Kristen Cheriegate  |  ICAST Policy Analyst ******************* The Future of the Build Back Better Bill The Build Back Better (BBB) bill may be dead in the water in its original form. President Biden said in a White House Press conference that the authors will “have to probably break it up,” and that he has “been talking to [his] colleagues on …

260+ Companies Call on Congress to Finalize Legislation to Deliver Clean Energy January 24, 2022 The Honorable Charles E Schumer, Majority Leader U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi: As companies committed to building America’s clean energy future, we write to thank you for …

  Energy Efficiency Programs Can Reduce Energy Burden For Low-Income Households Albuquerque, NM, January 21, 2021 – ICAST supports the Community Energy Efficiency Development Block Grant Act (HB37) because it will reduce the energy burden on low-income (LI) households; create well-paying local jobs; and offer safer, healthier, and more comfortable environments to the LI families. LI households face disproportionate energy …

In January 2021, ICAST was approved by AmeriCorps to be a host site for Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) members. ICAST brought on five VISTA members to provide database development, community outreach, data analysis, research, and more. Their passion and experience help ICAST reduce multifamily affordable housing (MFAH) tenants’ economic and energy burdens, preserve affordable housing, and fight climate change.     ICAST VISTA Members    Valerie Spina  Blockchain Researcher  Valerie joined ICAST in August …

Kristen Cheriegate  |  ICAST Policy Analyst ******************* Reconciliation Bill Updates  The Build Back Better (BBB) legislation hit a hard stop in the Senate in December. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) has had reservations regarding the bill but came out publicly saying he “…cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation… This is a ‘no’ on this legislation.”  There is a chance that the large bill will be …

Kristen Cheriegate  |  ICAST Policy Analyst ******************* Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Signed into Law  The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (H.R. 3684) passed and was signed into law by President Biden this past month. The White House has released a Fact Sheet stating that this new law will “…ensure every American has access to high-speed internet, tackle the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and invest in communities that have too often been left behind.” Here is a look at …

ICAST was recently selected as a 2021-2022 UCAIR Grant recipient for its project: Bringing Beneficial Electrification to Utah’s Low-Income Community. ICAST’s project will retrofit 2,000 multifamily affordable housing (MFAH) homes with energy efficiency measures, health, and safety, and water conservation upgrades to reduce lifetime energy consumption by 22 million+ kWh. ICAST will install at least 500 VHE Heat Pump Systems on …

Kristen Cheriegate  |  ICAST Policy Analyst *******************   Congressional Infrastructure and Budget Bills Update  While formal votes on the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the partisan reconciliation bill have yet to take place, draft texts of both bills continue to float amongst Congressmembers. Negotiations have caused some line items to shift in price tag, but according to a benchmark first reported by Axios on October 26, the climate change provisions in the reconciliation package may still total more than $500 billion—not far …