Sierra Club Statement on Trump Administration Halting Solar For All Funds Already Under Contract

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Washington, DC - Today, E&E News reported that amidst a broad illegal push to freeze all federal funding, the Trump administration has also halted $7 billion in Solar For All awards. That funding, already under signed contract with local and state governments, would help provide low-cost rooftop solar to low income and disadvantaged communities while also supporting workforce development.

The grants, made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, were awarded to 60 recipients that will implement programs across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and several territories. The funding will enable more than 900,000 households to benefit from distributed solar energy. The projects awarded would generate an estimated $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households and reduce more than 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous released the following statement: 

“It didn’t take long for Donald Trump to break his promise to the American people. Now he’s backing out of signed contracts with local and state governments working to create jobs in their community and lower energy costs for working families. We’ve long known that Donald Trump doesn’t believe in paying his bills, but his actions today will jeopardize the monumental renewable energy opportunities being brought to cities and towns across the nation. American families are screaming for leaders to do everything in their power to grow jobs and cut costs. Donald Trump is making it clear he will not listen.”

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About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.