WASHINGTON, April 22 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today joined President Biden to announce an unprecedented $7 billion in funding for the Solar for All program – legislation which Sanders wrote. They also announced the creation of a Vermont Climate Corps; Vermont is now one of only thirteen states with such a program.

The Solar for All program will provide loans or grants to working class families to help cover the cost of installing solar rooftops or participating in community-based solar projects. This $7 billion investment will save working families more than $8.7 billion in electric bills over the lifetime of the installed panels. Families for whom the start-up costs have been prohibitive will now have the support they need to invest in solar panels.

Vermont will receive $62.45 million in residential solar funding from the Solar for All program.

“The United States can and must lead the world in transforming our energy systems away from fossil fuels,” said Sanders. “The Solar for All program – that I successfully championed – will not only combat the existential threat of climate change by making solar energy available to working class families, it will also substantially lower the electric bills of Americans and create thousands of good-paying jobs. This is a win for the environment, a win for consumers, and a win for the economy.”

The Vermont Climate Corps – a workforce training and service initiative aimed at preparing young Americans for jobs in clean energy and climate resilience – will mobilize young Americans who are ready to take on the existential threat of climate change. As one of the first states participating in the American Climate Corps, Vermont will continue to be at the forefront of the fight to take on climate change, creating good paying jobs for young people who are working to save the planet.