Latest news with #SolarforAll
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Don't let the sun go down on Mass: Markey slams Trump over solar funding
Good Monday morning, all. You can count U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., among the chorus of Bay State pols who are less than thrilled over the Trump administration's decision to cancel a $7 billion grant program for solar energy. The Malden lawmaker, who sits on the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee, slammed the Republican White House over what he called its 'unlawful' decision to stick a fork in the Solar for All Program. Sixty states, including Massachusetts, which was in line for $156 million, were impacted. 'Instead of Solar for All, [President Donald] Trump and [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee] Zeldin want higher costs for all,' Markey said in a statement. 'This latest heist from the Trump administration will cause energy costs to rise, keep Americans beholden to monopolistic electric utilities, and make our grid overburdened and less reliable,' Markey continued. 'Trump and Zeldin's attacks on the Solar for All program and their attempts to cancel legally binding contracts will mean energy bills are going to continue to spike nationwide. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey also weighed in on the matter last week, urging the administration not to cancel the program. The plea fell on deaf ears. 'Solar is the fastest and cheapest way to bring affordable energy into Massachusetts,' Healey said in a statement 'Affordability isn't controversial – that's why states like Texas and Florida are building so much solar. And that's why my administration has been working hard to deliver more affordable solar to our residents and businesses through new incentives and programs like Solar for All," the Democratic governor continued. Zeldin announced on social media last week that the administration was ending the program because the passage of the budget reconciliation bill in July eliminated its authority to run the program. 'The bottom line is this: EPA no longer has the statutory authority to administer the program or the appropriated funds to keep this boondoggle alive,' Zeldin wrote. The program, passed under the former Biden administration as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, would have provided zero-interest loans, solar panels at public housing and funded workforce training, all with a focus on historically underserved communities. It was set to begin in a few weeks in Massachusetts. Healey's office said the funding was set to create 3,000 jobs and provide energy-bill-lowering solar for more than 29,000 households in the state. Healey's office said the program would boost the state's solar capacity by 125 megawatts and touted the effect solar generation already has on the state. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., also weighed in, arguing in a statement that 'canceling [the program] would be reckless and further proof that the Trump administration doesn't care about lowering costs.' On April 20, solar arrays supplied 55% of electricity across the grid in New England, Healey's office said. It said local solar relieves stress on the grid's transmission and distribution infrastructure, The Republican, of Springfield, reported. For Markey, that's a lose-lose-lose for consumers, the environment, and the economy. 'American households are already facing skyrocketing energy costs and are begging for relief, not political retribution. Solar for All was set to cut participating households' average energy bills by $400 a year, with more than $8 billion in savings overall across all fifty states,' he said. 'This program should have been a win for the Administration— cutting it means stealing $4.6 billion away from states with Republican governors or senators," he continued. 'A heist of that magnitude simply makes no political or practical sense, especially when energy bills are going up and our grid is desperate for more generation, not more gridlock.' Kraft says Wu's plans for Mass and Cass are ineffective Democratic Boston mayoral hopeful Josh Kraft has backed a Boston City Council member's call to declare a public emergency at the open-air drug market at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard in the city's South End. Kraft challenged incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu, also a Democrat, to explain how her office plans to tackle a public health and public safety crisis that remains an ongoing challenge after years of what he described as 'inertia' on the issue. 'Boston can no longer afford a passive response to the humanitarian crisis and public safety emergency unfolding on a daily basis,' around the area widely referred to as Mass and Cass, Kraft said in a statement. Wu, he argued, has 'offered no coherent leadership. My plan puts public order, recovery, and real housing service solutions first.' In a statement, Wu's campaign fired back, accusing Kraft of 'recycling' old ideas, The Boston Herald reported. 'Once again, Josh Kraft is willfully ignoring important work to enforce the law and address quality of life issues and root causes at Mass and Cass,' the Wu campaign said. 'Under Mayor Wu's leadership, Boston has built up pathways to recovery and permanent housing that never existed before and ended permanent encampments citywide. Hundreds of people who had been living on the streets are in treatment and housing, and fatal overdoses have dropped.' Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn, a frequent Wu critic, issued the call for the emergency declaration earlier this month, arguing that the city's approach to the area, however well-intentioned, had failed. 'Any reasonable person who visits the area will say unequivocally that what has taken place there on a daily basis for over a decade now — an open air drug market and dealing, public drug use, the trafficking of women, acts of serious violence, public defecation and urination, among others — is completely unacceptable,' Flynn wrote in a resolution supporting the declaration. Flynn said the challenges posed by the intersection have spilled into surrounding neighborhoods. 'South End and Roxbury are historic neighborhoods that are culturally diverse and host many families, seniors, and public housing residents who have lived in the area for many decades,' Flynn wrote. 'We must provide a safe and healthy environment, clean squares and parks, and a good quality of life for our residents by arresting and prosecuting those who are openly committing illegal crimes. It is critical that the Boston Police deploy more resources in addressing these complex public safety challenges.' Flynn's resolution was on last week's Boston City Council agenda. Both Wu and Kraft have acknowledged the tremendous difficulty of addressing the nationwide opioid epidemic and growing homelessness crisis at the local level. The two campaigns also have advanced their own plans for dealing with the area, MassLive previously reported. Wu's plan calls for using 'all levers' of city government, in partnership with the state and nonprofits, 'to end congregate substance use in Boston and the criminal activity that supports it,' she wrote to South End residents in a letter in June. Under Kraft's plan, police would increase enforcement of public drug consumption, trespassing, tent camping, and other quality-of-life crimes. Prosecutions would be handled in specialty courts (something that's out of the mayor's hands), aiming to drive people into recovery programs rather than prison. Kraft would also revive the Community Syringe Redemption Program, a needle collection program supported by pandemic relief money that encouraged people to return used needles for a monetary refund. The city's preliminary election is Sept. 9. Pressley calls for hearing for Epstein survivors U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, joined by 15 of her Democratic colleagues, has called on the U.S. House Oversight Committee to hold a public hearing to 'prioritize' the voices of people abused by Jeffrey Epstein. 'If we are to hold powerful people to account, our investigation must center the voices they tried to silence. To ensure that our investigation is comprehensive and credible, we urge the Committee to allow survivors the opportunity to provide their testimony if they wish to do so,' Pressley, who sits on the panel, wrote to its chairperson, U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. The letter was first reported by The 19th. Pressley, of Boston, has made no secret of her own experience as an abuse survivor and has emerged as a vocal supporter of fellow survivors. 'I know the pain and trauma that survivors carry. Those that have been victimized by Epstein and his co-conspirators, they deserve this transparency, this accountability, this healing, and I think they've not been centered enough,' Pressley told The 19th. 'People have gotten distracted and derailed with what they perceive as the political gamemanship of this and people doing what my Republican colleagues do so often, which is playing games with people's lives.' They Said It 'It's more illegal insanity from Trump.' — Massachusetts Secretary of State William L. Galvin has some thoughts on Trump's call last week for a new Census that would not count people living in the country illegally. Galvin's office administers the Census, and he is the state's chief elections officer. (h/t Axios Boston) Read more MassLive politics coverage The Voting Rights Act is 60. It's on 'life support,' Northeastern expert says. What happens next? Mass. Gov. Healey signs 'landmark' shield law update to protect people seeking reproductive care 'Severely lacking': Trump admin has backlog of 27K student loan complaints Mass. Auditor DiZoglio lawyers up, calls Legislature an 'authoritarian regime' First-time Worcester candidate has raised nearly 50% more than any competitors Springfield city councilor files lawsuit against former colleagues, alleging 'calculated attack' Housing advocates propose ballot question to bring rent control back to Mass. What Goes On A contingent of state lawmakers, agency officials and advocates is headed to Maine on Tuesday to talk to farmers and others who have been affected by so-called 'forever chemicals,' or per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals often referred to as PFAS chemicals. The trip is part of an effort by state Sen. Joanne M. Comerford, D-Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester, and state Rep. James Arena-DeRosa, D-8th Middlesex, to advance respective Senate and House bills aimed at tackling the environmental and public health challenge. The Bay State contingent is set to visit a PFAS-impacted farm in Arundel and then head to the state capitol in Augusta for further discussions. The trip will 'offer an opportunity to learn from Maine's nation-leading work on this issue,' Comerford's office said in a statement, noting that 'Maine was the first state in the country to investigate the impacts of sewage sludge applications on farmland.' Turned up to 11 Indie poppers Fritz and the Tantrums play the House of Blues in Boston on Aug. 18 (tickets and more info here). The band's new record, 'Man on the Moon‚' has just dropped. And from that LP, here's 'Withdrawals.' Your Monday long read The Atlantic's Anne Appelbaum takes you inside what she describes as 'the most nihilistic conflict on Earth:' the brutal and seemingly endless civil war that's consumed Sudan. Its lesson: 'This is what replaces the liberal order — anarchy and greed." Here's the germane bit: 'Statistics are sometimes used to express the scale of the destruction in Sudan. About 14 million people have been displaced by years of fighting, more than in Ukraine and Gaza combined. Some 4 million of them have fled across borders, many to arid, impoverished places — Chad, Ethiopia, South Sudan — where there are few resources to support them." 'At least 150,000 people have died in the conflict, but that's likely a significant undercounting. Half the population, nearly 25 million people, is expected to go hungry this year." Hundreds of thousands of people are directly threatened with starvation. More than 17 million children, out of 19 million, are not in school. A cholera epidemic rages. Malaria is endemic." 'But no statistics can express the sense of pointlessness, of meaninglessness, that the war has left behind alongside the physical destruction.' That's it for today. As always, tips, comments and questions can be sent to jmicek@ Have a good week, friends. Read more analysis from John L. Micek Boston's Big Wonk Summer: Thousands of lawmakers arrive for annual conference | Bay State Briefing Market Basket drama — Deli, devotion & doughnuts: Why we care so much | John L. Micek Mass. student turns terrifying choking incident into legislative action | Bay State Briefing Read the original article on MassLive. Solve the daily Crossword
Boston Globe
21 hours ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
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 Advertisement 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 Advertisement In 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.' Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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
3 days ago
- Politics
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.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump admin claws back $250M in California solar funding, igniting likely legal battle
California officials say the Trump administration's decision to claw back $250 million already awarded to build solar projects for low-income families and on tribal lands is an 'unlawful termination' that will raise the costs of community solar and battery storage projects in the state. The cuts are part of a sweeping end to a $7 billion Biden-era Environmental Protection Agency program called 'Solar for All' that covered 60 recipients across the country. The EPA announced grant awardees in April 2024. The California Public Utilities Commission said Thursday it received a termination letter, which said Congress made its intent clear in the Republican-led One Big Beautiful Bill Act and that the EPA no longer had 'legal authority or the financial appropriations needed' to continue the program. 'Congress appropriated these funds with a clear mandate,' said a joint statement from the CPUC, California Energy Commission and Labor and Workforce Development Agency. 'Revoking them now undermines our legal system and destabilizes ongoing projects.' EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin posted a video announcing the end of the program Thursday, which he described as a 'grift.' He said 'very little of the money has actually been spent' because building had yet to begin. 'We're committed to the rule of law,' Zeldin said, 'and being a good steward of taxpayer dollars.' Experts say the EPA's legal arguments are thin and likely to be challenged in court — by those who can afford a courtroom battle. 'This administration wants to do as much damage as it possibly can to the green energy industry,' said Dave Owen, an attorney and energy law professor at UC College of the Law, San Francisco. 'They're trying to deal enough blows to them that even when there's a more amenable administration in place, it can't come back.' President Donald Trump has made his critiques of clean energy clear, repeatedly calling solar panels and wind mills ugly and inefficient. Meanwhile, renewables supplied 57% of California's in-state power generation last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The EPA's letter argued the Solar for All Funds are 'unobligated,' which attorneys say is likely to be the crux of any legal battle. 'Going through and terminating agreements without cause doesn't magically de-obligate the funding,' said Harvard Law researcher and attorney Abby Husselbee. 'There may be no legal basis for the termination.' Owen said the Trump administration will likely argue that any unspent money is 'unobligated.' The Solar for All program's focus was largely on community solar, which allows ratepayers to use a share of a solar site to offset power use and lower energy bills. Community sites usually target those who live in apartments or can't afford full rooftop arrays. 'It's no secret that energy affordability is an issue in California and across the country, and cancelling Solar for All will only make matters worse — especially for the people who can least afford it,' said Stephanie Bosh, a spokesperson for the country's leading solar trade group, the Solar Energy Industries Association. 'At a moment when energy demand is skyrocketing — and solar and storage is the quickest and cheapest energy source to deploy — this administration is continuing to dig itself into a hole.' In its workplan, which the EPA under Biden approved, the state utilities commission laid out its emphasis on reaching disadvantaged communities and federally recognized tribal lands. The commission said $190 million of the funding would cover the costs of up to 20 new community solar sites and up to 100 megawatts of power for up to 30,000 households. It would save those involved 20% on their monthly bills. Locations for sites had not been announced, but would have been spread across the areas covered by investor-owned utilities Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison. A separate $25 million was set aside for areas in the state under public utilities, which would have covered another 8,000 on sites could have started by the end of this year, according to presentations the commission gave on the program. The plan required sites to allot at least 51% of each system's capacity to low-income residents. About $19 million was designated to incentivize solar development on tribal lands, which have historically struggled to access reliable electricity. Millions of dollars were also dedicated to job and workforce development to build the sites. 'There are real effects, real jobs on the line,' Husselbee said. 'All that potential good, that potential savings, has been put to a halt.'
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Trump administration revokes $156M grant to help Floridians afford solar panels
The federal government has revoked a $156 million grant received by three Florida nonprofits to help lower-income residents afford solar panels. More than 800 Floridians had already applied for these funds, at least a quarter of which had been pre-qualified, said Duanne Andrade, executive director of the Solar and Energy Loan Fund, one of the nonprofits. Eligible applicants would have been able to get grants, subsidies or low-cost financing to help pay for solar panels. The organizations had delayed approving applications until they received clarity on the future of the program. This cancellation is removing one more tool for households that can least afford rising electricity costs, Andrade said, not to mention how added jobs would've benefitted the state economy. 'These funds are being taken away from Floridians,' she said. 'If you're not a low-income household, maybe you're invested in solar companies. Or maybe you have people that need to work and you're going to put people to work in Florida. This [was] an investment in Florida.' In addition to the Solar and Energy Loan Fund, the two other Florida nonprofits that received the grant were Solar United Neighbors, a solar organizing group, and The Nature Conservancy in Florida, an environmental group. They jointly applied for the federal money after learning Florida was one of the few state governments that didn't apply. The cancellation is part of a national rollback of the Solar For All program, which included similar grants throughout the country. The termination letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which the Florida groups received Thursday night and shared with the Tampa Bay Times, cites the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 'Congress has made its intent clear ... that the SFA [Solar for All] program is no longer to operate,' it reads. That law also moved up the expiration date of the 30% tax credit for homeowners who install rooftop solar panels to the end of this year. That's created a rush of people trying to buy panels before the program ends, local business owners have said. This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
