Nevada’s $156M ‘Solar for All’ grant is frozen again. No one knows why
The Trump administration has again frozen Nevada’s $156 million solar panel grant. The decision comes four days after officials decided to release the grant from their wide-reaching reviews of federal spending.
“We have received no explanation as to why,” said a spokesperson for the Nevada Clean Energy Fund, the nonprofit tasked with collecting applications and administering the grant.
Nevada’s Solar for All program, meant to offset the costs of installing solar panels on homes and businesses, relies on unspent money appropriated under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act — a Biden-era climate change mitigation law that’s been the target of the Trump administration’s review of federal spending. The nonprofit began accepting applications in December.
All energy grants, loans and contracts related to the law are being reviewed, as well. The freeze extends to the state’s $7.7 million grant to deploy 25 electric school buses and $20 million Community Change grant for water infrastructure.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Agency said “personnel have identified certain grants programs as having potential inconsistencies with necessary financial and oversight procedural requirements or grant conditions of awards or programs.”
Agency administrator Lee Zeldin sent a letter to staff members last week asking for them to report waste or fraud and, according to a spokesperson, received “numerous concerning responses.”
Officials expect the solar funding to bankroll about 125 multifamily affordable housing and community solar projects across Nevada, lowering energy costs by at least 20 percent for more than 20,000 low-income households by 2029. Demand is expected to create nearly 1,000 jobs.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday but has said the reviews are a response to what the Trump administration sees as overspending under his predecessor.
U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., took to X on Tuesday to express her disappointment with the decision.
“Total bulls—,” she wrote in the post. “I’m all for cutting waste, but this isn’t it. And it’s certainly not helping Nevadans cut costs. We will fight this… again. And win.”
Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.
