November 2024 Policy Blog

ICAST MarketingIndustry News, ICAST News, Blog Leave a Comment

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 …

Update on ICAST’s Heat Pump Training Program

ICAST MarketingICAST News Leave a Comment

Update on ICAST’s Heat Pump Training Program Audrey Knox | Workforce Training Manager Ms. Knox manages the implementation of ICAST’s workforce training initiatives in collaboration with ICAST’s partners across the country. Stakeholders across the country recognize that heat pumps are the future of HVAC and domestic hot water. Thankfully, we see growing awareness and adoption of these technologies—note, for example, …

May 2024 Policy Blog

ICAST MarketingICAST News, Blog, Industry News Leave a Comment

Kristen Cheriegate  |  ICAST Policy Analyst ========== Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Competition Selectees Chosen The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its selections under the $27-billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). Eight awards totaling $20 billion, were made under the National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA): The goal is to create a national clean financing …

Setting a Course for the Fast-Evolving Incentives Landscape

ICAST MarketingIndustry News, ICAST News, Blog Leave a Comment

Influencing vs. Merely Accessing Available Funding Programs By Ravi Malhotra Originally published in NH&RA’s Tax Credit Advisor, May 2024   Government agencies are still racing to get their Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funds out the door, and they remain open to input from various stakeholders to help guide this process. In advocating for increased investment …

April 2024 Policy Blog

ICAST MarketingICAST News, Blog, Industry News Leave a Comment

Kristen Cheriegate  |  ICAST Policy Analyst ========== New Energy Program Funding for Disadvantaged Communities The Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it is opening applications for the Communities Sparking Investments in Transformative Energy (C-SITE) funding opportunity. C-SITE will award approximately $18 million to implement municipally- or Tribal-led, high-impact clean energy projects in disadvantaged communities, energy communities, small- and medium-sized cities …

ICAST Experts Weigh In: 2023 Trends and What to Watch for in 2024

ICAST MarketingICAST News, Blog, Industry News Leave a Comment

Ryan Kristoff | Director of Grant Programs  Mr. Kristoff grows the organization by securing the funding and partnerships necessary to build new programs, expand to new geographies, and add services to its one-stop shop. THE 30,000-FOOT VIEW Unsurprisingly, ICAST’s 2023 has primarily focused on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). We have been collaborating with federal …

December 2023 Policy Blog

ICAST MarketingICAST News, Blog, Industry News Leave a Comment

Kristen Cheriegate  |  ICAST Policy Analyst U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Path to Update Energy Efficiency Standards DOE is required to establish and periodically review minimum energy efficiency standards that products such as light bulbs, clothes dryers, air conditioners, etc., must meet. By law, these standards must save energy, be cost-effective, and be technologically feasible for manufacturers. While energy …

Heat Pump Installations Slow, Impeding Biden’s Climate Goals

ICAST MarketingICAST News, Blog, Industry News Leave a Comment

By Santul Nerkar and Madeleine Ngo  Originally published in The New York Times, Nov. 9, 2023  More Americans are buying heat pumps, an environmentally friendly alternative to furnaces and air-conditioners that can significantly lower monthly energy bills. But the pace of installations has slowed in the past year, posing an obstacle to the Biden administration’s climate plans.  Rising interest rates and inflation combined …

Case Study: IRA, BIL Bringing Big Pots of Money to Green Affordable Housing

ICAST MarketingICAST News, Blog, Industry News Leave a Comment

By Mark Fogarty  NH&RA November 2023 If Timed Right, Financial “Braiding” Techniques May Cover Whole Cost of Retrofits There’s a brave new world of opportunities for “green” multifamily affordable housing renovation and development coming with the ever-quickening ascendancy of green buildings. This is according to one of the early adopters of clean energy solutions in multifamily, Ravi Malhotra—founder and president of ICAST. …

ICAST Experts Weigh In: 2023 State Legislative Wrap-Up and Looking Ahead to 2024

ICAST MarketingIndustry News, ICAST News, Blog Leave a Comment

By Kristen Cheriegate: Senior Policy Analyst | Ms. Cheriegate navigates ICAST through the policy world to obtain real-world solutions, funding resources, and networks with potential partners to provide more services to low- and moderate-income households. State legislatures are gearing up to pre-file bills for the 2024 season, but before we close the books on 2023, we wanted to provide some …