EERE - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
09/09/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/09/2024 14:10
DOE Expands Programs That Increase Access to Solar Energy in Disadvantaged Communities
- Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
- DOE Expands Programs That Increase Access to Solar Energy in Disadvantaged Communities
Successful National Community Solar Partnership Model Will Now Support Additional Technology Areas
WASHINGTON D.C.- At the RE+ clean energy industry conference, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced an expansion of the National Community Solar Partnership (NCSP). The expanded program, now called NCSP+, grows the successful program beyond supporting community solar to include residential and distributed rooftop solar + storage, and commercial solar projects with an emphasis on expanding access to the benefits of affordable clean energy in low-income and disadvantaged communities. This announcement also includes an expansion of the Community Power Accelerator and new work to protect consumers from predatory practices in the rooftop solar industry.
"DOE is committed to ensuring the meaningful benefits of solar energy are available to all Americans, especially those who need it the most," said Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at DOE. "NCSP+ will expand the program's reach and impact, helping schools, nonprofits, and affordable housing communities unlock access to solar resources and more equitable clean energy options across the nation."
Community solar project capacity in the United States has grown nearly 500% in the last six years, from 1.5 gigawatts at the end of 2018 to over 7.8 gigawatts today. NCSP has provided over 163 direct technical assistance engagements to organizations in 36 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to support this growing market.
Since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, more than $8 billion in clean energy tax breaks and rebates have been distributed to consumers, and companies have announced $265 million in new clean energy investments across the country. New state and federal programs, including the Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in the IRA, are also accelerating equitable solar deployment across the United States
Increasing Access to the Meaningful Benefits of Solar Energy
NCSP+ will fund the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to provide technical assistance, resources, peer networking, and learning opportunities for community solar and low- to moderate-income residential rooftop solar + storage, community-benefitting commercial solar projects, such as installing solar panels on schools and affordable housing, and distributed solar + storage projects, such as virtual power plants and microgrids. Learn more and register for NCSP+ on the Networking Platform.
The Community Power Accelerator online marketplace creates a pipeline of credit-ready clean energy projects and connects them with mission-aligned investors and philanthropic organizations. With this new support, it will expand beyond community solar to connect viable solar + storage projects with capital providers, and launch new tools and features aimed to support developers to plan projects and access financing. The Accelerator will offer new courses and resources focused on distributed solar + storage technologies and business models, slated to launch in early 2025, as well as a free version of the Foundations of Community Solar Development online course available today.
The Community Power Accelerator, which launched in 2023, has trained over 150 community solar developers and its virtual marketplace boasts 143 verified community solar projects seeking capital-with 180 megawatts of potential community solar, and $1.5 billion in funds committed by capital providers. Round 3 of the Community Power Accelerator Prize-which will award $10 million in cash prizes to expand a robust ecosystem of developers that incorporate meaningful benefits into clean energy projects-is now open and welcomes projects in these technology areas as well as community solar to apply.
Educating Consumers About Predatory Practices
DOE has partnered with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, and other agencies to coordinate efforts to monitor the market to identify trends and propose solutions for fraudulent and predatory behavior in the rooftop solar industry. This new partnership across the federal government will enable DOE to access data and develop programs to tackle consumer protections in those communities that need it most. DOE's Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) is supporting several efforts that are examining the extent and nature of predatory practices happening in the marketplace, developing resources to educate consumers, and working with industry to establish strong consumer protection standards.
Learn more about DOE, NCSP+, and SETO's research in equitable access to solar energy.
Learn more about DOE efforts to get more equity-focused solar projects financed and deployed in a North American Clean Energy article by SETO Director Becca Jones-Albertus.
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