Evers Balks At Trump Admin’s Plan To Cancel $62 Million Grant For Homeowners
Solar for All program would support installation of solar energy systems in Wisconsin.
Solar panels on homes. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Gov. Tony Evers wrote to the federal Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, urging the Trump administration not to cancel Wisconsin’s $62.4 million grant to install solar energy systems for low- and moderate-income households.
Evers’ letter to EPA administrator Lee Zeldin followed a New York Times report earlier this week that the agency was preparing to cancel the $7 billion federal “Solar for All” grant program. “Solar for All” was part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act passed by congressional Democrats and signed by then-president Joe Biden.
“To be clear, attempting to terminate Solar for All grants has no legitimate purpose or justification,” Evers wrote. “Beyond that, doing so will also negatively impact Wisconsinites and our state, causing increased energy bills for Wisconsinites and hurting efforts to improve air quality, boost resilience, and create good-paying jobs.”
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. has put out a request for proposal seeking an implementer for the state’s program, called “PowerUp Wisconsin.” Bidders were to submit a notice of their intent to bid by this past Monday, Aug. 4, and final proposals are due on Friday, Aug. 29.
According to the WEDC’s work plan for the project, Wisconsin’s grant would add rooftop solar power systems to 1,038 households in single-family homes and 2,200 more households in 24 multifamily homes. The plan also calls for 10 community solar projects that could serve an additional 4,239 households.
Evers told Zeldin in the letter that since Wisconsin’s $62.4 million grant was awarded in April 2024, the WEDC has worked with local governments, solar installers, utilities and housing developers to draw up the state’s program guidelines. The program would reduce Wisconsin’s reliance on out-of-state energy and save households up to $500 a year on their energy bills, Evers wrote.
The governor wrote that lowering costs has been “a top priority” for his administration.
“While the Trump Administration claims to share this priority, terminating Wisconsin’s Solar for All grant would have the exact opposite effect, preventing Wisconsin families and households from seeing the direct savings offered through PowerUp Wisconsin,” Evers wrote.
The Evers administration and the Wisconsin Department of Justice have joined a number of lawsuits to block Trump administration executive orders and unilateral actions to cut funding approved by Congress.
Evers’ letter appeared to leave open the prospect for more litigation. “At a time when energy demand continues to increase, it is unfathomable for the Trump Administration to unnecessarily — and potentially illegally — terminate funding for a program designed to deploy affordable, renewable energy systems,” Evers wrote.
Evers calls on EPA chief to back off from canceling homeowner solar program was originally published by the Wisconsin Examiner.
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So we cancel solar funding but we are OK with spending $1B retro fitting a 747 jumbo jet for “Dear Leader”. A company called “Signature Solar” sells a kit for $12,100. The kit includes panels, battery, and smart invertor and should produce 18,000kWh per year and would probably pay for itself in 5-7 years. I don’t know anything about these systems but for the $1B we will spend on phuck face’s jumbo jet you could probably get 50,000 homes set up with these systems and take some strain off the power grid, help low income homes with their utility costs, take power away from undemocratic fossil fuel oligarchs, take better care of the planet, etc., etc., this country, for as much wealth as it has, should be doing much better for it’s people. Instead we are going to blow it.
Thanks Duane!