MEEA Policy Insider - June 2023

​​​

The MEEA Policy Insider summarizes the latest state and federal policy activity and provides new resources to aid members in their outreach, education and advocacy initiatives.

In this issue:

MEEA Policy Steering Committee

Are you interested in learning more about energy efficiency policy and getting involved in MEEA’s policy work? Join the Policy Steering Committee! You will attend and engage at our quarterly meetings, with a direct line to our staff policy experts.

Please reach out to Policy Associate Christian Koch with your interest or questions. 

Previous MEEA Policy Webinars

Building Capacity for Equity: How Buildings UP Can Transform the Midwest

On June 8, MEEA Policy Manager Arlinda Bajrami partnered with ACEEE Stephanie Sosa-Kalter to present a webinar on the Buildings Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP). Developed by the U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office (BTO), Buildings UP aims to build capacity to rapidly and equitably transform U.S. buildings through energy efficiency and efficient electrification updates, with a particular focus on frontline communities.

View the presentation slides here and the webinar recording here.

The prize is open to a wide array of potential applicants, including community-based organizations, local governments, tribes, building owners, utilities, nonprofits and energy efficiency program implementers. The application deadline for Buildings UP is due on Tuesday, July 18. For more information and application details, please visit the Buildings UP website. 

Upcoming Events

14TH ANNUAL MIDWEST BUILDING ENERGY CODES CONFERENCE Indianapolis, IN September 13-14

Save the Date: 2023 Midwest Building Energy Codes Conference | September 13-14, Indianapolis

Join MEEA for the 14th Annual Midwest Building Energy Codes Conference, back in-person this year in Indianapolis, Indiana. Each year, this conference brings together stakeholders from across the Midwest to discuss the advancement of energy codes and building energy policies in the region. This annual conference provides an opportunity to network, engage in building science and policy discussions and learn from leading experts about current and future trends. Agenda and list of speakers coming soon.

Learn more and register today. 

IL section header

Legislative

The Illinois General Assembly adjourned for its Summer 2023 recess on May 27 and will reconvene in the fall for two weeks for its veto session.

A day before its adjournment, the Illinois General Assembly passed HB 3445 with two additional amendments. Initially developed as a bill to expand distributed renewable energy generation at public schools, the new amendments to the bill would also require the Illinois Power Agency to conduct studies on policy proposals that would impact electricity rates, as well as potential implications on environmental justice communities. More controversially, the amendment to HB 3445 also grants downstate utilities a “right of first refusal” to build new transmission lines. Governor Pritzker has, however, vowed to veto HB 3445.

Last month, MEEA relaunched the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition’s (ICJC) Business Table after a six-month-long hiatus. As the lead facilitator of the Business Table, MEEA works with businesses and business organizations to elevate private-sector voices in Illinois in support of the policy objectives of the ICJC. Please reach out to Policy Associate Christian Koch if you have questions about or are interested in joining the ICJC Business Table.

Regulatory

On May 24, the Illinois Legislature voted to extend the adoption date of the Illinois Stretch Energy Code by six months. Members of the public had expressed concern over the availability of the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code and wished to allow time for a cost analysis to be completed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Under the new deadline, the Capital Development Board must complete recommendations and development for the Illinois Stretch Energy Code elements by December 31, 2023. The Illinois Stretch Energy Code must be completed and available for adoption by municipalities by June 30, 2024.

The rules to update the Illinois base energy code to the full 2021 IECC were approved by the CDB last month and were published in the Illinois Register on June 2 (p. 7177). Written public comments on the Illinois base energy code update may be submitted to the CDB until July 17 and addressed to Lisa Henning of the Capital Development Board at CDB.BuildingCode@illinois.gov.

The Illinois Commerce Commission will hold its next Equitable Energy Upgrade Program (EEUP) virtual meeting on July 31, followed by another meeting on August 24, after which a final draft rule for the EEUP will be completed. It is expected there will be a final meeting in October to finalize any outstanding comments concerning the final EEUP rule. Ongoing discussions and outstanding EEUP policy-related topics include consumer protections, source funding and coupling solar energy installations with EEUP.

How to Get Involved

If you have any questions about Illinois or want to get more involved, contact Christian Koch. 

IN header image

Legislative

The Indiana legislature has adjourned Sine Die. No energy issues are being considered by Interim Study Committees this year.

Regulatory

2023 Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs) are expected from:

  • Investor-owned utilities
  • Publicly-owned utilities - expected filing date Nov. 1.
    • Hoosier Energy
    • Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA)
    • Wabash Valley
  • Updates from the Commission on IRPs in Indiana will be posted to the IURC’s IRP page.

How to Get Involved

For questions about Indiana or to get more involved, contact Greg Ehrendreich. 

IA header image

Legislative

Iowa’s legislative session ended on May 4.

HF 605 (formerly HSB 216) was signed into law by Governor Reynolds on June 1. This legislation prohibits energy benchmarking requirements for private properties. However, what the bill defines as “benchmarking” is more accurately described as “building performance standards.” MEEA submitted comments supporting energy benchmarking and building performance standards in Iowa.

SF 514, signed into law by the Governor, restructures the Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA), which represents gas and electric consumers before the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB). The law allows the Attorney General, not the Consumer Advocate, to have responsibility over hiring employees for the OCA. Additionally, while the Consumer Advocate would still be subject to Senate confirmation every four years, they will now serve at the discretion of the Attorney General rather than for a fixed term.

HF 617, also signed into law, requires an independent review of the IUB and Department of Commerce to determine if revised provisions and procedures would be more cost-effective and result in rates that accurately reflect a utility’s service costs. Amendments were added to consider policy objectives of providing safe, adequate, reliable and affordable utility services at nondiscriminatory, just and reasonable rates based on the utility’s cost of service within the state.

HF 601, also approved by the Governor, mandates that all public utilities, except those exempted from rate regulation, give written notice of a proposed rate increase or charge to all affected customers no more than thirty days prior to the time the application for the increase is filed with the board.

Regulatory

The IUB recently welcomed two newly appointed board members. Erik Helland, a lawyer and former state representative, has been confirmed as the new Chairperson of the IUB. Sarah Martz, the engineering director of utilities at Iowa State University, has also been confirmed by the Senate to join the board.

Iowa investor-owned utilities’ Energy Efficiency Portfolio (EEP) planning process is currently underway, with IOUs filing their new five-year plans (2024-2028). The IUB has set procedural schedules and public hearings for all IOUs.

  • Interstate Power and Light Company, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy, filed its plan on November 1, 2022, in docket EEP-2022-0150 and a public hearing was held on June 8, 2023. The hearing concluded with mutually agreed-upon initial briefs scheduled for 14 days after the hearing.
  • MidAmerican Energy filed its plan on February 1 in docket EEP-2022-0156 with a public hearing set for August 24.
  • Black Hills Energy filed its plan on March 31 in docket EEP-2022-0225 with a public hearing set for October 17.

Jennifer Easler is now the point of contact for the EEP process. To be added to the EPP stakeholder list and receive updates and meeting information, please email jennifer.easler@oca.iowa.gov.

How to Get Involved

For more information about Iowa or to get more involved, contact Arlinda Bajrami.

Legislative

The Kansas legislature adjourned Sine Die on April 28.

A notable bill that passed this session is HB 2225. The new law, effective July 1, 2023, will limit cost recovery for Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) regulated utilities' transmission-related costs. The law also requires public utilities to evaluate the regional rate competitiveness and impact to economic development in rate proceedings.

All other bills mentioned in previous editions of the Insider did not pass in the 2023 legislative session.

Regulatory

In December 2021, Evergy filed its application for an energy efficiency proposal in Kansas under the Kansas Energy Efficiency Investment Act (KEEIA). The proposal originally included nine programs — four residential, four business and one pilot research program.

On November 15, 2022, Evergy, in conjunction with KCC staff, filed a revision to its plan and financial recovery mechanisms, with the other stipulating parties not signing on to the agreement. The new plan removes some of the original proposed programs, shrinking total proposed spending from about $135 million to about $45 million. The revised procedural schedule can be found here, and deadline-based amendments to that schedule here. An order was anticipated this spring, but nothing has been published to date.

How to Get Involved

For more information about Kansas or to get more involved, contact Natalie Newman. 

Legislative

The 2023 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly has adjourned Sine Die. The Interim Committee on Natural Resources and Energy met in early June and discussed the background and circumstances around the cancelled sale of Kentucky Utilities.

Regulatory

LG&E and KU, including its subsidiary ODP, are hosting a series of DSM Advisory Group meetings. These are intended to provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss EE and DSM initiatives for existing and new program offerings. Additional details, previous meeting notes and contact information for participating in the group can be found here.

How to Get Involved

For more information about Kentucky or to get more involved, contact Greg Ehrendreich.

Legislative

The Michigan legislature opened its 2023 legislative session on January 11.

In response to outages and reliability concerns that occurred earlier this year, the Chair of the Energy, Communications and Technology Committee, Representative Helena Scott, announced the Energy Reliability, Resiliency and Accountability Task Force. The bipartisan Task Force will hear from impacted stakeholders at sessions throughout the state. The Task Force kicked off in June with meetings in Lansing, Detroit and Flint, with additional meetings scheduled this summer in Marquette, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Benton Harbor and Ferndale.

In conjunction with the MI Healthy Climate Conference, Senate Democrats unveiled their Clean Energy Future Plan on April 12. All bills were heard at the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment on June 22.

The package includes the following seven bills:

  • SB271 (Sen. Geiss)- would amend the state’s renewable standard by mandating that electric utilities reach 100% renewable generation by 2035.
  • SB272 (Sen. Shink)- would expand the purview of the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) by allowing commissioners to consider climate, health, equity and affordability when analyzing utility plans.
  • SB273 (Sen. Singh)- would expand the existing energy waste reduction (EWR) framework by adding municipal and cooperative utilities back into the EWR standard and mandating that electric utilities now reach 2% in annual savings.
  • SB274 (Sen. Shink)- would require the development of a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.
  • SB275 (Sen. Singh)- would establish a standard to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels.
  • SB276 (Sen. Bayer)- would require utilities to retire coal-fired generation by preventing them from including the resource in their integrated resource planning process.
  • SB277 (Sen. McDonald Rivet)- would allow farmers to lease land for solar energy production.

House Democrats unveiled their energy package on June 14. The bills touch on similar issues as the Senate package but differ in language and timelines. This package was heard on June 21 by the House Committee on Energy, Communications and Technology.

The package includes the following three bills:

  • HB4759 (Rep. Coffia)- would amend the state’s renewable standard by mandating that electric utilities reach 60% renewable generation by 2030 and 100% carbon-free generation by 2035, which excludes hydrogen, nuclear and some other resources.
  • HB4760 (Rep. Pohutsky)- would expand the purview of the MPSC by allowing commissioners to consider climate, health, equity and affordability when analyzing utility plans.
  • HB4761 (Rep. Aiyash)- would expand the existing EWR framework by mandating that electric utilities now reach 2% in annual savings and natural gas utilities reach 1.5%. The bill also amends EWR filing timelines, prioritizes EWR programs for low-income customers and legalizes electrification within the EWR program.

SB288 (Sen. Singh) passed the Senate on May 24 and the House on June 21. The Governor is expected to sign it. The bill would repeal the sunset date of September 30, 2023, for the Michigan Energy Assistance Program, which provides energy assistance to low-income customers. The original sunset had been extended twice; this bill would eliminate it altogether.

The Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) bill package of SB 302 (Sen. Camilleri) and SB 303 (Sen. McDonald Rivet) passed out of the Senate on May 24. Most recently, the bills were passed by the House Committee on Energy, Communications and Technology on June 21. Together, these bills amend Michigan's PACE Act to allow commercial property owners the option to waive a currently existing energy saving guarantee for PACE financings above $250,000, as required in the Michigan PACE Act, and expand the qualifying energy conservation measures under the Michigan PACE Act to include financings to remediate certain environmental hazards and outlines specifications for new construction PACE energy projects.

Executive

Dan Eichinger has stepped down as the head of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). Aaron Keatley will now serve as acting director. He was previously the chief deputy director at EGLE.

Regulatory

The MPSC has approved $50 million for 15 projects in its low-carbon energy infrastructure grants. For a list of proposal winners, see the Commission order in Docket U-21293.

Commissioner Tremaine Phillips stepped down from the MPSC on April 26. Phillips’ term was set to end on July 2, 2025. The Whitmer administration is currently conducting a search for Phillips’ successor.

In a recent order, the MPSC voted to establish a new Financial Incentives and Disincentives workgroup. The workgroup will mostly focus on what rate structures and financial incentives or disincentives could assist in improving distribution reliability in the wake of recent outages. The workgroup is required to submit a report to the commission on its findings by December 31, 2023.

The MI Power Grid initiative has wrapped up. A final report on the initiative and its workgroups can be found here. The three-year effort resulted in 17 workgroups, 70 stakeholder meetings and 75 commission orders.

DTE Electric filed its IRP on November 3, outlining plans to spend $9 billion on renewable energy and to end coal usage by 2035. On the efficiency side, the utility has proposed energy savings of 2% in 2023, an average of 1.5% annual energy savings in 2024-2028 and 1.2% annual savings in 2028-2032. A public hearing on the plan was held on December 12. Intervenors have been submitting testimony and exhibits throughout the last few months.

MEEA submitted public comments on the proposed benefit-cost analysis test for distributed energy resource pilots in response to questions in the April 24 Order in Case No. U-20898.

How to Get Involved

For more information about Michigan or to get more involved, contact Maddie Wazowicz. 

Legislative

The Minnesota legislature has wrapped up its 2023 session.

The House climate and energy omnibus bill, HF2310, passed the House and Senate and was signed into law by Governor Walz. Among its numerous provisions, the bill:

  • Creates the Minnesota Climate Finance Authority to leverage public and private capital to spur development of clean energy projects.
  • Establishes a residential electric panel grant program that would provide funds to low-income homeowners and multifamily building owners to upgrade their electric panels.
  • Modifies the definition of “low-income household” for eligibility in utility conservation programs to 80% of area median income or eligibility for other federal, state or utility programs.
  • Establishes a building benchmarking system by requiring owners of buildings 50,000 square feet or larger to report their energy use to the Department of Commerce.
  • Establishes a residential heat pump rebate program to provide additional funds to homeowners who access federal rebates for heat pumps from the Inflation Reduction Act.
  • Requires the state to adopt each new commercial building code as it is published; the 2036 code and subsequent codes must reduce energy consumption by at least 80% compared with a 2004 baseline.
  • Amends the state’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal by requiring a 50% reduction by 2030 (on a 2005 baseline) and net zero by 2050.
  • Requires utilities to submit annual reports on their efforts to increase workforce diversity.

 

HF1656/SF1622 was signed into law by Governor Walz on April 18. The law creates a state competitiveness fund of $115 million that will help the state unlock federal funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. HF2310 added an additional $75 million to the fund, bringing the total allocation to $190 million.

HF7/SF4 was signed into law by Governor Walz on February 7. The law modifies the state’s current renewable energy standard, as established by the 2007 Next Generation Energy Act. The law institutes a carbon-free standard that mandates the state’s electric utilities generate or procure carbon-free resources at 80% of their portfolio by 2030, 90% by 2035 and 100% by 2040. Other provisions in the bill include guidance for the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to maximize local benefits, a mandate for the PUC to consider the costs of greenhouse gas emissions in decisions and some tweaks to the PUC’s permitting process. Minnesota joins Illinois as the only two states in the Midwest with laws mandating carbon-free electricity generation by mid-century.

Regulatory

Deadlines are approaching for utilities to submit their Conservation Improvement Program (CIP) filings. Status reports outlining program spending and savings were due May 1. The deadline for triennial filings outlining CIP program offerings for 2024-26 was recently pushed back to June 30.

In response to the recent PUC decision to require gas utility integrated resource plans in Docket 23-117 and the ongoing discussions around utility policy structures and gas emissions in Docket 21-565, the PUC and the Great Plains Institute have announced a series of half-day stakeholder meetings on the first Friday of each month, which began on May 5. The workshops are designed to address the content and procedural requirements that would make up a natural gas resource planning framework for Minnesota and additional changes to gas utility regulatory and policy structures needed to meet the state’s climate goals. The next meeting is scheduled for July 7 at 8:30-noon CT. Register for the meetings here.

Docket 21-566, opened in response to the passage of the Natural Gas Innovation Act (NGIA), remains active. Natural gas utilities will have the opportunity to present the Commission with plans to study and use alternative and innovative energy resources, like renewable natural gas, biogas and hydrogen. CenterPoint is nearing a decision on what pilots it will include in its Natural Gas Innovation Plan, which is expected to be filed this summer.

How to Get Involved

For more information about Minnesota or to get more involved, contact Maddie Wazowicz.

Missouri Header

Legislative

The Missouri legislature adjourned its 2023 session on May 12.

All bills mentioned in previous editions of the Insider did not pass during the 2023 legislative session. This includes the notable HB 580/SB 404, which would have limited cities and counties from adopting and enforcing standards for insulation in new dwellings. This bill would have effectively limited all jurisdictions from going beyond the 2006 IECC. It would also prohibit jurisdictions from enforcing currently adopted codes beyond the bill provisions, effectively rolling back energy codes in many Missouri jurisdictions.

Regulatory

Dr. Kayla Hahn was appointed to the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) on June 1. Commissioner Hahn most recently served on Governor Parson’s senior staff team as Policy Director.

Ameren Missouri filed its Cycle 4 Missouri Energy Efficiency Investment Act (MEEIA) plan with the Missouri Public Service Commission on March 27, at case number EO-2023-0136. MEEIA does not set forth targets for energy efficiency, and program filings under MEEIA are entirely voluntary by the utilities. Ameren submitted its three-year plan (January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2026) and stakeholder groups have registered as interveners in the case. The plan calls for Ameren to spend $367 million for energy efficiency initiatives, including increased spending on income-eligible programs. Discussions between Ameren Missouri, PSC Staff and the Office of Public Counsel have included avenues to continue Ameren’s current MEEIA Plan into 2024. On June 21 the Commission ordered an additional extension of time and that the parties shall file a status report no later than July 10, 2023. We will continue to follow this matter closely.

Through Evergy’s MEEIA Cycle 2 plan 2023 extension year, Evergy hosted four working group sessions and identified relevant information, potential partners, outside funding streams and other considerations for a feasibility and vulnerability study regarding an Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mitigation program for its next MEEIA application, MEEIA Cycle 4.  Evergy has now contracted the Mid-America Regional Council and other experts on program design. A draft proposal for the program - Kansas City Urban Heat Island Analysis and Mitigation Proposal - was shared with previously involved stakeholders for their review and feedback in preparation for submission to the Missouri Public Service Commission. For more information or to get involved, please contact Natalie Gray, Manager of Energy Efficiency Programs and Services with Evergy, at natalie.gray@evergy.com.

The MO PSC, at the motion of the Office of the Public Counsel, opened a Working Case (AW-2023-0156) to investigate how MO’s investor-owned utilities plan to take advantage of federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. The PSC hosted an initial in-person workshop meeting on April 21 in Jefferson City, the agenda for which can be found here. The recording of the workshop can be found here on the webpage for the Working Case, where you can also find copies of each presentation.

How to Get Involved

For more information about Missouri or to get more involved, contact Natalie Newman. 

Legislative

Nebraska’s legislative session concluded earlier than anticipated on June 1.

All energy-related bills mentioned in previous editions of the Insider failed to pass during the 2023 legislative session.

Regulatory

Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), Nebraska’s largest electric utility, is updating its IRP, as is required every five years. The 2023 draft plan includes several energy efficiency measures which seek to maximize the value of customer energy purchases in a cost-effective manner, improving customer bottom lines, reducing the cost to serve load during peak usage times, and delaying or even eliminating the need to build additional resources. See MEEA’s comments on the IRP here.

NPPD will review and finalize the updated IRP and seek approval from the board and the Western Area Power Administration in September 2023. For updates, visit NPPD’s website.

How to Get Involved

For more information about Nebraska or to get more involved, contact Arlinda Bajrami. 

Legislative

Energy efficiency bill HB79 would allow utilities to establish limited voluntary EE programs with a target of 0.5% of retail sales and a cost cap at 2.5% of revenue. Favorable provisions include a minimum spending requirement for low-income programs and limitation of lost revenue recovery to the duration of the portfolio. On the other hand, it also includes some problematic features, including an automatic opt-out for all mercantile customers and broad opt-out eligibility for residential customers. The fourth hearing on the bill was held on June 21, with both proponent and opponent testimony, and the bill was passed out of committee.

Regulatory

Ohio Office of Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) head Bruce Weston announced plans to retire this summer. The agency’s nine-member board, appointed by the attorney general, will hire his successor, but no appointment has been announced to date.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) granted an application for rehearing in the Columbia Gas of Ohio rate case for the limited purpose of further consideration. The stipulated agreement was previously modified and approved, cutting all energy efficiency except for $14 million for low-income energy efficiency programs. The case is ongoing.

AEP Ohio filed an energy efficiency plan as part of its Standard Service Offer approval in 23-0023-EL-SSO. The energy efficiency plan is part of the utility’s fifth Electric Security Plan (“ESP V”) proposal and would allocate $43 million annually for voluntary efficiency. The company is proposing using a customized cost-effectiveness test that includes some quantified non-energy impacts (NEIs). The case is ongoing.

How to Get Involved

For more information about Ohio or to get more involved, contact Greg Ehrendreich. 

wisconsin header

Legislative

The Wisconsin legislature opened its 2023 legislative session on January 3. Little legislation related to energy has been introduced to date, but there are three bills preventing the restriction of fuel sources.

SB49/AB45 would bar municipalities from restricting certain fuel types, effectively preventing jurisdictions from banning the use or installation of natural gas infrastructure. The Senate passed the bill on June 7 and sent the bill to the Assembly, where it passed out of committee on June 14.

SB212/AB142 would prevent state agencies or local governments from restricting the sale or use of motor vehicles based on the energy source used to power the motor vehicle. The Assembly passed AB142 on April 18. The Senate passed the bill out of committee on June 2, and it awaits further scheduling.

SB213/AB141 would restrict state agencies or local governments from restricting the sale or use of devices based on the energy source used to power the device. The Assembly passed AB141 on April 18. The Senate passed the bill out of committee on June 2. It awaits further scheduling.

Executive

The Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy recently issued its Clean Energy Plan Progress Report. The report outlines efforts taken to advance the goals outlined in the state’s first-ever Clean Energy Plan, which was released a year ago.

On April 19, Governor Evers signed Executive Order #195, creating the Green Ribbon Commission on Clean Energy and Environmental Innovation. The Commission will be tasked with advising the creation of the state’s Green Innovation Fund, which will serve as Wisconsin’s first green bank. The Governor recently announced the commission’s members.

Regulatory

At the April 13 meeting, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission determined that Focus on Energy shall be the implementer for Inflation Reduction Act funds from the Home Energy Performance-Based, Whole-House Rebates (HOMES) and High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate (HEEHRA) programs. The Commission also decided that the rebates should be administered as separate programs and not folded into the Focus portfolio.

How to Get Involved

For more information about Wisconsin or to get more involved, contact Maddie Wazowicz. 

federal section header

Executive

The US Environmental Protection Agency released the list of states and metropolitan areas that submitted a notice of intent to participate in the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant – Planning Grants Program. States will receive $3 million each in planning grants; metro areas will receive $1 million each. These plans will enable states and metro areas to compete for $4.75 billion in implementation grants for climate pollution reduction efforts.

All states in the MEEA region expressed their intent to participate, except for Iowa, South Dakota and Kentucky. Midwestern metro areas that intend to participate include:

  • Cedar Rapids, IA
  • Des Moines, IA
  • Iowa City, IA
  • Chicago, IL
  • Indianapolis, IN
  • Bowling Green, KY
  • Lexington, KY
  • Louisville/Jefferson County, KY
  • Detroit, MI
  • Grand Rapids, MI
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
  • Kansas City, MO/KS
  • St. Louis, MO
  • Omaha, NE
  • Cincinnati, OH
  • Columbus, OH
  • Cleveland, OH
  • Rapid City, SD
  • Milwaukee, WI

On April 19, the US EPA released an implementation framework for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) created by the Inflation Reduction Act. A total of $27B will be competitively awarded through three separately administered programs:

  • The National Clean Investment Fund program will award a total of $14B to “two or three national nonprofits that will partner with private capital to deliver financing at scale” to private, public and community-based partners for clean energy projects.
  • The Clean Communities Investment Accelerator Program will award a total of $6B to seven “hub” nonprofits to rapidly build clean energy financing capacity “for specific networks of public, quasi-public, and community lenders,” including Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), housing lenders, green banks, credit unions and others. This financing will focus on educational and community institutions, households and small businesses in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
  • The $7B Solar for All competition will award up to 60 grants to states, tribes, local governments and nonprofits to expand residential and community solar investment in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

These programs align with the Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which seeks to direct 40% of federal investments to disadvantaged communities - underserved or marginalized communities or those burdened by pollution.

EPA conducted a series of public engagement workshops and offered additional opportunities for feedback. Details of these efforts are available here. The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the GGRF is expected to be released on July 19. For more information, visit the GGRF website.

Legislative

Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) and Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) have recently introduced the Heat Pump Energy Assistance and Training (HEAT) Act. The bipartisan HEAT Act would encourage the adoption of industrial heat pumps in rural areas and unlock funding for the US Department of Agriculture to offer technical assistance on heat pump installation and usage.

How to Get Involved

For more information about federal matters, contact Jason Liechty. 

resources

Recent Publications:

Recent Blogs:

Recent Testimony and Comments:​