Lowering energy bills for low-income households will be more difficult with EPA cut, groups say
The Environmental Protection Agency's decision to cancel a Biden-era solar grant program will hinder efforts to lower energy bills for middle to low-income households, according to several environmental groups.
On Thursday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency was terminating Solar for All, a $7 billion grant program intended to help pay for resident solar projects.
Zeldin wrote on social media that the "EPA no longer has the statutory authority to administer the program or the appropriated funds "to keep the program alive."
"Today, the Trump EPA is announcing that we are ending Solar for All for good, saving US taxpayers ANOTHER $7 BILLION!" Zeldin wrote. '
Households will lose the ability to save hundreds of dollars annually by implementing energy-reducing measures provided by the program, Zealan Hoover, a former EPA senior advisor who was involved in the inception of the program, told ABC News.
"It would have significantly addressed the pain that so many families are facing with rapidly rising electricity prices," Hoover said.
The goal of Solar for All was to reduce electricity costs for low and middle-income households by distributing federal funds to states and other partners who made it easier for 900,000 households to take advantage of solar power and battery storage. Part of the Inflation Reduction Act, one of former President Joe Biden’s signature programs, the initiative estimated that it would save low-income households up to $400 a year on energy bills, create more than 200,000 jobs and cut toxic pollution by more than 30 million metric tons.
Funding for investments such as rooftop solar and community solar gardens was awarded to 60 recipients, including states, tribes, nonprofits and local governments.
"The Trump administration is once again gutting critical funding for community solar and harming communities for its false 'energy emergency,'" said Corey Solow, legislative director for climate and energy at Earthjustice, the nation's largest public interest environmental law firm, in a statement. "Solar for All projects were spurring positive, on-the-ground change in communities – early investments will provide reliable energy and lower costs for communities that stand to benefit the most from the clean energy transition."
The move is "yet another blow" to working families, Climate Power, a communications organization focused on climate action, said in a statement.
"Instead of cutting energy costs in half, like he promised, Donald Trump has taken an ax to popular bipartisan programs that help working families lower their energy costs," said Alex Glass, Climate Power communications director.
In 2024, domestic solar energy production hit a record-breaking 50 gigawatts of capacity, and the solar energy sector provided more than 263,000 American jobs, according to the Sierra Club.
The Trump administration's decision is "denying our most vulnerable communities a resource that would have helped alleviate their financial burdens and improved their quality of life," Sierra Club Climate Policy Director Patrick Drupp said in a statement.
EPA authority over the Solar for All program was eliminated under the tax and spending bill signed by President Donald Trump last month, Zeldin said.
The new tax law eliminated the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, approved under the Inflation Reduction Act, which set aside $20 billion for community projects for renewable energy, which the Solar for All program fell under.
The EPA's move to terminate the Solar for All program will likely be challenged in court, Hoover said.
"Terminating these grants midstream is not just reckless; it's legally and procedurally indefensible," said Jim Drummond, former lead grants attorney in EPA's Office of General Counsel said in a statement. "The grants were awarded in accordance with established federal grant regulations and EPA's strong competition policies. To break these commitments retroactively not only undermines the rule of law, it also potentially exposes the federal government to liability and erodes trust in public institutions. In my opinion, this is a violation of basic administrative accountability."
According to the International Energy Agency, solar power is now the least expensive option for new electricity generation.
When contacted by ABC News for comment, an EPA spokesperson pointed to Zeldin’s statement posted to X
ABC News' Matthew Glasser contributed to this report.
