(Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to announce on Monday, on Earth Day, $7 billion in grants for residential solar initiatives, long considered difficult to access for low-income Americans, making it possible to power nearly a million of these homes, according to the White House.

The announcement kicks off a week of activities to promote the Biden administration’s record on climate change.

The $7 billion in funding for solar power through the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Solar for All” grant competition was included in the Inflation Reduction Act. inflation), flagship text of the Biden presidency on climate change.

It will create 200,000 jobs and save approximately $400 per year for households participating in the program, according to the White House.

The allocated grants will benefit 60 government entities and NGOs that support the adoption of solar energy in marginalized communities, thereby reducing their energy costs. Among the winners are several organizations that plan to equip Native American homes with solar power in states including Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.

The program is part of Joe Biden’s goal of dedicating 40% of federal investments in clean energy to disadvantaged communities.

The announcement of the program is planned during a trip by Joe Biden to Virginia. The US president, campaigning for his re-election, will also announce the opening of applications to join the American Climate Corps, a program aimed at preparing young people for jobs in climate-related sectors.

Young voters are a prime target for Democrat Joe Biden as he prepares to take on his Republican predecessor Donald Trump in November’s presidential election.

(Reporting by Nichola Groom; Dimitri Rhodes, editing by Blandine Hénault)

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