The Clean Energy States Alliance has a statement about the (at-least-for-now) termination of the Solar for All Program, of which Vermont was participating:
“The Environmental Protection Agency’s careless and unlawful termination of the Solar for All program destroys a critical effort to expand electricity production at a time when the country desperately needs more power.
The 60 Solar for All awardees—mostly state government agencies—have spent the past two years working creatively and diligently to design and roll out cost-effective low-income solar programs in both red and blue states. Ending this popular bipartisan program squanders both their hard work and valuable federal dollars.
Most egregious is the impact on hundreds of thousands of low-income Americans who would have saved significant money on their electric bills—more than $400 million in savings annually for the next 20 to 30 years. Solar for All would save more money than it costs.
We urge the Administration to reverse its short-sighted decision. ”
“Vermont was in the midst of standing up programs to roll out the funding and had already allocated $22 million to the Vermont Housing and Finance Agency to support installing solar at affordable housing developments.
Remaining funds were supposed to help more than 1,000 low income households in the state access free or very low cost solar panels, something state regulators have said would lead to lower electric bills.”
VT’s Department of Public Service is looking into what options remain.
