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The Biden administration’s move to recover $20 billion in greenhouse gas reduction funds from Citibank has led to increased scrutiny of another significant environmental initiative – the $7 billion Solar for All program.
This program, designed to provide solar energy access to over 900,000 low-income households, forms part of the larger $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund established through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). While legal battles continue over the $20 billion Citibank portion, the Trump administration has frozen the remaining $7 billion through a January 20 executive order, prompting lawsuits from states and nonprofits.
An investigation into Solar for All’s documentation reveals a concentrated network of environmental organizations and government agencies, with Democratic-led states receiving significant portions of the funding. The EPA reports $30.8 million in distributed grants thus far.
In the name of "green energy," the Biden administration gave $3 billion in taxpayer money to a solar panel company called Sunnova Energy. Now that company is going bankrupt.
(Article below) pic.twitter.com/JXbO7M7PK0— Jake H (@jake22_h) March 7, 2025
“These grant programs are the most blatant instances of self-dealing I’ve ever witnessed,” said Thomas Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, one of 50 free market-oriented groups that called on Congress to repeal the IRA’s climate spending.
“The Biden administration and Democrats in Congress loaded the IRA with billions of dollars of walking around money to fund organizations – some of which didn’t even materialize until after the bill was passed – to promote and advance the green agenda at the expense of American taxpayers and families,” Pyle said.
Native American groups were allocated nearly $450 million, with Three Affiliated Tribes designated for $135.2 million. The Oakland-based nonprofit Grid Alternatives secured the largest nonprofit grant at $311.4 million, receiving $756,791 before the freeze.
Four recipients in Democratic strongholds were awarded approximately $1 billion collectively, each receiving $249.3 million. These included the California Energy Commission, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Harris County in Houston, and Inclusive Prosperity Capital in Hartford.
Among state agencies, Democratic-governed states secured 10 of the 16 grants worth $155.7 million each, while Republican-led states received four. Several smaller nonprofits in Democratic areas also received substantial grants despite their relatively modest operational scales.
Biden's solar slush funds for cronies 💰
Democrats' green boondoggles are aimed at shifting billions of dollars in taxpayer funds to political cronies. https://t.co/uOfH4vBjEv
— Georgia Log Cabin (@GeorgiaLogCabin) March 22, 2025
The program mandated that 70% of funds target low-income or disadvantaged communities, with expectations of attracting $7 in private investment for each federal dollar. However, critics like Amy O. Cooke of Always On Energy Research question the selection process.
“As someone who recently co-founded a nonprofit for which I have to raise money, I don’t think any of those groups would exist if they had to compete to raise their own funds in the marketplace of ideas,” she told RCI. “It’s a redistribution of wealth from taxpayers to the well-connected.”
While the IRA doesn’t explicitly outline Solar for All, the program’s future remains uncertain under the current freeze. Critics continue to call for its termination, citing concerns about fund allocation and program effectiveness.
