FILE – Employees of NY State Solar, a residential and commercial photovoltaic systems company, install an array of solar panels on a roof, Aug. 11, 2022, in the Long Island hamlet of Massapequa, N.Y. The Biden administration is announcing Thursday, April 20, 2023, more than $80 million in funding as part of a push to make more solar panels in the U.S. and make solar energy available in more communities. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
The Biden administration is set to announce more than $80 million in funding Thursday in a push to produce more solar panels in the U.S., make solar energy available to more people, and pursue superior alternatives to the ubiquitous sparkly panels made with silicon. Community solar, which is set up for people who rent or live in condos or don’t control their rooftops — is at the center of the announcement. The goal is that by 2025, five million households will have access to community solar — about three times as many as today,according to the Department of Energy. There is also funding for new types of solar panels that can convert more of the sun’s energy into electricity.