PLASKETT APPLAUDS WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCEMENT TO INCREASE ACCESS TO SOLAR IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES

New initiative could have positive implications for reducing energy costs in the territory

WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 8, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Virgin Islands Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett expressed her support for a new initiative to increase access to solar energy in low-income communities announced by the White House today.

“We are excited to see the President making great strides in providing Americans with increased access to solar energy. Particularly important are the Obama Administration’s recognition and action to ensure that solar energy and jobs reach low and moderate income communities. As an outgrowth of enormous work to create public-private partnerships, the President has been able to bring major utility companies such as SunEdison, Craft3 and others, to commit to not only substantive investment but also workforce job training,” Plaskett said.

In June, Congresswoman Plaskett participated in a roundtable discussion at the White House where the Obama Administration affirmed its commitment to bring federal initiatives to drive solar deployment in low income communities and in affordable housing.

The small group of stakeholders from both public and private sectors in attendance at the June roundtable discussed the President’s upcoming initiatives to ‘super charge’ activity in renewable energy for areas that have not seen the benefit in the past.

Plaskett was able to use the roundtable as an opportunity to reiterate the importance of decreasing energy costs in the territory and also to remind the Obama Administration of the critical importance of the President’s initiatives to communities with unique energy challenges like the U.S. Virgin Islands.

For more information on the President’s initiative visit: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/07/07/fact-sheet-administration-announces-new-initiative-increase-solar-access