Latest EPA cuts could impact over $150M in WA funding for solar power
The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday terminated a $7 billion grant program, including over $150 million worth of funding for Washington state.
The program, which was intended to help pay for residential solar projects for more than 900,000 lower-income U.S. households, was cut as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to block a shift to cleaner energy.
The backstory:
As part of the Biden-era’s Solar for All program, the Washington State Department of Commerce was set to receive $156 million for a program that was scheduled to launch in early 2026. A spokesperson tells FOX 13 Seattle, "this action by the federal government jeopardizes that."
The program was expected to not only add more solar energy to Washington’s grid, but also create jobs in the process, including a goal of at least one trainee per project to boost the growing economy surrounding clean energy jobs.
According to the spokesperson, half a million dollars has already been spent to prepare four programs that would have received the funds and distributed them to communities across Washington including tribes, and low-income households.
Big picture view:
Solar, a renewable energy, is widely regarded as a way to introduce cleaner power into the electrical grid and lower energy bills for American consumers.
Under Republican President Donald Trump, officials have pursued dozens of deregulatory measures related to federal rules intended to protect clean air and water. Last week, the EPA proposed rescinding the agency’s "endangerment finding," which serves as the scientific and legal basis for regulating planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin took to social media to announce that the program was eliminated last month.
"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 said. "Today, the Trump EPA is announcing that we are ending Solar for All for good, saving US taxpayers ANOTHER $7 BILLION!"
It remains unclear whether the move would lead to legal action, as Washington’s Attorney General is currently fighting a number of similar funding cuts through the court system.
A spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Commerce noted they’re learning of the cuts as they’re rolled out.
"We’re learning in real time about the administration’s action regarding congressionally mandated funds that are under contract, and what that means for Washignton’s Solar for All program," a spokesperson wrote.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle anchor Matthew Smith, as well as interviews with Washington's Department of Commerce.