TREES Act Proposes $50M Annual Grants to Plant 300,000 Trees, Aiming to Slash Home Energy Bills

The "Trees for Residential Energy and Economic Savings Act of 2025," or TREES Act, is looking to bring more green to our neighborhoods with a practical goal: cutting down your home energy use. If this bill takes off, the Secretary of Energy will roll out a grant program within 90 days of enactment, offering up $50 million each year from 2026 through 2030. The idea is to fund projects that strategically plant trees to help reduce how much energy we're using to heat and cool our homes.

Roots of Relief: How More Trees Could Mean Lower Bills

So, how does planting trees translate to saving money on your energy bill? It's pretty straightforward: trees provide shade in the summer, cutting down on air conditioning costs, and can act as windbreaks in the winter, reducing heating needs. The TREES Act aims to get at least 300,000 new trees in the ground each year through these grants. The program is especially focused on helping households facing a high "energy burden" – that’s defined in the bill as the percentage of a family's income spent on energy bills. Think about folks in older neighborhoods with few trees, where summer sun bakes the houses and AC units work overtime. This bill wants to target areas like that, aiming for maximum impact on both energy use and your wallet. Applicants for these grants will need to spell out how their project will reduce energy consumption and estimate those savings.

Branching Out: Who Plants and Where It Counts

This isn't just a free-for-all tree planting spree. The bill clearly outlines who can apply for these funds, called "eligible entities." We're talking state and local governments, Indian Tribes (specifically those recognized under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, giving them more control over federal programs), non-profit organizations (the 501(c)(3) charitable types), and even retail power providers.

The real kicker is where these projects will be prioritized. The bill wants to see trees planted in neighborhoods with currently low tree canopy cover, areas with a high percentage of seniors or children, and places where the average annual income is below the regional median. There's also a big emphasis on community involvement and hiring locally, especially for folks who are unemployed or underemployed. So, a local non-profit could team up with the city to plant native, energy-saving trees in a park-poor, lower-income neighborhood, potentially hiring residents to do the planting and upkeep.

Digging into the Details: Funding and Making it Happen

The federal government is ready to put serious skin in the game, covering 90 percent of project costs. These "eligible costs" are pretty comprehensive, including everything from planning and buying trees from nurseries to site preparation, maintenance for up to three years (which is crucial for new trees), and training. To ensure the right trees are planted in the right places, the Secretary of Energy will consult with the Secretary of Agriculture, tapping into the expertise of the Forest Service. Applicants will need to detail the tree species they plan to use and justify their suitability for the local environment and for energy saving.

While the bill is fairly clear, the success of these projects will hinge on good planning and oversight. The application requirements, like estimating energy reduction and detailing tree species, are designed to ensure projects are effective. If done right, this could mean not just lower energy bills and more beautiful neighborhoods, but also cleaner air and more local jobs.