- The Hope Enterprise Corporation was set to receive more than $156 million to push solar power in Mississippi and Arkansas, but President Trump’s early action could delay the money train.
Mississippi-based Hope Enterprise Corporation’s (HEC) stated mission is “to strengthen the financial health and wealth of people in under-resourced Deep South communities.”
In 2024, HEC’s mission expanded to residential solar installation. The organization was one of 60 chosen by former President Joe Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency to receive a portion of $7 billion to push solar power in poor communities.
HEC’s cut of the “Solar for All” fund was $156 million according to USASpending.gov, with the grant split between Mississippi and Arkansas. A Biden administration press release last April heralded the grant as “advancing environmental justice across Mississippi.” The release explained:
“The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice 40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities.”
HEC’s website seemingly anticipates the obvious question of what unique expertise an organization historically focused on access to credit and financial wellbeing has in the solar industry. Its FAQ section includes the question “what qualifies HEC to manage a ‘Solar for All’ program?”
The site offers as an answer “HEC has a highly qualified staff with extensive experience in community development, including training in renewable energy finance.”
The extent and nature of the training is unclear, but presumably expertise can be purchased with a $156 million grant.
Prior to the EPA “Solar for All” grant, the largest government grant received by HEC in recent years was $12 million from Biden’s Department of Education to aid in the building of charter school facilities. HEC also received a large private grant of $35 million from MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, in 2024 according to Source Watch.
HEC’s solar proposal included financial support for installing solar on residential homes owned by low income families, as well financial support to multi-family rental residences under the attenuated argument that savings on solar electricity could make it easier for renters to eventually afford their own homes.
The latter could be a boon for multi-family property owners.
Trump EPA Seeks to Pause
The $7 billion “Solar for All” program was part of a larger $27 billion “Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund” included in Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
According to USAspending.gov, the government’s official spending website, only some $137,000 of the $156 million grant to Hope Enterprise Corporation has been drawn down.
The timing for drawing down additional funds is unclear. President Donald Trump entering an Executive Order pausing the spending, but two federal judges have entered temporary restraining orders against the freeze.
An internal EPA memo directed staff to cease holding funds authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act, but reports continue to emerge about grantees not being able to access the funds.
As President Trump and “D.O.G.E.” continue to look for government savings, some pressure is building on Congress to claw back unspent Inflation Reduction Act funds.
