Florida households with tight budgets were counting down to a clean-energy break they’d been promised for over a year: free or heavily subsidized rooftop solar systems that could cut monthly power bills by a fifth or more.
Then, just as the launch was about to begin, the money disappeared. In early August 2025, the EPA canceled its Solar for All program nationwide and revoked Florida’s $156 million award.
The sudden shift left thousands of residents and dozens of nonprofits scrambling. For many, it was the first time they’d seen a realistic path to affording rooftop solar, complete with battery backups for hurricane season.
That window is now closed, at least for the moment, while lawsuits and political fights begin.
Key Points
- EPA under the Trump administration canceled Florida’s $156 million Solar for All program weeks before rollout.
- Thousands of low-income households lost promised rooftop solar and battery support.
- Lawsuits and advocacy groups are challenging the program’s termination.
- Remaining options include federal tax credits, net metering, and local financing, though none match the canceled grants.
How Florida Secured $156 Million for Low-Income Solar
In April 2024, the Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) and its partners Solar United Neighbors and The Nature Conservancy in Florida announced they had won $156 million through the EPA’s Solar for All competition, as per The Invading Sea.
The money came from a $7 billion national pool meant to expand rooftop solar to disadvantaged communities. The Florida coalition proposed a straightforward model:
- Low-income homeowners: up to a 100 percent grant for rooftop solar
- Moderate-income households: a 60 percent grant plus ultra-low-cost financing
- Multifamily housing: partial grants with low-cost loans to bring benefits to renters
Coalition leaders also mapped out a revolving loan fund to stretch every dollar further. Contractors would be paid only after independent quality checks, and batteries were part of the roadmap to make homes more storm-resilient.
The plan aimed to guarantee at least 20-25 percent bill reductions per home immediately.
Why the Program Was a Big Deal for Florida Households
Electricity in Florida isn’t cheap. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports residential rates around 15.36 cents per kWh as of June 2025, just under the national average but with a heavy reliance on air conditioning for much of the year.
In many counties, electric bills rank as the second-largest household expense after housing. The coalition’s promise of 20-25 percent savings would have meant:
- Hundreds of dollars back per year for low-income households
- A hedge against storm-related surcharges that utilities often add after hurricanes
- Reliable backup power from batteries for medically vulnerable residents
For thousands of Floridians, the program offered a way out of a cycle where high bills and poor credit prevent upgrades, and where storms can turn a hot afternoon into a dangerous blackout.
A Quick Timeline of How It Unfolded
| Date | Milestone | What it meant |
| Apr 2024 | Florida coalition wins $156M Solar for All award | Statewide plan for low-income rooftop solar takes shape |
| Mid-late 2024 | Coalition shares grant tiers and early funding windows | Implementation playbook distributed to partners |
| Early 2025 | Application portal anticipated | Intake, eligibility verification, and contractor onboarding ramp up |
| Feb-Mar 2025 | National freezes briefly disrupt disbursements | Early sign of policy risk around Solar for All |
| Aug 7-8, 2025 | EPA terminates Solar for All; Florida’s $156M revoked | Outreach stops; advocates prepare legal action |
The Pullback Under the Trump Administration
According to Utility Dive, on August 7-8, 2025, the EPA under the Trump administration terminated the Solar for All program nationwide and revoked Florida’s $156 million award.
The move came only weeks before broad enrollment and installations were expected to ramp up. Agency officials cited a newly enacted law that, they said, stripped EPA of both the funding and the authority to continue the grants.
Critics, including Florida nonprofits and legal advocates, argue that the termination exceeds the agency’s power and are preparing court challenges to reinstate the program.
Clean-energy groups and city-state coalitions quickly labeled the move unlawful. Their argument: Congress didn’t authorize retroactive clawbacks of money that had already been awarded.
Many referenced court orders from earlier in 2025 that forced EPA to release frozen funds after an initial pause, suggesting there may be legal footing to fight the termination.
What Florida’s Coalition Had Planned to Deliver
Based on public materials, the $156 million package would have covered:
- Full-cost rooftop solar systems for very low-income homeowners
- Deep subsidies plus low-cost loans for moderate-income families
- Partial grants and financing for multifamily properties
- A centralized intake system to keep predatory contractors out
- Pathways to battery storage in outage-prone areas
- A revolving loan fund to reuse repaid dollars
The goal was to install rooftop systems on about ten thousand homes, cutting bills by at least 20-25 percent and making neighborhoods more resilient during hurricanes.
Households would also have benefited from battery backups, energy-efficiency upgrades, and routine maintenance support similar to the services offered by The Gutter Cleaning Co for rooftop systems.
While here, feel free to read about Dominion’s future energy plans.
Florida’s Energy Landscape and Why the Program Fit
Florida’s electric system is one of the largest in the nation and is heavily reliant on natural gas. According to EIA data, gas supplies about three-quarters of the state’s generation, with nuclear and renewables making up the balance.
Population growth, extreme heat, and storm recovery costs all drive demand higher. Storms also leave a direct mark on bills. Florida Power & Light, for example, requested a temporary surcharge in 2025 to recover costs from multiple hurricanes in just over a year.
With weather volatility and rising consumption, predictable savings from rooftop solar become especially valuable to fixed-income households. National forecasts from EIA show record electricity demand in 2025 and 2026.
What EPA Said Versus What Opponents Claim
EPA leadership stated that Congress’s new law removed the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and the agency’s statutory authority to continue Solar for All.
Letters sent to awardees said the agency “no longer has the statutory authority” to fund the program. Opponents – legal nonprofits, state-local coalitions, and environmental groups counter that Congress didn’t authorize retroactive rescissions.
They argue that awards already executed constitute binding obligations, and they’ve pledged to defend households expecting relief. Several legal teams have already begun drafting filings.
How Many Floridians Were Affected Right Away
Local reports said hundreds of households had already applied or were in the middle of applications with partner organizations when the program was canceled.
Many more had joined interest lists. In counties with high energy burdens, nonprofits had ramped up outreach to seniors, medically vulnerable residents, and multifamily landlords to ensure broad participation.
Without the grant dollars, the biggest barrier, up-front costs, returns. Households that cannot qualify for traditional loans are once again locked out of rooftop solar.
Multifamily pathways designed to benefit renters are also paused.
What’s Left for Floridians Who Still Want Solar
Even without Solar for All, several tools remain, though none is as generous as a full grant.
Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
Homeowners who owe federal income tax can still claim 30 percent of eligible solar costs. It’s the single largest incentive available, but it requires up-front payment and doesn’t cover renters.
Official IRS resources detail eligibility and how to file. Some installers offer “tax credit bridge loans” to cover the gap until a refund arrives.
Net Metering with Investor-Owned Utilities
Florida’s net metering rules remain intact after a 2022 gubernatorial veto stopped an effort to weaken them. Under current guidelines, customers can offset their usage at retail rates, subject to system sizing rules and annual true-ups.
Local or Nonprofit Financing
SELF and similar groups continue to offer low-rate green loans for energy upgrades, separate from Solar for All. These products are designed for households with thin credit files and can be paired with the federal tax credit.
Some cities and counties have their own small-scale programs, though funding and eligibility vary.
Community Solar Alternatives
Municipal and cooperative utilities sometimes run community-scale solar projects. Availability varies widely, but regional climate collaboratives, like the Southeast Florida Compact, have a history of pooling demand to reduce costs for income-qualified residents.
What to Watch Next
The coming months will be pivotal.
- Court Challenges: Environmental and legal nonprofits have signaled they’ll contest the termination, arguing EPA cannot retroactively cancel executed awards. Outcomes could reinstate funding or lead to settlements.
- State and Local Stopgaps: Cities and counties may look for bridge financing, leveraging green banks or philanthropy to keep projects moving while litigation plays out.
- Utility Rate Actions: Post-storm surcharges and base-rate cases affect payback periods. Watch for how 2025-2026 rate decisions shape the economics of rooftop solar.
- Household Energy Burden: With prices around 15 cents per kWh and heavy AC use, savings programs remain crucial for low-income households.
Practical Guidance for Households That Were Preparing to Apply
If you or someone you know was lined up for Solar for All, you can still take steps to stay prepared:
Keep Your Documentation Handy
The paperwork gathered for Solar for All: proof of income, utility bills, proof of homeownership or lease terms for multifamily participation, will likely be relevant for any replacement program.
Request a Free Utility Usage History
Most utilities offer a 12-month usage report. It helps size a system appropriately and supports applications for financing or city programs if bridge funds appear.
Right-Size Expectations
Without grant dollars, consider a smaller system or a staged approach. Start with rooftop solar and add a battery later.
Ask installers to model a 20-year bill impact under net metering, then factor in likely storm surcharges to see the resilience value.
Check for City or County Pilots
Some local governments run small-scale affordability pilots in partnership with nonprofits. Regional climate collaboratives are good clearinghouses for information.
Avoid Predatory Sales
If someone claims they can still access Solar for All money in Florida, ask for a written award letter and verify with the named nonprofit. Reputable groups have publicly acknowledged the termination.
What Florida Lost When the $156 Million Disappeared
The Florida coalition’s plan went beyond cheaper electric bills. It was a test case for making clean energy equitable in a state facing both heat and hurricanes.
- Energy Affordability: Targeted subsidies can reduce bills immediately for households with high energy burdens.
- Health and Resilience: Batteries paired with rooftop solar help maintain safe indoor conditions during outages.
- Local Jobs: Rooftop solar creates installation, electrical, and maintenance work that cannot be outsourced. National coverage of Solar for All highlighted expected job gains across grantee states.
- Grid Benefits: Distributed systems shave peak demand and ease pressure on fuel-heavy generation during heat waves.
Without the grant component, Florida will rely on tax credits, net metering, and local finance to reach similar outcomes. Those tools help, but they rarely reach households in deepest need.
A Broader Energy Context for Florida
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Florida is at a crossroads. Its energy consumption continues to climb with population growth, and its grid remains dominated by natural gas. The state experiences some of the highest storm-related grid disruptions in the country.
Rooftop solar paired with batteries is one of the fastest ways to build household-level resilience. Programs like Solar for All can also act as workforce incubators.
The state’s solar workforce was projected to grow by thousands of jobs under the grant program, from installers to auditors and customer service roles. Without that infusion, expansion may slow.
Litigation, Policy, and Grassroots Efforts
Litigation could determine whether Florida gets its $156 million back. Courts might also set precedents about whether federal agencies can rescind awarded funds after Congress changes the rules.
At the same time, local governments and nonprofits may pursue bridge financing or smaller-scale pilots to keep momentum going.
Green banks and philanthropic partners are already fielding calls from groups that want to avoid losing contractors and community trust built up over the past year.
Bottom Line
Florida had a clear pipeline to deliver free or deeply subsidized rooftop solar to thousands of low-income households, with immediate bill relief and stronger storm resilience.
That plan has been derailed by a national policy reversal that pulled $156 million off the table just weeks before launch. If courts step in, some or all of the canceled awards could be reinstated.
Until then, households should keep documents ready, pursue net metering and the 30 percent federal tax credit if they can, and watch for local stopgaps organized by cities, counties, and nonprofits.
The stakes are high, not just for household budgets, but for Florida’s broader push to build a cleaner, more resilient energy future.
