Learn to access Inflation Reduction Act grants for clean energy improvements at your congregation!
Side With Love is partnering with Interfaith Power and Light (IPL) and the Energy and Environmental Study Institute (EESI) to host a briefing to learn about the benefits included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that can help houses of worship do energy work on their facilities.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the most sweeping clean energy and climate legislation in history. With clean energy tax credits for wind and solar, electric vehicles, energy efficiency, heat pumps, and more, the IRA sets a course to reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 44% by 2030, while saving thousands of lives, creating millions of good-paying clean energy jobs, investing in environmental justice, and reducing energy bills for working families across the country. Although it’s not perfect, the IRA presents an historic opportunity for climate action.
The IRA opens the way for non-profits and houses of worship to access clean energy funds and tax credits. UU Congregations can now leverage federal funds for energy and resiliency improvements. This is a critical time for people of faith to reduce the impact of our congregational facilities through the federal funding opportunities.
Additionally, the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides the Department of Energy with $50 million over five years for an "energy efficiency materials pilot program" for nonprofit organizations. This new program will provide grants of up to $200,000 to nonprofits to improve the energy efficiency of their facilities.
Join Interfaith Power & Light, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, the United Church of Christ, and the Unitarian Universalist Association for a briefing on Federal Funding Resources for Nonprofits and Houses of Worship on December 8 at 4pm ET/1pm PT. Learn how to prepare to apply for Energy Efficiency Materials Pilot Program grants for your congregation’s energy efficiency work.
Additional resources:
Green Sanctuary 2030: Mobilizing for Climate Justice
Join fellow UUs working on congregational transformation through climate justice. Climate justice calls us to reduce the emissions that cause climate change, adapt to changing climate conditions, and increase resilience to worsening climate impacts through congregational transformation and community engagement. We must balance the urgency of the climate crisis with the need to center justice in our actions. Opening our minds and hearts to learn and collaborate with communities most impacted will ensure a just transition to a clean energy future where all can thrive.
Join the Green Sanctuary community!
Introduce yourself to Green Sanctuary staff and volunteers by emailing UUA_GreenSanctuary@UUA.org.
Subscribe to the Green Sanctuary Email List
Come together for shared learning and mutual support with other UUs working on congregational transformation through climate justice on the third Wednesday of the month at 7ET - 6CT - 5MT - 4PT. Each meeting includes a short presentation on a climate justice topic, followed by open discussion on pressing needs.
January 18, 2023 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM CT
online
The Green Sanctuary 2030 Celebration will spotlight the amazing work UUs are doing through the GS2030 program. Active Green Sanctuary congregations will share their successes, challenges, and ideas. Come to learn, leave inspired! All are welcome!
Faith Community Resource Spreadsheet
IPL has created this faith community resource spreadsheet to help houses of worship identify federal grant and tax credit opportunities that are available. Federal agencies are still in the process of developing the guidance and programs for the Inflation Reduction Act. This IPL resource document will be updated as new program guidance becomes available.
IPL’s Cool Congregations Calculator
Now is a great time to benchmark your buildings – line up 12 months of utility bills, find out the construction date of your building, track occupancy rates, and use IPL’s Cool Congregations Calculator to learn more about your congregation’s carbon footprint.