The Hopi Utilities Program announced that on Thursday, Aug. 7, the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent out termination notifications of Solar for All (SFA) grant awards to all recipients, including the Hopi Utilities Corporation (HUC). SFA is the primary grant that HUC had been awarded under the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act to bring solar home systems to Hopi households and create economic and workforce development opportunities for the Hopi Tribe.
The program administrators issued a press release stating, “The Hopi Tribe is not going to let this illegal action by the Trump administration proceed without a fight. We will appeal the action and take all legal steps to have the SFA award reinstated. We are not alone in this fight: the SFA grants totaled $7 billion and were awarded to six tribal organizations, 49 state-level organizations, and five multi-state awards. Many awardees, including HUC and the State of Arizona, are moving immediately to sue the EPA, seek an injunction, work with Congress, and reinstate the funds that were legally and rightfully awarded and obligated,” adding that Hopi will continue to coordinate its efforts with these and other organizations to escalate legal actions on behalf of the Hopi people.
In the meantime, HUC will continue working on the residential solar project, utilizing funding from another grant to move forward with a more limited number of solar home systems. Hopi tribal members who are interested are encouraged to continue to apply, using this link to directly access the applications: https://ee.kobotoolbox.org/x/nFdoTMy4.
Paper applications can also be picked up at any of the village community centers, tribal headquarters, KUYI, and the Hopi Foundation. Organization administrators stated that they are deeply sympathetic for any confusion or disappointment this may cause for those who have already applied and were anticipating a smooth process of receiving solar in 2026.
