet, and protect our natural resources,” said Mills.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="27559 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=27559">8 Comments
First of all, Earth is not in danger from carbon dioxide. This conspiracy theory has been debunked by honest geologists, physicists and climatologists who have not succumbed to government money.
This is government overreach, expanding governmental agencies and control.
People choosing to fall for this scam will not only be screwing their neighbors through Net Energy Billing, but will have to accept governmental monitoring of their electrical use. You poor people had better not exceed your monthly allotment.
I think low income people have things other than solar panels on their priority list.
Like covid money, this will probably go to anything but solar panels for poor people.
What a joke the govt has become. An expensive, dangerous joke.
They keep telling us how inexpensive solar power is, yet no one will buy it without big government subsidies. Something smells fishy here.
““All Maine people should have access to clean, affordable, reliable energy to power their homes and businesses, regardless of income level or home ownership status,” said Gov. Mills.” Could this statement have come from anyone who is not a democrat/socialist?
62 million of printed money for what is pretty much a scam. With the US gov’t $34,000,000,000,000.00 in debt and no possible way to pay it back short of disaster all these big gov’t types like Mills just can’t resist inserting themselves into every aspect of your life. The climate hoax gives big gov’t so many opportunities to control how we live and stick its nose where it doesn’t belong. Incrementally our lives and freedom are being eroded by the gov’t that was supposed to protect us but doesn’t anymore. The solar panel fields are ugly to look at and what do you do with them when they wear out? They aren’t recyclable. The climate hoax is big gov’t at its best. Is it a hoax? Watch this and see.
https://remnant-tv.com/video/1094/climate-the-movie-the-cold-truth-?channelName=RemnantTV
…if all these ‘Green Energy’ solar and wind power money grab ideas were supposed to save the planet and reduce energy costs, then why has my power bill tripled over the last 3 years!?
In other words, solar energy is not cost effective so we need to confiscate more tax dollars from taxpayers to pay non taxpayers to install solar panels because it is too expensive to persuade them to do it themselves.
There is no need for solar power, there is no man made global warming. If the earth really is warming, scientists are on record stating that mankind thrives better when temperatures are a few degrees warmer. Has anyone seen the time lapsed satellite photos of the coastline going back 30 years? The coastline hasn’t changed one bit. This global warming scam is the Salem Witch frenzy of the 21st century.
Get a lot of sun directly overhead in Maine?