By early next year, $8.8 billion for home energy upgrades will start saving Americans money on home improvements, lower their energy bills, and create 50,000 new, skilled jobs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Department of Energy released guidance to state energy offices for how to implement the electrification and energy efficiency rebate programs under the Inflation Reduction Act. Rewiring America released the following statement from CEO Ari Matusiak:

“The electrification rebates in the Inflation Reduction Act are in many ways the main event: they will bring the benefits of highly efficient, high-performance appliances to the broadest swath of Americans. The Biden Administration’s guidance strikes the right chord: It gives states enough flexibility to design rebate programs that work for them, while putting a priority on serving low- to moderate-income families who often spend the largest portion of their income on energy costs, are most impacted by unhealthy indoor and outdoor fossil fuel pollution, and whose homes are often hardest to keep comfortable in times of extreme temperatures.

“Organizations like ours are working overtime to help design online tools, data, and consumer content to help state energy offices deliver $8.8 billion in upfront discounts and rebates for efficient electric appliances, opening a world of choice for families in how they heat and cool their homes, cook meals, heat water, and dry clothes. These machines are the backbone of daily life, and states now hold the keys to this transformation.

“The power of these rebate programs is in who they reach and what they build. By prioritizing a portion of this funding for low-income and disadvantaged communities in today's guidance, the Department of Energy is helping ensure all Americans have real access to lower energy bills, healthier air, and more comfortable homes. This guidance will enable the creation of an estimated 50,000 American jobs that cannot be outsourced or automated — creating new opportunities in every American community.

“We have already been wowed by the interest and engagement from state energy offices across the country about how they are designing and implementing these programs. We’re ready to help them with tools and resources to make electrification easy and accessible to all Americans.”

For more information or to interview Rewiring America CEO Ari Matusiak, please contact media@rewiringamerica.org.