$7 Billion Solar for All Grant Highlighted in North Carolina with Rep. Foushee

A Landmark Clean Energy Event in the Triangle

In July 2023, officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (D-NC) at a press event in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina to highlight the Solar for All grant competition — a $7 billion initiative created under President Biden's Investing in America agenda and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The press event was designed to encourage eligible North Carolina applicants — state agencies, tribal governments, municipalities, and nonprofits — to compete for the Solar for All funding before the EPA's application deadline.

What Solar for All Is

Solar for All is one of three competitions within the IRA's $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). The program awards up to 60 grants to states, territories, tribal governments, municipalities, and eligible nonprofits to deploy residential rooftop and community solar in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

The program's stated goals include:

• Lowering electricity bills for low-income households.
• Expanding access to the clean energy transition in communities historically left out of rooftop solar adoption.
• Creating local clean energy jobs.
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Why North Carolina Was a Focal Point

Congresswoman Foushee represents North Carolina's 4th Congressional District, which includes Research Triangle Park — a major hub for clean energy research and industry. North Carolina also has a long-standing solar industry, a large population of low-income households, and significant rural areas where energy burdens are high. State agencies and nonprofits were positioned as strong candidates for Solar for All funding.

That expectation was ultimately borne out: in April 2024, the EPA announced that a North Carolina coalition — including the N.C. Clean Energy Fund, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, Advanced Energy, and the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center — would receive $156 million to extend residential solar to low-income and disadvantaged North Carolina communities, including state- and federally recognized tribal lands.

What the Funding Was Designed to Do in NC

The North Carolina Solar for All award was structured as a five-year program to:

• Deploy at least 43 megawatts of residential solar capacity.
• Serve low-income and disadvantaged communities across the state.
• Provide workforce training and community benefits tied to solar deployment.

For individual homeowners, the program was intended to lower upfront costs for rooftop solar, community solar subscriptions, and related efficiency upgrades that together are expected to cut participating households' electricity bills.

Subsequent Policy Developments

Since the program was announced, the federal policy landscape around clean energy grants has shifted. In 2025, North Carolina's Democratic congressional delegation — including Reps. Foushee, Deborah Ross, Don Davis, and Alma Adams — publicly urged the EPA to reverse steps to cancel or claw back Solar for All awards, arguing the program was critical for households facing high energy burdens. The status of the North Carolina award has been the subject of ongoing public debate and legal action.

What Homeowners Should Watch

Low-income North Carolina homeowners interested in solar should:

• Monitor the N.C. Clean Energy Fund and N.C. Department of Environmental Quality for updates on Solar for All implementation.
• Look into existing solar financing programs, tribal energy programs if applicable, and utility low-income energy efficiency offerings.
• Contact certified energy auditors or nonprofit housing counselors for whole-home energy upgrade guidance.

For a program of this scale, the ultimate impact for homeowners will depend on how quickly funds reach the community and how much of the originally announced $156 million ultimately flows through.