On Earth Day, President Joe Biden celebrates by announcing grants and investments totaling $7 billion for solar energy projects aimed at providing energy for nearly one million low-income families.
The US president unveils this new initiative during his visit Monday to Prince William Forest Park in Virginia.
The new initiative comes as part of the promotion of the US administration's efforts to combat climate change, protect the environment, and transition to renewable energy.
It also aims to attract young environmental advocates. Biden also announces a program to prepare youth for jobs in climate-related industries, creating 200,000 job opportunities in 36 states, in addition to Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, available for youth to participate in environmental conservation, renewable energy, and sustainable infrastructure to address climate change.
Youth environmental advocates are an important electoral constituency for Biden in the upcoming electoral race against his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, in November.
The US administration is providing $7 billion through a grant competition through the Environmental Protection Agency, according to the inflation reduction law passed by Congress last year, providing several financial provisions to combat climate change.
These grants benefit approximately 60 government agencies and non-profit organizations to help low-income communities use solar energy, especially in the states of Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.
Solar energy for residential buildings is costly for low-income Americans. A senior official stated in a phone call with journalists that the Biden administration wants to open up the solar energy market so that everyone can benefit from the savings represented by clean energy.
He explained that the US Climate Corps will launch a website for jobs available in 36 states in renewable energy, with the first phase employing 20,000 young people in training for installing solar panels and methane emissions detection cameras.
The goal of this youth training and employment program, according to the official, is "to facilitate finding work for any American to address the climate crisis, with the necessary skills for the clean energy workforce and the ability to adapt to climate change in the future."
The White House hopes that solar energy grants for all will help more than 900,000 families in low-income and deprived communities access solar energy.
It stated in a press release that solar energy can save about $400 per family in electricity costs and prevent 30 million metric tons of carbon pollution over 25 years.
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