2 days ago
The latest in a ‘tsunami of bad things': Trump claws back funds for solar in low-income communities
'It made a hike more like a mountain climb,' said King, who is the president of the
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Massachusetts had been one of the biggest intended recipients of the $7 billion federal
A solar developer has plans to put solar panels on the roof of the Dorchester Food Co-op.
Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
'Solar has been the number one contributor to increased growth in electricity generation in the United States,' said Nick d'Arbeloff, president of the
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Solar for All was part of the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund that was created by the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark piece of climate and clean energy legislation passed by the Biden administration in 2022. With the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Trump eliminated the fund, taking the Solar for All program with it.
Since taking office for his second term, President Trump has taken aim at the funds that were authorized by the IRA — hundreds of billions of dollars intended to speed up the clean energy transition while creating jobs.
After an
But, like many grant programs, the Solar for All funds are distributed as reimbursements — which means they don't land until a project is up and running. Because the program was not expected to be completed in Massachusetts until early this fall, that means even though those funds have been available, they have not yet been accessed.
On Thursday, Governor Maura Healey decried the action
by the Trump administration, while urging the administration to 'abandon any plans to terminate the Solar for All grants.'
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Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office, meanwhile, is evaluating legal options.
'Canceling the Solar for All program will raise energy costs for tens of thousands of low-income and disadvantaged Massachusetts households that will no longer be able to access the benefits of solar, eliminate the creation of green jobs across our state, and push us further away from reaching our climate goals,' Campbell said.
In Dorchester, King said the plans should be able to move ahead — the funds have already been secured, and they're just waiting on a few final steps before construction begins. It's just not clear whether he'll be able to develop more
solar projects.
King's model is a twist on traditional community solar, in which people buy into a solar development to get a discount on their electricity rates. In Dorchester, members buy in for $100, and are paid minimum wage to work about 4 hours a week to identify other potential sites. Once the solar array is up on the Food Co-op, members will receive a portion of the profits, and a second option will become available for those who wish to invest $1000 to participate without the work requirement.
Some profits would also go toward establishing additional sites in environmental justice neighborhoods.
'Part of the reason we have a wealth income gap in Boston is that Black and brown people don't typically own much,' said King. 'We're trying to change that by essentially having people own this cash-generating asset.'
But in order to make the numbers work, King was counting on the tax credits, Solar for All, and the pre-tariff costs for solar panels.
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However, not all is lost. The state recently
King said that should help. And he's hopeful he can find investors or other ways to access low-interest financing.
'What it means is projects are going to be less profitable,' King said.
But it doesn't mean he's giving up. 'We put a lot of effort into this. And, new administration be damned, we're going to try to deliver on the things that we've been working towards.'
Sabrina Shankman can be reached at
