|
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released application guidelines for Tribal governments to apply for $225 million in funding under the Inflation Reduction Act's Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) program. HEAR funds will provide rebates to low- and moderate-income households installing efficient electric technologies.
HEAR offers $4.275 billion in formula grants to states and territories — in addition to the $225 million for Indian Tribes — to make home electrification upgrades more affordable.
Rebates for home electrification upgrades range from $840 to $14,000 per household. Rebate amounts vary depending on a household's income, the total project cost, and the technologies installed.
Multifamily and single-family buildings, including manufactured housing, may be eligible for rebates. Eligible households may be owner-occupied or rented.
Eligible households with incomes at or below 80 percent of their area median income (AMI) are eligible for up to 100 percent of their total project costs to be covered. Households with incomes above 150 percent of their AMI are not eligible.
DOE is providing assistance to Tribes, states and territories to help them launch quality programs as soon as possible. DOE improved its program guidance to states in October. DOE also recently provided sample applications on its website that states and territories can use when applying for their funding. DOE will issue a Tribal sample application in the coming months.
Once DOE has approved a Tribe's HEAR application, the Tribe may launch its program and begin issuing rebates. Tribal officials can review the published guidance in DOE's new Administrative and Legal Requirements Document.
DOE has also released the final funding amounts individual Tribes will receive after DOE approves their applications, as well as an explanation of how it allocated the funds. Tribal entities with questions about the requirements and related documentation should contact DOE at irahomerebates@hq.doe.gov.
About Home Energy Rebates
On Aug. 16, 2022, President Joseph R. Biden signed the landmark Inflation Reduction Act. The law includes $391 billion to support clean energy and address climate change, including $8.8 billion in Home Energy Rebates for energy efficiency and electrification projects.
The program will provide two separate rebates to consumers:
The Home Efficiency Rebates will provide $4.3 billion to discount the price of energy-saving retrofits in single-family and multi-family buildings. These rebates will be administered by states and territories.
The Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates will provide $4.5 billion in rebates for high-efficiency electricity upgrades in homes. These rebates will be administered by states, territories, and Indian Tribes.
These rebates will help American households save money on energy bills, upgrade to clean energy equipment, improve energy efficiency, and reduce indoor and outdoor air pollution.
DOE estimates these rebates will save households up to $1 billion on energy bills each year and support over 50,000 U.S. jobs.
For more information, visit the Home Energy Rebates website and sign up for email updates.
|
