Biden announces $7 billion for solar and 20,000 taxpayer-funded jobs to fight climate change

The White House has announced l $7 billion in grants for solar, and efforts to advance the American Climate Corps program.

According to the Earth Day announcement, the Environmental Protection Agency will provide the grants to over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

Modeled after the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps, the initiative, according to the White House, will put more than 20,000 Americans to work in taxpayer-funded positions to advance President Biden's climate agenda.

Biden had requested $8 billion for the program, with the goal of supporting 50,000 taxpayer-funded jobs.

The plan faces some criticism.

“Let’s be clear: Joe Biden wants 50,000 new climate activists pushing his extreme agenda on the taxpayers’ dime. Congress needs to defund this effort immediately,” said Daniel Turner, founder and executive director for Power The Future, an energy worker advocacy group, said in a statement last month.