Presentation with the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project (PULP) on HOMES/HEEHRA

On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Pub. L. 117-160, into law. The law will provide funding nationwide to support clean energy and address climate change, including $8.8 billion designated for the Home Efficiency Rebates (HOMES) Program and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEEHRA) Program. More specifically, Pennsylvania will receive nearly $260 million. The goals of HOMES and HEEHRA, which comprise the IRA’s Home Energy Rebate Programs, are to help low and moderate-income residents save money on energy bills, improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and improve indoor air quality.

On January 25th, Elizabeth Marx of the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project presented to the HERE 4 Climate Justice Coalition on this topic. Although our state’s Energy Programs Office (a division of the DEP) will ultimately decide how the Inflation Reduction Act's HOMES and HEEHRA programs  will be implemented in Pennsylvania, this discussion gave attendees an opportunity to work together across to advocate for them to implement the programs in ways that reflect our values and knowledge. The discussion also touched on the implementation of the Solar for All Program in PA, which will likely include a significant investment in "enabling upgrades" that could include roof repairs and upgrades, energy efficiency measures, electrical upgrades, as well as structural, masonry and carpentry repairs. During the presentation, folks also expressed interest in exploring how to integrate these programs with other programs that many of us have been championing, such as the Whole Home Repair program, the Weatherization Assistance Program, and LIHEAP.

Please see below for the recording of the full presentation.