The year in review countdown continues with a blog announcing our biggest project yet.
Coming in at number four is a blog by Brian Depew, our executive director, on our $62 million grant under the Solar for All program. This piece was posted in April.
The Center for Rural Affairs is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $62 million grant under the Solar for All program.
With this grant, the Center will focus on ensuring that low-income and historically disadvantaged households in Nebraska have equitable access to solar power and the means to become owners of solar energy production.
The Solar for All grant will enable us to reach more than 9,000 households in Nebraska and deploy over 60 megawatts of new residential-serving solar energy. This initiative will lower energy costs and reduce pollution in underserved communities across the state.
This incredible opportunity will allow us to increase the amount of solar energy deployed in Nebraska by more than 60% over the five-year grant period and transform the residential solar market here.
Our strategy includes low-interest loans, grants, and subsidies to support three key components:
Community solar: Collaborating with public utilities in the state to develop residential-serving community solar arrays, allowing eligible residents to participate through subscriptions or by owning panels.
Multifamily affordable housing solar: Partnering with utilities, housing developers, and low-income housing financing partners to deploy solar for income-qualified multifamily housing units.
Rooftop solar: Providing behind-the-meter or rooftop solar for qualified households, screening residents for eligibility and site suitability, and connecting them to technical service providers and solar installers.
We're in the process of hiring a new Solar, Clean Energy, and Climate Lending Director to lead the effort alongside 10 expected additional positions. You can see all our career opportunities at cfra.org/careers.
The grant was awarded via the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Solar for All program, a part of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund established by the Inflation Reduction Act. The EPA awarded 60 grants—totaling $7 billion—to states, territories, Tribal governments, municipalities, and nonprofits to facilitate low-income and historically disadvantaged community participation in residential solar energy. The Solar for All program aims to lower energy costs and reduce pollution in underserved communities across the country by installing solar power systems.
EPA expects to have contracts in place with awardees by September after which there will be a one-year planning period before the launch of financial products.
In developing its Nebraska Solar for All proposal, Center staff met with more than 50 stakeholders including utilities, state agencies, housing developers, housing organizations, solar developers, workforce partners, community-based organizations, and Tribes. We plan to continue this outreach as we develop specific details of Nebraska Solar for All. We will seek both stakeholder participation and engagement with project planning and oversight, in deploying and receiving solar power, and in influencing public power governance. Stakeholder outreach and engagement across Nebraska communities will be key to success.
We are grateful to all of our partners and collaborators and we look forward to working together to provide technical and financial assistance to support community, rooftop, and multifamily affordable housing solar projects.
The Nebraska Solar for All program will be implemented statewide and include rural, urban, suburban, and Tribal communities. In addition, the program will provide resources to help train workers to install and maintain the new installations.
The full list of Solar for All awards can be found at EPA’s website.
Visit Solar For All on our website for updates.
