Biden-Harris Administration announces $500,000 for innovative solar energy project on the Pine Ridge Reservation as part of Investing in America Agenda

Project announced as part of largest investments through EPA’s Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government grant programs funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act

Pine Ridge, S.D. (October 24, 2023) -- Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $500,000 to the American Solar Energy Society for a solar energy project at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota to advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Today’s announcement is among dozens of projects across the nation selected to receive funding for projects to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 Initiative.

Thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in U.S. history—this funding is a part the largest investment ever announced under these two longstanding EPA programs. This is the first in a series of environmental justice grant announcements the agency will announce before the end of the year.

“No President has invested more in environmental justice than President Biden, and under his leadership we’re removing longstanding barriers and meaningfully collaborating with communities to build a healthier future for all,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Together, these community-driven projects will improve the health, equity, and resilience of communities while setting a blueprint for local solutions that can be applied across the nation.”

“This Environmental Justice grant will leverage solar energy applications to improve conditions for residents across the Pine Ridge Reservation,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “We are proud to support projects identified by our state, tribal and local partners to bring positive change to communities disproportionately impacted by pollution.”

The grants announced today deliver on President Biden’s commitment to advance equity and justice throughout the United States. The two grant programs directly advance the President’s transformational Justice40 initiative to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving (EJCPS) Program

EPA’s EJCPS program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations working to address local environmental or public health issues in their communities. The program builds upon President Biden’s Executive Orders 13985 and 14008, creating a designation of funds exclusively for small nonprofit organizations, which are defined as having 5 or fewer full-time employees, thus ensuring that grant resources reach organizations of lower capacity that historically struggle to receive federal funding. Eleven of the organizations selected for EJCPS this year are small nonprofit organizations, receiving over $1.6 million in total.

EPA EJCPS grant selections in South Dakota include the following:

The American Solar Energy Society will receive approximately $500,000 for Project Tiošpáye, a Net Zero Solar Living for Oglala Lakota Affordable and Traditional Housing at the Pine Ridge Reservation. ASES proposes to conduct a community-based project to demonstrate innovative solar energy technologies and address key problems on the Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation. These projects will promote healthy lifestyles, including improved indoor air quality, better on-site water access and quality, improved food access and preservation and better energy resiliency with solar power technologies for both on-grid and off-grid tribal residences.

Additional Background:

From day one of his administration, President Biden has made achieving environmental justice a top priority. And in August 2022, Congress passed, and President Biden signed, the Inflation Reduction Act into law, creating the largest investment in environmental and climate justice in U.S. history. EPA received $3 billion in appropriations to provide grants and technical assistance for activities advancing environmental and climate justice.

Under the Inflation Reduction Act, EPA has launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda. EPA has also launched and will award funds through the $550 million  Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program before the end of 2023.

Learn more about environmental justice at EPA.

See the full listing of all 98 organizations receiving an EJCPS grant and learn more about EJCPS.

See the full listing of all the selected 88 EJG2G projects and learn more about EJG2G.