Solar for All

The Inflation Reduction Act authorized the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund through three grant competitions: the $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund, the $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator, and the $7 billion Solar for All Competition. The Solar for All Competition aims to increase access to affordable, resilient, and clean solar energy for low-income households. Programs selected for funding under the Solar for All Competition will provide financing and technical assistance to enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from residential solar and energy storage and/or residential-serving community solar and energy storage.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Office of Energy Programs (TDEC OEP) worked with the Tennessee Valley Authority, local power companies, local governments, nonprofits, and other organizations to prepare the State's application for the EPA's Solar for All Competition. The State applied for $250,000,000 -- the maximum amount Tennessee was eligible to apply for. This funding cap was informed by total population within Tennessee census tracts identified as “low-income and disadvantaged communities” by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), a publicly available mapping tool developed by the White House Council on Environmental Quality. View the application summary for additional information. 

EPA announced awards on April 22, 2024, including a total award of $156,120,000 to TDEC. Of the funding to be awarded, $400,000 will be awarded as in-kind services provided by the EPA in partnership with the U.S. DOE under the forthcoming National Solar for All Technical Assistance Program. EPA anticipates issuing awards no later than September 30, 2024.

Tennessee’s Solar for All Program will accelerate the deployment of solar infrastructure to benefit low-income households and disadvantaged communities while supporting Tennessee’s varied urban, suburban, and rural communities. TDEC intends to operate a statewide Program, and the scope of work is to provide financial assistance for residential rooftop and residential-serving community solar infrastructure, storage, and associated enabling upgrades in conjunction with preexisting, complementary programs (e.g., the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Flexibility 2.0 Program, Dispersed Power Production program, and community solar programs such as Nashville Electric Service's Music City Solar program). The Program will also provide project-deployment technical assistance focused on workforce development opportunities, as well as siting, permitting, and interconnection assistance, as needed.

The Solar for All Program has a period of performance of up to five years, which can include a planning period not to exceed one year. A planning period will provide time to refine Program plans after receiving an award from EPA and before beginning to deploy financial and technical assistance. TDEC OEP will utilize the planning period to develop Program guidelines and shape technical assistance and workforce development offerings.

A TDEC-led Statewide Program will provide the guidelines needed to ensure the Program's consistent effectiveness and equitable access and will engage a third-party administrator to deploy financial and technical assistance in communities not served directly by a Local Project Implementation Team. Local Project Implementation Teams consisting of local governments, local power companies, nonprofits, community action agencies, and/or other organizations will provide local implementation and support tailored to individual communities' needs. Details pertaining to implementation in specific communities will be finalized during the planning period.

Additional information regarding the Solar for All Competition is available on the Solar for All website, the Notice of Funding Opportunity page, and the FAQs page. View the TDEC OEP Solar for All funding opportunity information webinar presentation slides and application summary for additional information. 

Sign up here for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Office of Energy Program’s email list for updates regarding Tennessee’s Solar for All Program.