Challenge #1: Solar for Savings: MI Solar for All Pilot Projects

Challenge #1: Solar for Savings: MI Solar for All Pilot Projects

MI Solar for All termination notice

The MI Solar for All program received a termination letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) dated August 7, 2025. In response, EGLE Director Roos released a statement on the matter on August 12, 2025. The MI Solar for All program staff and EGLE leadership are currently working with Michigan’s Attorney General on the next steps.

Read Director Roos' statement on the termination

Solar for Savings is the first grant program under the MI Healthy Climate Challenge, funding MI Solar for All pilot projects to reduce energy costs, enhance resiliency, and expand access to solar for low-income households.

With $156 million in federal funding, the MI Solar for All Program aims to bring solar energy to low-income communities, delivering economic and environmental benefits while ensuring equitable access.

Through the Solar for Savings initiative, these pilot projects will test innovative approaches, accelerate solar adoption across Michigan, and contribute to the development of the broader MI Solar for All Program. By expanding access to renewable energy, particularly through residential and community solar, these pilots will play a vital role in advancing Michigan’s clean energy transition.

Expanding access to renewable energy is key to achieving the goals of the MI Healthy Climate Plan. These pilot projects will help ensure all Michiganders benefit from clean energy by improving air quality, increasing resilience, creating jobs, and lowering energy bills. By removing barriers to solar adoption, Solar for Savings advances the broader mission of the MI Healthy Climate Challenge to accelerate clean energy deployment statewide.

Challenge #1 Objectives

Help reduce energy burdens experienced by low-income households by delivering a benefit (directly or indirectly) equivalent to, at a minimum, an annual average 20% electricity bill reduction from implementation of MI Solar for All program investments (solar, storage, and enabling upgrades) and evaluate the impacts of the benefits provided to participating low-income households. The benefits provided to program beneficiaries must be inclusive of any costs they incur to participate in MI Solar for All program offerings.
Increase access to wealth building opportunities and solar ownership by helping to address ownership barriers through different financial strategies and other program assistance.
Install new renewable energy generation and energy storage to help Michigan reduce carbon emissions and increase energy resiliency.
Seek partnerships and additional funding sources to expand the program’s impact and reach through activities like stacking and braiding of resources and integrating with complementary programs.
Reduce potential risks to program investment performance by developing plans to ensure quality control of assets funded by MI Solar for All and promoting adoption of best practices and industry standards for quality installations as well as operations and maintenance of program funded assets.
Support high-quality, high-wage careers through workforce training and industry development investments in program related areas and create opportunities for low-income individuals.
Develop flexible community assistance and educational opportunities to support Michigan communities to address needs pertinent to MI Solar for All success.

Total funding available

Round 1 of the Solar for Savings grant competition will provide $8,875,000 across the following categories:

Residential-serving community solar: $6,500,000
Residential rooftop solar: $1,000,000
Enabling upgrades: $1,000,000
Associated storage solutions: $375,000

Awardees for Round 1 & 2

An additional $20 million is available for Rounds 2 and 3 for pilots providing significant programmatic learnings.

Eligible applicants

To qualify for funding, applicants must meet the following requirements (additional details are available in the Request for Proposals, or RFP):

Eligible entities include:
- Public and non-profit entities such as tribes, state and local governments, non-profit organizations, municipal and cooperative utilities, and educational institutions (e.g., K-12 schools, colleges, and universities).
- Eligible property owners located in Michigan.

Please note: For-profit entities are not eligible to apply. Non-profit organizations must not be exempt under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and must not engage in lobbying activities.

Eligible projects

To qualify for funding, projects must meet the following criteria (additional details are available in the RFP):

Deliver at least an average annual 20% electric bill savings or the equivalent to eligible low-income households.
Provide 100% of the benefits to eligible low-income households, or, for residential-serving community solar projects, at least 50% of the benefits to eligible low-income households.
Support the deployment of the following technologies, as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Solar for All Terms and Conditions:
- Residential Rooftop Solar
- Residential-Serving Community Solar
- Associated Storage
- Enabling Upgrades

Application timeline

PAUSED due to termination letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency dated August 7, 2025 for the MI Solar for All program. We are currently working with Michigan's Attorney General on the next steps. Applications will be accepted until all funding is allocated or until 5:00 p.m. EST on September 30, 2025. There will be three rounds of reviews. Any application submitted before the relevant review deadline will be considered in that particular review round. Awards will be granted on a first come, first served basis. The timeline is as follows:

RFP Posted: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Round 1 Responses Due: Friday, May 30, 2025
Round 2 Responses Due: Monday, June 30, 2025
Round 3 Responses Due: Wednesday, September 30, 2025

Please Note: Applications submitted before the relevant round’s deadline will be considered in that round. Awards will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis.

How to apply

PAUSED due to termination letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency dated August 7, 2025 for the MI Solar for All program. We are currently working with Michigan's Attorney General on the next steps. To apply for funding under the Solar for Savings initiative, please carefully review the Request for Proposals (RFP) and the EPA Solar for All Terms and Conditions. Proposals that do not meet the program requirements as described in the RFP and Terms and Conditions will be deemed ineligible.