Kristen Cheriegate | ICAST Policy Analyst
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Update on Biden Administration’s Investing in America Tour
President Biden and team recently toured the U.S. to directly communicate with communities impacted by his Investing in America Agenda. During the tour, the President discussed how federal investments including the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) are driving a manufacturing and clean energy boom, rebuilding the country’s infrastructure, lowering costs, and creating jobs. Highlights include:
- $503 billion (so far) in commitments from private companies to invest in industries like EVs and batteries, clean energy, and biomanufacturing
- $299 billion in public infrastructure and clean energy investments, including $22.3 billion for grants, rebates, and other initiatives to accelerate the deployment of clean energy, clean buildings, and clean manufacturing
- $8.8 billion in home energy rebates to cut energy costs by weatherizing homes and replacing old appliances with more efficient models
U.S. Dept. of Energy Launches New Round of American-Made Solar Prize
The DOE opened applications for round seven of its American-Made Solar Prize Competition. This round is a $4 million prize program designed to spur innovations in U.S. solar hardware and software technologies. The American-Made Solar Prize is a multi-million-dollar prize competition designed to energize U.S. solar manufacturing through a series of contests and the development of a support network that leverages national laboratories, energy incubators, and other resources across the country. The competition enables the rapid development of innovative solar solutions by providing resources and support to entrepreneurs as they transform concepts into early-stage prototypes ready for industry testing. Since its launch, the Solar Prize has awarded $19.6 million in cash prizes and other support to 140 teams over the course of six rounds. The deadline to apply for this round is September 27, 2023.
Funding Opportunities Announced through Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has opened applications through the IRA-funded Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). Through three distinct grant competitions, the GGRF will provide grants to eligible states, tribes, territories, municipalities, and nonprofit entities, and those grantees will provide financial assistance to communities for the deployment of emissions and air pollution-reducing projects. EPA intends for the GGRF to enable communities, small businesses, and individuals to seek financing from the broad range of financial institutions that will be direct and indirect recipients of GGRF awards including local community financing entities, low-income and disadvantaged community solar programs, and more.