Maine is set to expand access to solar energy for low-income and disadvantaged communities through a $62 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The funding will be used to reduce financial barriers to rooftop solar panels and energy storage through incentives for residential solar installations and community solar programs.
The grant will also support technical and financial assistance for cooperatively owned community solar projects, allowing households, tribal communities, and community-based organizations to participate in solar energy ownership without being homeowners. A new community solar and energy storage program will specifically target low-income and disadvantaged households, aiming to lower electricity bills and enhance energy resilience through competitive bidding and energy assistance programs.
Maine was one of 60 projects awarded funding under the EPA’s $7 billion Solar for All competition, which aims to deploy residential and community solar for millions of Americans. The state initially estimated that 38,000 low-income and disadvantaged households would benefit from the program, but this may be revised due to the lower funding amount received.
The public will be invited to provide input on the program design later this year. Maine’s solar energy capacity has grown significantly in recent years, with 977 megawatts installed, a substantial increase from the 62 MW installed in 2019.
