MI Solar Access

The MI Solar Access Program will support households move toward energy self-sufficiency and climate resiliency by assisting them with reducing their electricity usage, energy burden, climate preparedness, and access to renewable energy. It uses a community solar model to enable low-to-moderate income residents to benefit from solar, obtain energy efficiency upgrades, and save on their electric bills, and utilizes the MI Solarize model to provide support to businesses, organizations, and interest groups to deploy solar energy for their own building(s).

Applicants must be an electric utility or nonprofit organization willing to implement a community solar array pilot program or energy storage system within a municipal or cooperative electric utility territory, an experienced nonprofit organization that provides weatherization, or an interested small or medium sized business in the MI Solarize program. Projects located in or serving municipal or cooperative territory will receive higher priority than projects in or serving IOU territory.

Eligible projects include designing a MI Solarize or MI Community Shared Solar program, entering into an agreement with the local electric utility to purchase solar block subscriptions, identifying and weatherizing income-qualified households, educating subscribers, developing and implementing comprehensive home energy assessments, supplying solar credit information on utility bills, collecting and tracking energy consumption, and developing/installing solar electricity/photovoltaic systems or energy storage systems (with specific restrictions like no ground disturbance).

Applicants must submit a complete response to the RFP addressing Program Objectives, Priorities, and Tasks using the Online Application. Required attachments include an Approved Budget Form with Narrative, Certificate of Indirect Costs (if applicable), Detailed Timeline, Organizational Charts, recent audit/financial statements, and potentially SHPO/NEPA/BABA forms. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all funds are allocated or August 31, 2027.