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Natural Resources Defense Council: Federal Freeze On Solar For All Grant Leaves Pennsylvania In The Dark

On February 13, the Natural Resources Defense Council said the President's freeze on funding for the Solar for All grants across the US is impacting 60 programs, including Pennsylvania.

The Solar for All Program, which is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, is a $7 billion program that will save Americans $350 million on their utility bills, while creating new jobs and delivering domestically produced energy in communities across the country.

The Pennsylvania Solar for All Program aims to provide solar installations for 14,000 households over a 5-year period. Pennsylvania was awarded $156,120,000 in April 2024 to “deploy and enable deployment of residential-serving solar, storage, and enabling upgrades in low-income and disadvantaged communities across Pennsylvania.”

On February 13, Governor Shapiro filed a federal complaint seeking an injunction preventing the Trump admin from interfering with the disbursement of any congressionally appropriated funds that have been obligated to Pennsylvania agencies, which includes Solar for All, and all other funding streams with previously signed agreements between the state and federal government pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“For communities throughout Pennsylvania, the Solar for All program helps lower utility bills and encourages clean, reliable energy systems that protect our environment and public health,” said Robert Routh, Pennsylvania policy director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “By interrupting Solar for All funding, the Trump administration is stalling important infrastructure projects and putting Pennsylvania’s move toward a cleaner, more affordable energy economy on the line.”

“The administration’s EO [executive order] has left local officials and grant program managers uncertain about the legality of its directives. While solar energy developers and advocates wait for clarity, the funding freeze leaves upcoming projects in turmoil.”

[Note: A provision in the Fiscal Code bill passed with the FY 2024-25 state budget last year prohibits the expenditure of Solar for All federal funds in Pennsylvania until specific legislation is passed to authorize the program. Read more here.

[The House Energy Committee held a hearing February 4 on House Bill 362 (Fiedler-D-Philadelphia) that would provide this authorization. Read more here.]

NewsClips - Freeze:

-- AP: Federal Appeals Court Won’t Halt Judge’s Order Requiring President To Unfreeze All Federal Cash

-- AP: White House Says Federal Judges Going Against President’s Actions Are Provoking A ‘Constitutional Crisis’

-- CNN: Billions In Federal Funding Remain Frozen Despite Federal Court Orders To Keep The Taps Open

-- NYT: EPA Still Has Grants Frozen Despite 2 Federal Court Orders To End The Freeze

-- Grist: President’s Push For ‘Efficiency’ May Destroy The EPA; What Does That Mean For You?

-- Bloomberg: EPA Seeking To Claw Back $20 Billion In Awards From Federal Climate Law

-- The Hill: EPA Fires 388 Probationary Employees

-- EPA Places 171 DEIA And Environmental Justice Employees On Administrative Leave

-- Reuters: Sweeping US Dept. Of Energy Layoffs Of Up To 2,000 Hit Nuclear Weapons, Radiation Waste Sites, Funding Offices, Hydro Plants, National Labs

-- The Hill: Dept. Of The Interior Fires 2,300 Employees Who Were On Probationary Status

-- Politico: US Forest Service Fires 3,400 Probationary Employees After ‘Deferred Resignation’ Deadline Passes