Today the White House announced the Clean Energy Savings for All Americans Initiative, which aims to ensure that every American family can choose to go solar and to cut their energy bills – and that every American community has the tools they need to tackle local air pollution and global climate change. Read the fact sheet here.
Among the announcements, SunShot announced the launch of the Solar Training Network administrator. The new program administrator, The Solar Foundation, will work to connect solar workforce trainers, solar employers, and individuals interested in working in the solar industry. In addition, SunShot announced a Request for Information (RFI) on plans to launch a Community Solar Challenge. This challenge aims to award teams in dozens of communities up to $100,000, in cash prizes and technical assistance, to develop innovative models to increase solar deployment and cut communities’ energy bills, in particular in low income communities. Submit your response here.
Finally, the White House announced an Administration-wide goal, in collaboration with DOE and state agencies, to bring 1 gigawatt (GW) of solar to low- and moderate-income families by 2020. This goal is a 10 fold increase and an expansion of the initial target President Obama set in his Climate Action Plan to install 100 MW of renewable energy on federally-assisted affordable housing by 2020. The Clean Energy Savings for All Initiative will help achieve the goal by promoting innovative financing mechanisms, bolstering technical assistance for states and communities, driving innovation, scaling up workforce training to make sure low- and moderate-income Americans can take advantage of the jobs that come with a transition to clean energy, convening stakeholders, and working with the private and philanthropic sectors.
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