Gov. Jerry Brown of California says this new effort should lead to more solar installations and energy retrofits across the country.
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“We applaud the administration for its continued commitment to expanding access to clean, affordable, reliable electricity”, said Tom Kimbis, interim president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, in response to the announcement.
“Solar panels are no longer for wealthy folks who live where the sun shines every day”, President Barack Obama said in a video message accompanying the announcement. “Today we’re offering even more families and communities to choose clean energy”.
Obama noted that solar usage has increased 30 fold since he took office and the number of jobs in the solar industry is increasing 12 times faster than in the rest of the economy.
According to a government statement, over 120 housing authorities, rural electric co-ops, power companies, and organisations in more than 36 states have pledged to invest Dollars 287 million (EUR 261m) and implement over 280 MW of solar projects.
The Obama administration unveiled a plan Tuesday aimed at helping middle-class and low-income communities put solar panels on their roofs. In 2011, Governor Malloy created the Connecticut Green Bank – a first-in-the-nation initiative that is leading the clean energy finance movement by leveraging public and private funds to scale-up renewable energy deployment and energy efficiency projects across Connecticut.
Six federal agencies will participate in the initiative. White House officials said energy upgrades can be made with no upfront costs, but homeowners will gradually pay back the cost through their property tax bills. The Energy Department is awarding as much as $100,000 to dozens of communities that are developing solar farms for people who don’t own their homes and is also training solar workers in low-income neighborhoods.
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HHS and DOE will provide technical assistance to Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) participants on their ability to access up to a quarter of their annual LIHEAP funding for low cost energy efficiency improvements, including renewable energy.
