Arizona gets $156.12 million grant from federal Solar For All program on Earth Day

PHOENIX – The Biden administration gave Arizona a nice Earth Day present on Monday in the form of a $156.12 million grant from the federal Solar For All program.

The state will use the funding to develop programs to help residents in low-income and disadvantaged communities benefit from residential solar energy.

“For years, the benefits of household solar – such as the significant savings on energy bills – have been out of reach for too many in Arizona,” Martha Guzman, Pacific Southwest regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, said in a press release.

In all, the EPA announced 60 state-level, tribal and multistate Solar For All grants on Monday totaling $7 billion. The funding comes from the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

The projects are expected to eventually reduce emissions by the equivalent of 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and save households $350 million annually, according to senior administration officials.

Arizona tribes also get millions for solar

The state grant isn’t the only one that will help Arizona residents. The Hopi Utilities Corporation is getting $25.6 million to deploy residential solar systems to homes on Hopi land in northeastern Arizona.

Arizona’s tribes will also benefit from a $62.45 million award to bring solar energy to thousands of Native American households across the U.S.

“Arizona is particularly positioned to deliver more for our communities on clean energy,” Sandy Bahr, director for Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter, said in a statement. “This grant funding can help us do that and assist our state with taking full advantage of our 300 days of sunshine and deliver utility bill savings to those with low incomes and those who are disproportionately harmed by climate change.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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