NC to hold public input session on the Home Energy Rebates Program

From NC Department of Environmental Quality:

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will hold a virtual public input session on Thursday, August 1, 2024, at 6:30 p.m., to solicit community feedback on the proposed Home Energy Rebates Programs, under the Inflation Reduction Act. DEQ also encourages written public comment until August 6, 2024. The state is seeking the public’s input on the Home Energy Rebates Programs’ Community Benefits Plan and Education and Outreach Plan. In accordance with the United States Department of Energy (DOE) guidelines, DEQ is designing these programs to 1) support meaningful community and labor engagement; 2) engage and support a skilled and qualified workforce; 3) advance diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility; and 4) contribute to the federal Justice40 Initiative with the goal that 40 percent of overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities. The Community Benefits Plan will describe how the program will incorporate the four objectives above. The Education and Outreach Plan will describe the outreach partnerships, outreach channels and educational materials that DEQ will use to reach and inform homeowners and contractors. The state is seeking public feedback on the following questions related to these two plans: What barriers might prevent you or members of your community from utilizing the Home Energy Rebates Programs to fund energy efficiency or electrification upgrades in your homes? What would enhance your ability to participate in these programs? What are the best ways for you or members of your community to receive information or technical assistance related to the Home Energy Rebates Programs? How might DEQ encourage participation from a diverse group of residential energy contractors (e.g., HVAC contractors, electricians, plumbers, weatherization contractors, energy auditors) to conduct these projects? The Home Energy Rebates Programs are two distinct, but complementary programs, Homeowners Managing Efficiency Rebates (HOMES) and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR). Both programs provisionally allocate over $208 million in federal funding to provide rebates for low-income and middle-income families in North Carolina to buy and install electric appliances and make energy efficiency improvements to their homes. North Carolina has received $5 million of the $208 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for the planning phase of the HOMES/HEAR programs and is eligible to receive the additional funding for implementation later this year. Public feedback will help DEQ develop the state’s priorities for implementation of the community benefits plan and identify opportunities for ongoing engagement and shared community benefit. DEQ invites the public to attend and provide input at the virtual session. Attendees must sign up to give public comment at the session. To allow as many participants to speak as possible, comments will be limited to two minutes. Register for the session and sign up using this form. Event: Public input session concerning HOMES/HEAR programs under the Inflation Reduction Act. When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, August 1, 2024 Online: https://ncgov.webex.com/ncgov/j.php?MTID=m9e6b0640e3699cb6852c79be3c000f9c Meeting Number: 2434 598 8938 Password: HOMESHEAR Join by Telephone: +1-415-655-0003 US Toll +1-904-900-2303 United States Toll (Jacksonville) Access Code: 2434 598 8938 Members of the public may also send comments via mail to DEQ’s State Energy Office, 1613 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1613, or via email to seo.publiccomments@deq.nc.gov. For email comments, please type “HOMES/HEAR Comment” in the subject line. Comments received by August 6, 2024, will be considered in program development. To learn more about the Home Energy Rebates programs, visit the following DEQ webpage. If you would like to provide input in Spanish or another language or request interpretation at this meeting, please contact Sascha Medina. The deadline to request interpretation services is July 22, 2024.