Freeze on “Solar for All" State Grants Leave Virginia in the Dark

WASHINGTON. D.C.  — The Trump administration issued an executive order (EO) pausing Solar for All grants across the United States, impacting 60 program awardees, including Virginia. 

The Solar for All program, which is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), is a $7 billion program that will save Americans $350 million on their utility bills, while creating new jobs and delivering domestically produced energy in communities across the country.  

The Virginia Department of Energy was awarded $156 million in April 2024 “to enable energy savings and increase resilience in domestic energy by expanding access to solar and solar plus storage funding for low-income families.” Since grants were awarded, programs have been working to deliver at least a 20 percent energy savings to 900,000 households across the United States. 

Following is a reaction from Luis Martinez, southeast regional director of climate and energy at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council): 

“The Solar for All program positions us to create new clean energy jobs, end our reliance on energy imports, and transition to clean, affordable, and reliable energy. Every attempt to block funds from flowing into communities will cause projects to stall, lose private capital investments—or worse, stop development of projects. Taxpayers everywhere will be affected by these actions, particularly through higher energy bills.” 

The Trump administration’s EO has left local officials and grant program managers uncertain about the legality of its directives. While solar energy developers and advocates wait for clarity, the funding freeze leaves on-going projects in turmoil. 

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).