WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today issued the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s cancellation of the $7 billion Solar for All program which was created under the Biden Administration to help underserved families make clean energy upgrades that lower energy bills, boost economic development, and help protect the environment:

 

“As Rhode Islanders struggle with rising energy bills, the Trump Administration is getting rid of useful tools for families to make upgrades that are good for their budgets and good for the sustainability of our energy grid. It was a win-win that President Trump is throwing out in order to make good on his campaign promises to fossil fuel industry donors.

 

“Under the Biden Administration, the EPA estimated that the Solar for All Program would save about $400 each year on electricity costs for the low-income families who benefitted from the program. That’s a substantial amount of money for people making hard budget decisions each month when they get their utility bills.

 

“As the demand for energy continues to increase, we need to be doing more to boost sustainable supply and lower costs, not throw away progress and revert back to outdated, unsustainable energy sources.

 

“This funding for Rhode Island and states across the nation was also helping to improve solar technology and put people to work, all the while creating a workforce equipped to implement renewable energy upgrades for the future.

 

“Instead of lowering costs for Americans, the Trump Administration continues to prioritize wealthy fossil fuel special interests over the future of renewable energies that lower energy bills and better protect our environment. Giving up on the future of renewable energy gives up huge ground to America’s competitors, like China, who are powering forward with new options for the future. And America is falling further behind.”

 

Senator Reed and the Rhode Island delegation delivered $49.3 million in federal funding for the state through the Solar for All program. The program was created through the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, which Democrats passed in 2022.

 

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “Solar energy is renewable and plentiful. As the cost of using solar to produce electricity goes down each year, many Americans are increasingly switching to solar.” The benefits of solar energy include lower monthly utility bills, financial returns, increased home values of about $15,000, reduced water consumption, and each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of solar generated substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions like CO2 and other dangerous pollutants.