Federal, State, and Private-Sector Leaders Meet in Minnesota As State Rebate Programs Take Shape

August 14, 2024 /3BL/ - Top federal officials, members of the Gov. Tim Walz administration, Minnesota private sector leaders, and local labor and nonprofit representatives gathered Wednesday for a collaborative discussion about home energy and efficiency rebate programs that will be implemented by the state and funded by the federal Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

The event — “Maximizing Decarbonization Opportunities Through the IRA Home Energy Rebate Programs” — was convened by the sustainability nonprofit Ceres and hosted at the McKnight Foundation offices in Minneapolis. The event brought together a wide array of experts and stakeholders to discuss Minnesota’s plans for the IRA’s HOMES and HEAR programs, which use federal funds to empower states to establish new rebate programs that will help residents reduce pollution and save money by upgrading to cleaner, more efficient home appliance and system upgrades.

Participants included business leaders with companies including Franklin Energy, Johnson Controls, Samsung Electronics America, and the Minnesota Retailers Trade Association, which represented Lowe’s; government officials in the U.S. Department of Energy, the Minnesota Department of Commerce, the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget, and the office of U.S. Senator Tina Smith; and representatives from the Laborer’s International Union of North America for Minnesota and North Dakota and nonprofit organizations including Ceres, Clean Energy Economy Minnesota, Elevate, the McKnight Foundation, and Rewiring America.

The event provided an opportunity for private-sector, workforce, and consumer stakeholders to share feedback and insight with government officials on rebate program designs. Participants focused on national trends and sought to identify unforeseen challenges and best practices to maximize the climate and financial benefits of home energy and efficiency programs.

"Franklin Energy has a 30-year history of working with state government and utilities in Minnesota and across the country to implement programs that provide households with upgrades aimed at saving energy and improving quality of life,” said Lloyd Kass, vice president of strategy and market development, Franklin Energy. “We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in today's roundtable, which demonstrates that federal officials and Minnesota's energy office are approaching the rollout of the IRA home rebate programs in the correct way, particularly in its engagement of stakeholders such as businesses like ours.”

“Our core business is smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, and we are laser-focused on tackling the 40% of global emissions coming from buildings,” said Nicholas Harbeck, manager of environmental and regulatory affairs, Johnson Controls. “The technology we have today—energy efficiency, electrification with heat pumps, and digitalization—can create big savings for homeowners and businesses while slashing greenhouse gas pollution. Johnson Controls is excited to work with states like Minnesota to ensure home and building owners across the state can save on energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the rapid adoption of heat pump incentives funded by Inflation Reduction Act. It was our honor to meet today with peer organizations and key federal and state public officials in Minnesota, and we look forward to the strong implementation of the HOMES and HEARS rebate programs here and across the United States.”

“Minnesota retailers understand consumer trends, market dynamics, and technological progress, and are well-positioned to play a key role connecting residents with the technologies they need to efficiently and affordably operate their homes,” said Bruce Nustad, president, Minnesota Retailers Association. “We are grateful for the opportunity to bring this important perspective to today’s roundtable event and are excited to see the smart design and implementation of Minnesota’s HOMES and HEAR rebate programs.”

"Samsung is honored to be part of the discussion on implementing the Inflation Reduction Act's home energy rebates program in Minnesota. As a leader in ENERGY STAR induction cooking products, heat pump dryers, and heat pump HVAC, which can all be incentivized through the rebate programs, we stand ready to support Minnesota and all states that seek to advance energy efficiency for consumers. We have been robustly engaged with stakeholders to try to help ensure our mutual goal of success through education and awareness, including on the importance of a retailer pathway to provide rebates quickly. We look forward to continuing to partner with retail partners, the U.S. Department of Energy, state governments, and NGOs to help realize the benefits to consumers,” said Prerna Tomar, Director, Public Policy, Samsung Electronics America.

“This week marks the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act becoming law, and today’s event is testament to its impact,” said Jenna Warmuth, senior manager for Midwest regional policy, Rewiring America. “As key programs like the HOMES and HEAR program roll out in states across the U.S., it is encouraging to see the collaboration between leaders at the federal and state levels, in labor, and in business. Events like today’s roundtable in Minneapolis will ensure residents, businesses, communities, states, and the entire U.S. fully experience the IRA’s immense economic, climate, and public health benefits.”

“The clean energy transition is happening, and I want us to lead it,” said Sen. Tina Smith. “As we make the switch to cleaner, cheaper energy solutions, we need to make sure everyone benefits. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, statewide programs will provide rebates for home efficiency upgrades in Minnesota, saving families all across the state thousands of dollars a year in energy costs while helping reduce harmful emissions.”

Ceres has convened public and private sector leaders to discuss the HOMES and HEAR programs, as well as other opportunities to maximize the historic climate investments in the Inflation Reduction Act, since it passed into law in 2022. At a Ceres-hosted event in March, seven major manufacturers met with U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Wisconsin officials as that state charted its rebate programs, and Ceres is planning a similar event in Arizona later this month. Ceres has also hosted broader discussions between federal, state, and private-sector leaders about capitalizing on the Inflation Reduction Act in states including Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Michigan.

“Leading businesses have played a crucial role in passing and implementing the Inflation Reduction Act, and their industry expertise is highly valued at both the state and federal levels as its programs roll out,” said Mel Mackin, director of state policy, Ceres. “We are proud and grateful today to have brought so many public and private-sector leaders together for a collaborative discussion to maximize the benefits of the HOMES and HEAR rebate programs in Minnesota, and we look forward to their implementation soon.”

About Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to accelerate the transition to a cleaner, more just, and sustainable world. United under a shared vision, our powerful networks of investors and companies are proving sustainability is the bottom line—changing markets and sectors from the inside out. For more information, visit ceres.org.

Media Contact: Helen Booth-Tobin, booth-tobin@ceres.org