The US Dept. of Energy (DOE) recently released its 2024 Progress Report for the Better Buildings initiative—an annual publication that highlights the achievements of the initiative and its partners by sector. The Better Buildings initiative (BB) aims to improve energy efficiency and advance decarbonization across the nation’s various building sectors. BB helps organizations reduce their energy use, lower operational costs, …
November 2024 Policy Blog
Kristen Cheriegate | ICAST Policy Manager ========== California Launches Home Energy Rebate Program The U.S. Department of Energy announced California has launched program activities under the federal Home Energy Rebates Program, with $300 million in funding, supported by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The Home Energy Rebates program is part of the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act (HEEHRA) passed as …
ICAST’s AmeriCorps VISTA Program: Meet the VISTA Members
ICAST has proudly hosted members of Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) since 2021. Their hard work and dedication help us reduce low-income households’ energy burden, preserve affordable housing, and fight climate change. Mitch Labe Policy Research VISTA Mitch joined ICAST in August 2024. He assists the policy research team in staying up-to-date with the latest policy trends and changes …
IRA Tax Credits in Action
The US Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) recently released a report showing the benefit of the IRA’s clean energy tax incentives for consumers. More than 3.4 million families claimed $8.4 billion in IRA-enabled tax credits in 2023 alone. With IRA funds starting to make their way into the homes of Americans, the deep impact of the bill is beginning to …
October 2024 Policy Blog
Kristen Cheriegate | ICAST Policy Manager ========== States Launch Home Energy Rebates Program The Department of Energy (DOE) announced that Arizona, New Mexico, Maine, and Rhode Island have launched their Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) programs. New Mexico: NM’s HEAR will provide low-income single-family homeowners and low- and middle-income renters up to $14,000 in rebates to upgrade equipment and appliances. …
ICAST Presents at the E Source 2024 Forum
ICAST was recently invited to present at the E Source 2024 Forum in early October. E Source is a utilities-focused research and consultation firm that annually holds the E Source Forum to bring together utility professionals to learn, innovate, and grow the utility industry. Our presentation, titled “Equitable Access to the Benefits of DSM,” was delivered by Ryan Kristoff, ICAST’s …
ICAST Announcements
ACEEE Award: Leader of the Pack ICAST has just received the Leader of the Pack award for its multifamily-focused Wattsmart® program from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. This award recognizes “exemplary energy efficiency programs across the United States.” The Wattsmart® program, which began in 2018, is a Utah utility demand-side management program for Rocky Mountain Power (RMP), an …
Funding for Green Retrofits
By Ravi Malhotra Originally posted in Tax Credit Advisor, October 2024 Federal Tax Credits, Rebates, Low-Cost or Forgivable Loans, and Grants are Hitting the Ground The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) are in their second and third years, respectively. Treasury guidance is now available for almost all of the IRA’s clean energy tax credit provisions. Furthermore, …
Solar and Storage Update: ICAST’s Work with Disadvantaged Communities
ICAST has been tracking the rollout of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) dollars and helping our various customer segments access these funds to benefit low- and moderate-income communities. We are working on numerous community-scale solar PV and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects for Tribes, rural electric cooperatives, and municipalities. These include: a 2MW solar PV and 4MWh BESS for the …
ICAST at the ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings
ICAST’s Vice President of Grant Programs, Ryan Kristoff, recently attended the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s (ACEEE) biennial conference on decarbonizing the building sector. This conference brings together professionals, policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders from across the world to discuss evolving best practices for designing and implementing energy efficiency solutions in buildings. In addition to receiving an award for …