Cincinnati will lose out on nearly $10 million in previously awarded federal grants for solar energy. The U.S. EPA announced Thursday the termination of the $7 billion Solar for All program.
Cincinnati Director of Environment and Sustainability Oliver Kroner says the city planned to use the grant to build a community solar array on a former landfill.
"[It] would provide solar power to 1,300 low-income households in Cincinnati," Kroner told WVXU. "And as part of the grant, we were committed to achieving 20% reduction in energy bills."
Kroner says the city is evaluating whether the project can move forward with other sources of funding.
"There were a variety of funding sources that the federal government made available between grants and tax credits," Kroner said. "We're watching most of that be eliminated this calendar year. So that changes the financial modeling that we're looking at."
Cincinnati is a sub-recipient of a Solar for All award to the Industrial Heartland Solar Coalition. Four other Ohio cities are sub-recipients: Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, and Dayton. Each city would have utilized the funding in different ways to promote solar energy and energy savings for low-income households.
A joint statement from all five mayors urges federal officials to preserve Solar for All.
"Electricity bills and broader cost of living expenses are rising, and the Trump Administration is cutting a program that would save participating Ohio households, on average, nearly $400 per year on their utility bills," the statement says. "Terminating Solar for All funding, including grants already awarded, is harmful. It strips away critical planned resources for home energy upgrades, including rooftop solar, to address energy affordability in our communities."
Separately, Solar for All awarded the state of Ohio a grant of $156,120,000; although specific plans had not yet been announced, the money would have been administered through the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
NPR reports there may be legal challenges over the cancellation of Solar for All grants, since the money has already been obligated.
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