EGLE reviewing next steps as the Trump Administration cancels federal solar energy funding

Last week the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy recently announced grant support for a number of pilot projects in the MI Solar for All program, aimed at bringing renewable energy into low income communities. 

However, President Donald Trump’s administration has since canceled its support for the program amid an effort to clawback $7 billion in solar energy funds, a move the head of the state’s environmental agency says is regrettable. 

With the One Big Beautiful Bill Act eliminating the federal Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which included Solar For All funding, Environmental Protection Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a Thursday social media post that the agency no longer has the statutory authority to administer the program, nor the funds to keep it alive. As a result, state leaders who were promised funds have been left in confusion. 

EGLE Director Phil Roos said in a statement Tuesday that the state’s MI Solar for All Program would provide an average savings of $400 per family per year while creating approximately 700 high-quality local jobs, all while increasing Michigan’s energy independence and building resilience against power outages and extreme weather events.

“Regrettably, the EPA wants to retroactively cut funding for this vital program at a time when such initiatives should be prioritized. We are currently working with Michigan’s Attorney General to determine our next steps,” Roos said in the statement.

According to EGLE, the state was obligated $156.1 million in federal funds to provide direct investments into rooftop solar, community solar, energy storage and upgrades, as well as workforce development, community education and outreach and technical assistance.

The state agency has also announced $13.9 million in awards to 13 pilot projects across the state, including projects in Berrien, Chippewa, Delta, Kent, Oakland, Ottawa, Washtenaw, Wayne and Wexford counties. The future of those programs is uncertain in the wake of the federal grant withdrawal.