Vice President Kamala Harris
The Biden Administration has released a new fact sheet on steps that it is taking to lower energy costs and promote manufacturing throughout America. Some of these measures include leveraging allocations from the Inflation Reduction Act to improve overall home efficiency, increase the manufacturing and deployment of high-efficiency heat pumps, and encourage higher-paying union jobs through $260 million worth of workforce deployment programs.
Highlights of the Vice President’s announcement included:
- Announced additional support for low- and moderate-income families and complement tax credits that families and building owners can use under the Inflation Reduction Act to install energy-saving equipment and to make building upgrades.
- Released nearly $9 billion in funding allocations for states under new state-administered home efficiency programs established by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
- Initiated new rebate program funding to support up to 1.6 million households nationwide in upgrading homes and apartments to lower energy bills, including installing up to 500,000 heat pumps, conducting deep building retrofits, and upgrading insulation and electrical.
- Announced that states can now access information about their allocated funding and can begin planning programs to distribute relief to families using these funds.
- Encouraged higher-paying union jobs through $260 million worth of workforce deployment programs.
- Released a Notice of Intent and Request for Information on how to make the best use of $250 million to enable more heat pump manufacturing in America, using Defense Production Act authorities invoked by President Biden last summer and funded by the President’s Inflation Reduction Act.
In announcing the new fact sheet, members of the Sheet Metal Industry joined Vice President Kamala Harris in announcing the program. SMACNA and SMART have also created a new online resource to help building owners and operators locate qualified, skilled labor in installing these heat pumps and performing other projects.
