Solar for All
Project SunBridge
On April 22, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) with a $62.45 million grant under its Solar for All initiative, including $400,000 of in kind services from EPA in the form of technical assistance.
This competitive grant program through the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is aimed at expanding solar energy investment in low-income and disadvantaged communities (LIDAC). The grant competition is funded by President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Connecticut’s grant application was led by DEEP in close collaboration with the Connecticut Green Bank, the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, the Connecticut Department of Housing, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, and others, making up the Connecticut Consortium. The consortium’s application is called, “Project SunBridge: Connecting Communities to a Solar Future.”
Project SunBridge will reach thousands of households, with a priority focus on multi-family affordable housing units. The project is designed to overcome current barriers for low-income and disadvantaged communities to access solar and storage energy technologies through a combination of financial and technical assistance.
Through greater access to distributed solar and storage installations, Project SunBridge aims to achieve a minimum household energy savings of 20% for all participants, and will further help Connecticut’s goal of a zero-carbon electric sector by 2040, as established by Public Act 22-5.
How will these funds be deployed?
DEEP expects to flow much of the funding through existing incentive programs in Connecticut such as the Residential Renewable Energy Solutions, Energy Storage Solutions, and Shared Clean Energy Facilities programs, in a way that furthers their reach and impact. This funding is only available to low-income residents and will focus on expanding access to solar for multifamily affordable housing.
If you are interested in solar and storage for your home, existing programs include the Residential Renewable Energy Solutions Program, the Energy Storage Solutions Program, and offerings from the Connecticut Green Bank, including Smart-E residential loans.
How can I get involved?
Since receiving the exciting news of our award, DEEP has started planning for robust community engagement and stakeholder outreach toidentify barriers to distributed solar and storage deployment in low-income and disadvantaged communities and identify the most impactful use of this funding.
We look forward to providing more information on how these funds will be used in Connecticut as we learn more from the EPA and we are eager to hear residents' stories about the positive impacts of these funds.
This page will be updated regularly to provide information on engagement opportunities.
If you would like to stay updated about these engagement opportunities, please email DEEP.EnergyBureau@ct.gov to be added to our Project SunBridge email distribution list.