By Sam Lipman | ICAST Director of Solar Programs Mr. Lipman is responsible for the development of shared solar projects, thus furthering ICAST’s work to help underserved communities benefit from clean energy solutions. While solar PV generation in the U.S. has grown dramatically, this growth has not translated into significant access for low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities. Compared to the broader …
Rooftop Solar: The Future of Energy Efficiency Retrofits
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, …
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 …
May 2024 Policy Blog
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
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 …
Tapping Grants, Loans, and Incentives to Cut Project Costs
by Ravi Malhotra How should the multifamily affordable housing market ensure it maximizes its benefits from the various federal, state, and local government resources on offer? Government programs typically do not consider or emphasize strategic and meaningful leveraging and collaboration with other programs, much less provide valuable guidance to do so. The lack of coordination within and between agencies and …
TBL Fund Announcing New Bridge Loan Product to Facilitate Green Projects
Originally published on tblfund.org The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has created a wealth of opportunities to scale green solutions like heat pumps, solar, energy storage, and weatherization in underserved communities. To pursue holistic clean energy solutions, stakeholders can access tax credits, grants, and other incentives. Triple Bottom Line Foundation’s (TBL Fund) focus is serving indigenous communities and multifamily affordable housing …
Case Study: IRA, BIL Bringing Big Pots of Money to Green Affordable Housing
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
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 …