How Much Does the Solar for All Program Cost the Government?

Published on September 25, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 8 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

The federal Solar for All program has a $7 billion congressional appropriation, but that does not mean the government has already spent $7 billion. Created through the Inflation Reduction Act as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, Solar for All awarded funding to 60 state, territorial, Tribal, local, and nonprofit recipients to expand residential and community solar in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

The cleanest cost answer has three parts. Congress originally provided $7 billion. EPA committed essentially all of that funding before the program was terminated in 2025. The latest broad program-level federal accounting we found, published by the Government Accountability Office in July 2026, records $91.99 million as disbursed as of September 30, 2025. Two federal judges have since ruled in September 2026 that EPA’s termination of the obligated grants was unlawful, so the program’s eventual cash cost remains unresolved.

Article Highlights

• Congress originally appropriated $7 billion (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 112 thousand years of full-time work, before taxes) for Solar for All.
• EPA’s inspector general found that approximately $6.98 billion went to 60 grant recipients, with another $24 million set aside within the program for technical assistance.
• Recipients had drawn approximately $71 million by August 7, 2025.
• GAO later recorded $91.99 million in disbursements as of September 30, 2025.
• The same GAO snapshot showed $570.08 million recorded as obligated after EPA had begun canceling the awards, which is why that number differs from the original roughly $7 billion obligation.
• EPA projected that the program could reach more than 900,000 households.
• The $7 billion appropriation equals about $7,778 per projected household if exactly 900,000 households are used as the denominator. That is not a $7,778 payment to each household.
• Two federal district judges ruled in September 2026 that EPA lacked authority to terminate the already-obligated Solar for All grants.

How Much Does Solar for All Cost?

Cost measure	Amount	What it means
Original congressional appropriation	$7 billion (about 112 thousand years of full-time work at $30 per hour)	Maximum funding Congress provided specifically for the Solar for All portion of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
Original recipient grant obligations	About $6.98 billion	Funding EPA committed to the 60 Solar for All grant recipients
NREL technical assistance	$24 million	Technical-assistance funding within the $7 billion program, not an extra $24 million
Recipient drawdowns by Aug. 7, 2025	About $71 million	Money recipients had actually drawn before EPA’s termination action
GAO obligation snapshot, Sept. 30, 2025	$570.08 million	Amount still recorded as obligated in GAO’s later accounting after cancellation actions
GAO disbursement snapshot, Sept. 30, 2025	$91.99 million	Federal payments reflected in GAO’s program-level accounting at that date

The law that originally created the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund appropriated exactly $7 billion for grants, loans, other financial assistance, and technical assistance intended to help low-income and disadvantaged communities deploy or benefit from zero-emission technologies.

That makes $7 billion the correct answer for the program’s original federal budget. It is not the correct number for how much cash had already left the federal government.

Appropriated, Obligated, and Spent

Three federal accounting terms explain most of the apparent confusion around Solar for All:

• Appropriated: Congress provides an agency with budget authority.
• Obligated: the government enters into a commitment that may require payment.
• Disbursed: money is actually paid out.

An EPA Office of Inspector General audit of Solar for All found that EPA obligated all $7 billion (about 112 thousand years of full-time work at $30 per hour) when it made the awards. Approximately $6.98 billion, or 99.7%, went to the 60 grant recipients. The remaining roughly 0.3% was assigned through a $24 million interagency agreement with the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory for technical assistance.

By August 7, 2025, however, the recipients had drawn only about $71 million, equal to roughly 1.02% of the obligated funds. NREL had separately drawn approximately $2.5 million of its technical-assistance agreement by August 12.

GAO Shows Only $570 Million Obligated

A later federal report can look contradictory unless the dates are kept together. EPA’s inspector general describes the program before and around EPA’s August 2025 termination action and says the original $7 billion had been obligated. A July 2026 GAO review using a September 30, 2025 financial snapshot lists Solar for All with $570.08 million obligated and $91.99 million disbursed.

GAO’s table came after EPA had begun treating the Solar for All awards as canceled. GAO also notes that the agency’s later financial-system reports could reflect additional transactions involving canceled awards. The $570.08 million figure therefore should not be presented as the amount EPA originally awarded. It is a later accounting snapshot from a period when the status of the grants had changed.

For a reader asking what Congress funded, the answer is $7 billion. For a reader asking how much GAO recorded as having been paid by September 30, 2025, the answer is $91.99 million.

What the Courts Changed

Congress repealed the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund provision in July 2025 and rescinded unobligated balances. The current U.S. Code records Section 134 as repealed. EPA then notified all 60 Solar for All recipients in August 2025 that it was terminating their grants.

The central legal question became whether repeal and rescission of unobligated money also allowed EPA to terminate grants that had already been obligated.

On September 18, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island concluded that it did not. Judge Mary McElroy declared EPA’s Solar for All termination unlawful under the Administrative Procedure Act and vacated it.

A second ruling followed days later. In a case brought by Harris County, Texas, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan also concluded that Congress had rescinded unobligated balances without rescinding the grant money that had already been obligated. Reporting on the September 22 decision says the judge vacated EPA’s termination determination and that EPA was considering appeals of both district-court rulings.

Those decisions do not create another $7 billion program. They concern the existing awards made from the original appropriation. They also do not establish how much money will ultimately be disbursed or how quickly payments may resume.

Where the $7 Billion Was Going

EPA originally selected 60 recipients. Its 2024 award announcement divided the grants among state and territorial, Tribal, and multistate programs.

Award group	Recipients	Approximate funding
State and territory programs	49	$5.5 billion
Programs serving Tribes	6	More than $500 million
Multistate programs	5	About $1 billion

The money was not intended only to purchase rooftop panels. Recipient programs could use federal funding for rooftop residential solar, residential-serving community solar, storage associated with those systems, grants and financing, technical assistance, workforce development, permitting support, and other program infrastructure.

What $7 Billion Works Out to Per Household

EPA projected that the 60 programs would allow more than 900,000 households to deploy or benefit from distributed solar. Using exactly 900,000 households as a simple denominator:

$7 billion ÷ 900,000 = approximately $7,778 per projected household

This is a program-wide ratio, not an installation price or direct federal payment. If more than 900,000 households ultimately participate, the appropriation per household would be lower.

EPA also projected more than $350 million in annual electricity-bill savings across those households. At exactly 900,000 households, that equals about $389 in projected annual savings per household. Both the household count and savings figures were EPA forecasts made when the awards were announced, not measured results from a completed program.

For the consumer side of the calculation, readers can compare the program figures with typical residential solar panel costs, the broader cost of solar energy, and the price of a 5 kW solar system.

The Hidden Cost: Administration

Solar for All also had federal administrative and technical-assistance costs, but they need to be separated carefully to avoid double counting.

The $24 million NREL technical-assistance agreement was part of the $7 billion Solar for All appropriation, so it should not be added on top of the program’s headline price.

Congress separately provided $30 million for administration of the entire $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, not just Solar for All. EPA’s inspector general reported that approximately $15.3 million of that broader administrative funding had been spent as of July 2025.

There is no clean public figure showing exactly how much of that $15.3 million should be assigned only to Solar for All. Adding the full $30 million, or even the full $15.3 million spent at that point, to Solar for All would therefore overstate the program-specific administrative cost.

How Much Had Reached Recipients?

EPA’s inspector general found approximately $71 million in recipient drawdowns by August 7, 2025. GAO’s later program-level snapshot recorded $91.99 million in disbursements as of September 30, 2025.

That $91.99 million equals approximately 1.31% of the original $7 billion appropriation.

It should not be described as the program’s final cost. GAO’s figure is tied to a specific accounting date, and the two September 2026 court decisions changed the legal status of EPA’s termination actions. Additional spending could occur if the grant awards continue, while appeals or further litigation could affect implementation.

Does the Government Still Owe $7 Billion?

The answer depends on what is meant by “owe.” The original program funds were largely committed through federal grant agreements, but the program was then terminated, its statutory provision was repealed, its accounting treatment changed, and the termination actions are now the subject of court judgments.

EPA’s published explanation of its 2025 action states that the agency believed the repeal removed its authority to continue Solar for All. The September 2026 district-court rulings rejected that interpretation with respect to already-obligated grant funds.

As a result, $7 billion remains the correct original program price tag, while the final federal cash outlay is not yet known. The most recent broad accounting figure available does not show anything close to $7 billion already disbursed.

Answers to Common Questions

How much did Congress allocate to Solar for All?

Congress appropriated $7 billion for the Solar for All portion of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

Did the federal government already spend $7 billion?

No. EPA originally obligated essentially the full program, but GAO’s July 2026 report shows $91.99 million disbursed as of September 30, 2025. That is a dated accounting snapshot, not necessarily the final amount that will be paid.

Why does GAO say only $570.08 million was obligated?

GAO’s figure comes from a September 30, 2025 accounting snapshot after EPA had begun canceling the grants. EPA’s inspector general separately documented that the full $7 billion had originally been obligated when the awards were made. The figures describe different dates and accounting states.

How much did recipients receive before the program was terminated?

EPA’s inspector general reported that the 60 grant recipients had drawn approximately $71 million by August 7, 2025. GAO later recorded $91.99 million in program disbursements as of September 30.

How much does Solar for All cost per household?

Using EPA’s projection of more than 900,000 beneficiary households, the full appropriation works out to no more than about $7,778 per household at a 900,000-household denominator. That is a planning ratio, not a direct payment or the cost of one solar installation.

Is Solar for All still canceled?

EPA terminated the program in August 2025, but two federal district judges ruled in September 2026 that EPA lacked authority to terminate the already-obligated grants and vacated the termination actions before them. As of September 23, EPA said it was considering appeals.

What is the best single number to use for the program’s cost?

Use $7 billion when referring to Solar for All’s original congressional appropriation or program size. Use $91.99 million only when describing GAO’s reported disbursements as of September 30, 2025. The eventual federal outlay remains unsettled.