Free rooftop solar program just launched in Georgia. Trump may try to end it.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
On Monday, leaders from across the Peach State celebrated the launch of a new program offering hundreds of low-income Georgia homeowners the chance to lease rooftop solar systems for free and slash their power bills.
A day later, President Donald Trump’s administration appeared poised to try to kill the initiative by clawing back the funding.
On Tuesday, The New York Times reported the federal Environmental Protection Agency was preparing to notify all 60 recipients of grants under the agency’s $7 billion Solar for All initiative that their funding will be revoked. That includes the Georgia BRIGHT program, which was awarded a $156 million grant last year by President Joe Biden’s EPA to boost solar access in Georgia’s underserved communities.
In a statement, an EPA spokesperson said the agency is “working to ensure Congressional intent is fully implemented in accordance with the law” after the passage of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” this summer. The legislation, which included tax cuts that Trump had pushed to make permanent, rolled back most federal support for clean energy.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, the move to cancel Georgia’s grant had not been finalized. And nonprofit leaders overseeing the Georgia program were still encouraging interested homeowners to register before the current application period closes Sept. 7.
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“As of August 5th, our grant remains legally obligated and our program is open to all eligible families,” Georgia BRIGHT director Alicia Brown said in a statement.
Georgia BRIGHT said in the 24 hours since its application portal opened Monday, nearly 500 families had already registered for the randomized drawing. The group has said it expects to offer no-cost solar leases to about 450 homeowners, plus another 450 to be selected in a second drawing early next year.
The program is geared toward low-income homeowners, who may not be able to afford the steep up-front capital investment required for most rooftop solar systems.
To be eligible for the program, Georgia homeowners must earn less than 80% of their area’s median income and have a roof or yard that receives ample sun. Applicants will also only be considered if they are not in active bankruptcy or otherwise at risk of losing their home.
With the rest of the $156 million grant, Georgia BRIGHT has said it plans to launch other solar opportunities geared toward rental properties, commercial businesses and more. All told, the group says it hopes to help 16,000 low-income Georgians reduce their power bills with solar.
Georgia BRIGHT, which is spearheaded by the nonprofit Capital Good Fund, partnered with cities across the state — including Atlanta, Savannah and Decatur — and other not-for-profits to secure the grant.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Some groups warned they would take legal action against the Trump administration if it tries to pull back the funds.
“If leaders in the Trump administration move forward with this unlawful attempt to strip critical funding from communities across the United States, we will see them in court,” said Kym Meyer, the litigation director for the Southern Environmental Law Center. “We have already seen the immense good this program has done on the ground and we won’t let it be snatched away to score political points.”
Andrew Bates, an adviser to the bipartisan Cost Coalition, also slammed the potential revocation of the Solar for All funds as an “illegal” attempt to “kill a game-changing program for working families, manufacturers, and small businesses — just to make room for inflationary tax giveaways to the wealthy.”
Bates previously served as a senior deputy press secretary in the Biden administration.
A note of disclosure
This coverage is supported by a partnership with Green South Foundation and Journalism Funding Partners. You can learn more and support our climate reporting by donating at AJC.com/donate/climate.
About the Author
Drew Kann is a reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering climate change and environmental issues. His passion is for stories that capture how humans are responding to a changing environment. He is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia and Northwestern University, and prior to joining the AJC, he held various roles at CNN.
