Gov. Evers Urges Trump Administration Not to Cut Critical Solar for All Program

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today sent a letter to the Trump Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, amid reports of forthcoming actions from the Trump Administration to terminate the critical Solar for All Grant Program, which is designed to help fund the installation of solar systems for low- and moderate-income households, boost energy resilience, improve air quality, and create jobs, while helping to lower energy bills for working families.

In April 2024, Wisconsin was awarded $62.4 million after a competitive application process through the Solar for All program to create the “PowerUp Wisconsin” initiative that, based on initial estimates, could serve over 7,400 Wisconsin households and save households up to $500 a year.

A copy of the governor’s letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is available here, and a transcript of the letter is available below.

Dear Administrator Zeldin:

I write to strongly oppose reportedly forthcoming actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) attempting to terminate Solar for All grant awards and ask you to reconsider your actions. On August 5, the New York Times reported that the EPA is currently drafting termination letters to Solar for All grant recipients, including states like Wisconsin. To be clear, attempting to terminate Solar for All grants has no legitimate purpose or justification. 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.

In April 2024, Wisconsin was awarded $62.4 million after a competitive application process through the EPA’s Solar for All program to help fund solar systems for low- and moderate-income households across Wisconsin. Since then, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has been engaging relevant stakeholders such as local governments, solar installers, utilities, and housing developers and actively developing program guidelines for Wisconsin’s Solar for All program, “PowerUp Wisconsin.” Wisconsin’s program is designed to support single-family, multi-family, and community solar projects across the state, lowering our reliance on out-of-state energy and saving families money on their energy bills. Based on initial estimates, PowerUp Wisconsin could serve over 7,400 Wisconsin households and save a Wisconsin household up to $500 a year.

Lowering costs for Wisconsin families is a top priority for my administration. We have taken important actions to do just that, including recently eliminating the sales tax on household energy bills for all Wisconsinites in the bipartisan state budget I signed last month. 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. 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.

I urge you to abandon any efforts to terminate Solar for All grant awards and focus your time and efforts on meaningful solutions to help lower energy costs for working families and build the sustainable, clean energy future Wisconsinites and Americans want, need, and deserve.

Respectfully yours,

Tony Evers
Governor

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.