Sunshine for All! Florida Solar for All Coalition Awarded $156 Million to Make Sunshine State a Solar Energy Powerhouse

The Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF), along with coalition partners Solar United Neighbors (SUN) and The Nature Conservancy in Florida (TNC), has been awarded $156.1 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)! These historic federal funds will

pave the way for thousands of Floridians to access clean energy, ensuring an inclusive energy transition. The grant is a game-changer for Florida’s energy landscape, promoting energy independence, cost savings, and a brighter future for all.

Solar for All, a $7 billion competitive grant program, and one of three Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) competitions, will advance three overarching objectives: to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants, to deliver benefits of emissions-reducing projects to American communities, particularly low-income and disadvantaged communities, and to mobilize financing and private capital to stimulate additional deployment of emissions-reducing projects. Solar for All funds will be used to expand the number of low-income and disadvantaged communities primed for distributed solar investment — enabling millions of low-income households access to affordable, resilient, and clean solar energy. 

The Coalition, Florida Solar For All (FSFA), is a nonpartisan, nonpolitical coalition comprised of three Florida-based nonprofits that share a common mission of serving Florida’s most vulnerable populations. The organizations that form this coalition have long-standing, unique experience with climate and renewable energy. The Coalition’s expertise is widely known; the application received 60 letters of support from a diverse array of stakeholders, including local government, community-based organizations, public universities, financial institutions, and industry affiliates. 

“We are incredibly proud to announce this historic grant from the EPA. This is a tremendous opportunity for Florida, allowing us to finally ensure that access to the economic and environmental benefits of solar power becomes a reality for all, especially low income and working-class families who can benefit the most. For too long, the clean energy transition has left many behind,” said Duanne Andrade, Executive Director of the Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF). “We’re excited to get to work to harness the power of one of our state’s most abundant resources – the sun – to create a cleaner, brighter and more sustainable future for Floridians.”

“We’re ready to get to work,” said Heaven Campbell, Solar United Neighbors’ Florida Program Director. “This investment will help more families save money and take control of where their energy comes from. Solar United Neighbors is a national leader in designing programs to expand solar access. It pioneered the first of these types of programs in Washington, D.C. in 2017 and developed more than two dozen such programs over the past seven years. 

“The Florida Solar For All funds represent a critical opportunity to reduce emissions, enhance environmental justice, and complement other climate initiatives led by local and regional leaders across the Sunshine State,” said Morgan Higman, Climate Strategy Director for TNC. TNC brings the resources and expertise of a global, science-based environmental non-profit. TNC has operated in Florida for more than 50 years to support community engagement and empowerment, environmental and climate policy, and science-backed projects with tangible, scalable benefits.

The FSFA Coalition plan will benefit thousands of households over the five-year program period. The Coalition’s program will offer a range of subsidies, loans, and leases to Florida residents for rooftop solar. The plan also includes support for resilient solar systems that provide backup electricity through battery storage on low-income multifamily buildings and a solar workforce development apprenticeship program.

Fill out the form below to learn more about grant opportunities or for more information about the program. 

Click here to read the EPA’s official award announcement.

Florida Solar For All Coalition Partners

The Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) is the lead applicant and fiscal agent of Florida Solar for All.  SELF was founded in 2009 as the nation’s first and only green nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) and has financed over 3,400 sustainable and climate-resilient property improvements and new developments, creating over $40 million of economic development activity, and leveraging over $100 million in total projects.
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Solar United Neighbors (SUN) is the most experienced solar community organizer and educator in the nation, with extensive experience in implementing solarize campaigns and deploying solar throughout Florida, helping thousands of homeowners, non-profits, and small businesses install solar systems.
solarunitedneighbors.org

The Nature Conservancy in Florida (TNC) brings the resources and expertise of a global, science-based environmental non-profit. TNC has operated in Florida for more than 50 years to support community engagement and empowerment, environmental and climate policy, and science-backed projects with tangible, scalable benefits.
nature.org