Joe Biden’s new plan: solar power for everyone, not just the rich

Photo by Derek Davis/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

The Biden administration wants to get more people connected to solar energy. The White House is trying to expand access to community solar projects among subsidized housing residents and households that get federal assistance to pay their utility bills. There is a rewards program for community solar projects.

Many different households share the benefits of a single solar array. A subscription program is the most common method of taking shape. When a solar farm is built, households that subscribe to the program will get credit back on their electricity bills.

It is supposed to reduce electricity bills. Compared to traditional home solar setup, community programs are meant to reach way more people, particularly renters and anyone who can't afford the cost of installing panels on their home.

There are less obstacles to installing solar panels. According to a survey, only 6 percent of homeowners have installed solar. Almost half of them said they wanted solar panels at their home. The cost of solar power appears to be a factor in whether or not people are going to use it. The Department of Energy and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that 14 percent of households with residential solar in the US had annual incomes less than $50,000.

New guidance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development allows residents in subsidized housing to sign up for community solar The credits they receive from subscribing won't affect their eligibility for rent assistance. According to the White House, the changes can help get 4.5 million families into community solar programs and save them 10 percent off their electricity bills each year.

A new pilot program was announced today by the White House to help bring community solar to low income families. LIHEAP helps people pay their heating and cooling bills, as well as weatherizing their homes to make them more energy efficient. The Department of Energy is working with the Department of Health and Human Services to create a digital platform to manage community solar subscriptions.

Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Washington, DC have all signed up for the pilot. According to the White House, the program can save subscribers 20 percent. They want to save $1 billion from the program by the year 25.

The Biden administration wants to drum up 100 gigawatts of new demand for community solar if the savings reach 33 million households. The current solar capacity in the US is just over 97 gigawatts. It is more than the installed community solar capacity.

The Department of Energy launched the "Sunny Awards for Equitable Community Solar" today. The program will give out a cumulative $100,000, in small awards ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, to community solar projects that will reach low to moderate-income households and save them money.

President Joe Biden is struggling with his clean energy agenda despite the new moves. The keystone of the climate plan is a $300 billion tax credit for clean energy. The Biden administration is using piecemeal strategies to increase clean energy. Climate advocates and members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus renewed their calls for Biden to declare a climate emergency, which would allow the president to limit drilling and investments in fossil fuels.

"Deploying community solar is a vital move to protect both our climate and the millions of households most vulnerable to utility shutoffs and dirty energy price spikes," said Jean Su, Energy Justice program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. As deadly heatwaves shatter records, this move signals that Biden is taking the climate emergency seriously, but he needs to go further and faster.