Top Connecticut officials condemn President Trump’s move to terminate ‘Solar for All’ program
HARTFORD, Conn. — When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its intentions to terminate the Solar for All grant program on Friday, Connecticut officials quickly voiced their displeasure.
The program was created by the EPA in early 2024 as part of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Approximately $7 billion was allotted to the initiative, according to a state release.
The program aims to increase the availability and accessibility of clean and affordable solar energy in homes and communities across the United States, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
It was expected that the program would cut energy bills by an estimated 20% annually for participating households in those communities, allowing people to save hundreds of dollars per year who could not otherwise access that technology.
The program was estimated to spark 200,000 new jobs nationwide and avoid 30 million metric tons of carbon emissions, but its true potential will not be realized if the EPA follows through on its plan to do away with it.
Led by Gov. Ned Lamont, several top Connecticut officials chastised the administration of President Donald Trump for leading the effort to shut down the program.
“At a time when households could benefit from transitioning to solar energy now more than ever, the Trump Administration is attempting to terminate a program that would lower energy costs for families and businesses while also delivering clean energy,” Lamont said.
The governor continued, noting that the funds belong to the taxpayers of Connecticut.
“This action by the EPA is unlawful, and we will be working with other states to counter this action,” Lamont said.
No stranger to criticizing or battling the Trump Administration, Attorney General William Tong voiced even stronger disapproval.
“Once again, Donald Trump is seizing funds intended to lower costs for American families to pay tax breaks for billionaires,” Tong said. “These funds were passed by Congress to reduce carbon pollution and to save money for low-income families getting socked right now by utility bills.”
Tong added that all legal options are being evaluated in coordination with multistate partners across the country, all aiming to protect community members and their savings accounts.
Katie Dykes, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, noted that the action by the EPA cuts off access to clean, affordable solar energy for thousands of people in the state.
She said that the program helps residents, particularly those in multi-family affordable housing, access the benefits of clean solar energy and the cost savings it brings about.
“The program would also help us improve our air quality, which is among the worst in the nation, and make our electric grid more resilient,” Dykes said. “The EPA’s action runs completely counter to our efforts to bring affordable, clean and reliable energy to Connecticut residents.”
Democratic U.S. Rep. John Larson (CT-01) said that the decision to get rid of the program that was authorized by Congress will result in higher electric bills for Connecticut residents and a less resilient power grid.
He added that it will especially affect communities such as Hartford and Portland that have benefited heavily from the program.
“At a time when we should be doing everything we can to lower costs and grow our economy, this is the absolute wrong decision. It must be reversed,” Larson said. “I am thankful for the leadership of Gov. Lamont and Attorney General Tong as they continue to explore legal options to challenge this reckless decision.”
Larson said he stands with them in the fight and that he will keep pushing back against the Trump Administration’s “attacks on hard-working families and their wallets.”
In the state release, it is noted that DEEP applied for a grant on behalf of the state through an application it submitted shortly after the program’s creation.
On April 22, 2024, the EPA informed DEEP that it secured a $62.45 million grant.
DEEP intended to use the grant to help thousands of households in Connecticut transition their homes to solar energy. A particular emphasis was going to be placed on multi-family affordable housing units.
DEEP reportedly intended to build on the success of the state’s existing programs that facilitate solar expansion and storage system deployment such as the Residential Renewable Energy Solutions program and the Energy Storage Solutions program.
Connecticut is among 60 recipients that secured grants through the program.
Now, for each of those recipients, the future is uncertain. It appears unlikely they will be able to carry out the plans with the money they were assured of last year.