Florida coalition wins $156M grant to help expand solar access and affordable energy to low-to-moderate income families

The Coalition will work to deploy clean solar energy, benefitting thousands of Florida households.

FORT PIERCE, FL, US, April 22, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Florida Solar for All (FSFA) Coalition announced today that it received a notice of a $156.1 million award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Solar for All competition. The FSFA Coalition is a nonpartisan, nonpolitical coalition of three Florida-based nonprofits, consisting of the Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF), Solar United Neighbors (SUN), and The Nature Conservancy in Florida (TNC). These organizations have a long-standing, unique experience with building resilience and enabling access to renewable energy and share a common mission of serving Florida’s most vulnerable populations.

The EPA’s Solar for All competition is awarding $7 billion through up to 60 grants to states, territories, Tribal governments, municipalities, and nonprofits. These awards will bring solar energy ownership and direct electric bill savings to historic numbers of low-income and disadvantaged communities through the Inflation Reduction Act.

"We are incredibly proud to announce this historic grant from the EPA. This is a tremendous opportunity for Florida, allowing us to finally ensure that access to the economic and environmental benefits of solar power becomes a reality for all, especially low income and working-class families who can benefit the most. For too long, the clean energy transition has left many behind,” said Duanne Andrade, Executive Director of the Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF). “We’re excited to get to work to harness the power of one of our state’s most abundant resources – the sun – to create a cleaner, brighter and more sustainable future for Floridians."

SELF, the coalition’s lead-applicant, was founded in 2009 as the nation’s first green nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) and has financed over 3,400 sustainable and climate-resilient property improvements and new developments, creating over $40 million of economic development activity, and leveraging over $100 million in total projects.

“We’re ready to get to work,” said Heaven Campbell, Solar United Neighbors’ Florida Program Director. “This investment will help more families save money and take control of where their energy comes from.”
Solar United Neighbors is a national leader in designing programs to expand solar access. It pioneered the first of these types of programs in Washington, D.C. in 2017. It has developed more than two dozen such programs over the past seven years.

“The Florida Solar For All funds represent a critical opportunity to reduce emissions, enhance environmental justice, and complement other climate initiatives led by local and regional leaders across the Sunshine State,” said Morgan Higman, Climate Strategy Director for TNC. TNC brings the resources and expertise of a global, science-based environmental non-profit. TNC has operated in Florida for more than 50 years to support community engagement and empowerment, environmental and climate policy, and science-backed projects with tangible, scalable benefits.

The Florida Solar For All Coalition’s application included 60 letters of support from local governments, community-based organizations, and others. The Coalition will work with these partners and others to deploy solar energy, benefitting thousands of Florida households. Pensacola Habitat for Humanity was one of the early supporters of the Florida Solar For All Coalition.

"At Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, our mission is to facilitate positive change by bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Through the Florida Solar For All initiative, we aim to enhance the long-term stability of families and communities by leveraging energy resources and efficiencies designed to provide predictability and affordability, while also increasing home values,” Shared Sam Young, President and CEO. “This initiative aligns with our organization's overarching vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live, as we engage in historic programs locally, in Florida, and across the nation."

The Florida Solar For All program will prioritize families who have the highest energy burden, meaning their energy bill represents a larger percentage of their income. Going solar is a way for these families to lower and control their energy costs, while investing in their own wealth.

For more information and to be notified about updates from the Florida Solar for All Coalition, visit: www.solarenergyloanfund.org/florida-solar-for-all/

Kathleen Van Gorden
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