CHARLOTTE — A battle over federal spending has dozens of North Carolina programs caught in the crossfire. These are programs funded through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act aimed at fighting climate change.
In an executive order titled, “Unleashing American Energy,” the Trump Administration called much of the funding allocated through these bills “Green New Deal” spending, and called on agencies like the EPA and Department of Energy to pause funds appropriated through those laws under then President Joe Biden.
In North Carolina, the Environmental Protection Network estimates just the EPA allocations alone are around $819 million. This includes grants and rebates for local pollution control, electric school bus purchases, and new programs aimed at lowering energy costs.
Luis Martinez the National Resources Defense Council’s southeast energy and climate director said those energy-saving programs will likely have the biggest impact on those hit hard by high bills this winter.
“Part of the election debate back and forth was on the high cost of things, whether it was your groceries or your gasoline or your energy bill,” he said. “This program was specifically designed to bring affordable, clean, reliable solar energy to a sector of the economy that was not able to sort of take advantage of that fully.”
He’s speaking specifically about “Solar for All,” a program that aims to make residential or community solar power more accessible to low-income communities that could benefit most from the energy savings it can offer. North Carolina received a five-year grant of $156M last year and the Department of Environmental Quality laid out its plan to put the program to work through its Energize NC website.
“It should be supported by anybody who was worried about high energy prices and inflation before the elections, and unfortunately, it’s become sort of ensnared in this political struggle,” Martinez said. “We were hoping that the programs would be launched this fall.”
Other federally funded programs aimed at reducing North Carolina’s energy and fossil fuel use include an expansion of the weatherization assistance program and the recently launched Energy Saver NC. Both programs help low to moderate-income households make home efficiency upgrades like new insulation or improved appliances, so they can use less power and save money in the future.
The DEQ oversees all of these programs, and while the department was unable to answer specific questions about how this executive order would impact the programs’ rollout, a spokesperson told WSOC some planning funds for Solar for All are accessible at the moment, though it does not have access to the remaining funds.
“The North Carolina Attorney General, along with other state attorneys general, has filed a lawsuit challenging the federal freeze of these funds, and that outcome is still to be determined,” the department said in a statement.
Last week, a federal judge ordered the Trump Administration to release the IRA and IIJA funds. Future court cases are expected.
Currently Solar for All and Energy Saver NC remain active on both state and federal websites and North Carolinians are able to submit applications to see if they qualify for assistance through the energy efficiency programs.
Martinez said he hopes this means the funding will be available soon. But he fears this delay will set the nonprofits and agencies back, meaning it will take longer for the people who need it to get the help they’re looking for.
“Unfortunately for lots of people, particularly those that were looking to participate in these programs, they’re just sort of sitting tight and waiting to see how this is resolved,” he said.
(VIDEO: Charlotte adjusts city-wide climate goals as 2030 deadline approaches)
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