As the years pass, technologies that were once cutting-edge reach a critical mass of affordability that leads to widespread adoption throughout the market. Solar energy technologies are reaching such a critical mass of affordability and widespread adoption: Every rooftop and parking lot in America is now potentially a site for generating cheap, clean, and renewable energy. According to PR Newswire, …
January 2025 Policy Blog
Kristen Cheriegate | ICAST Policy Manager ========== Maine Files Energy Storage Procurement Recommendations The Maine Governors Energy Office (GEO) was directed by the state legislature to consult with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to evaluate the increase of capacity for utility-scale energy storage systems. The states policy sets a goal to procure cost-effective energy storage and diversify its energy resources. …
ICAST Experts Weigh In: Federal Funding, Energy Efficient Retrofits, and the Trump-Vance Administration
By Kristen Cheriegate | ICAST Policy Manager With Donald Trump as the President-elect of 2025, many fear his campaign claims of repealing green energy and environmental subsidies, clawing back related funds in favor of deregulation, and increasing the domestic production of oil. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the single largest climate and energy investment in American history and was …
December 2024 Policy Blog
Kristen Cheriegate | ICAST Policy Manager ========== Virginia Announced Launch of Clean Energy Innovation Bank The Virginia Department of Energy has announced the launch of the Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank (VCEIB) after similar legislation was vetoed earlier this year. As a green bank, VCEIB will mobilize public and private capital to bridge the gaps in clean energy financing in …
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, …
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 …
Setting a Course for the Fast-Evolving Incentives Landscape
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
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: Housing Policy Priorities for 2024
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. ICAST’s mission never falters, and we continue to scale the delivery of green solutions to positively impact vulnerable households in low-income and disadvantaged communities (LIDACs). In …
How Programs Can Navigate Aggressive Change to Achieve Deep Energy Savings in Multifamily
Rapid market, regulatory, and policy evolutions are creating opportunities for utilities to coordinate with key stakeholders to identify and harness untapped methods of achieving their program goals. The U.S. is beginning to see a slow transition away from natural gas-based efficiency measures as electrification has emerged as a leading decarbonization strategy and a growing pathway for utility energy efficiency programs. …