EPA Awards $156M to NJ for Solar Power, Lower Energy Costs, and Environmental Justice

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's historic Solar for All Program grant will fund solar energy projects for low-income and disadvantaged communities across New Jersey.

NEW JERSEY - The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has been awarded $156 million under the EPA’s Solar for All Program, part of the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund established by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The grant will support the expansion of solar energy to low-income and underserved communities, helping reduce energy costs, create jobs, and promote environmental justice across New Jersey.

At an event in Edison, NJ, EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, and NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy, along with local officials and solar developers, highlighted the impact of this grant. The Solar for All Program will help fund residential solar installations, multi-family housing solar projects, community solar initiatives, and workforce development in disadvantaged areas. NJBPU’s New Jersey Solar for All program aims to overcome the barriers low-income households face in adopting solar energy.

The EPA grant will accelerate New Jersey's clean energy transition by serving tens of thousands of households across underserved communities. One such project, currently under construction in Edison, is a 2.82-megawatt rooftop solar installation developed by Solar Landscape. The project will lower energy costs for around 440 households, half of which are classified as low-to-moderate income, resulting in annual savings of over $250 per household.

New Jersey is one of 49 state-level recipients of the Solar for All Program, part of a $7 billion national investment aimed at deploying solar energy to over 900,000 households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions and provide an estimated $350 million in annual savings on electric bills. The initiative also supports the Biden Administration's Justice40 Initiative, ensuring that 40% of the benefits of federal climate investments go to disadvantaged communities.

The Solar for All Program will also create approximately 200,000 jobs nationwide, with a focus on local workforce development and strong labor standards. NJBPU plans to expand its solar workforce and create equitable pathways into clean energy jobs for the communities it serves.

This transformative program aligns with President Biden’s goal of a carbon-free power sector by 2035 and a net-zero emissions economy by 2050, positioning New Jersey as a leader in clean energy and environmental justice.