Funding Wizard

The Low-Income Weatherization Program's (LIWP's) Farmworker Housing Component installs no-cost energy efficiency improvements and/or solar PV systems for qualified farmworker households. Funded by the State of California to help households save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the program lowers energy costs for families and makes other improvements to improve the livability of housing. 

Launched in 2019, the LIWP Farmworker Housing Component provides services in the 12 counties in California that have the highest farmworker populations, including: 

​​​FRESNO COUNTY - IMPERIAL COUNTY​​ - KERN COUNTY - MADERA COUNTY - MERCED COUNTY - MONTEREY COUNTY - SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY - STANISLAUS COUNTY - RIVERSIDE COUNTY - SANTA BARBARA COUNTY - TULARE COUNTY - VENTURA COUN​​​​TY 

Note: The Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed in December 2015, included several amendments to this credit which applied only to solar technologies and PTC-eligible technologies. However, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 reinstated this tax credit for the remaining technologies that have historically been eligible for the credit.  

The federal Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC) has been amended a number of times, most recently in February 2018. The table below shows the value of the investment tax credit for each technology by year. The expiration dates are based on when construction begins.   

• Solar Technologies. Eligible solar energy property includes equipment that uses solar energy to generate electricity, to heat or cool (or provide hot water for use in) a structure, or to provide solar process heat. Hybrid solar lighting systems, which use solar energy to illuminate the inside of a structure using fiber-optic distributed sunlight, are eligible. Passive solar systems and solar pool-heating systems are not eligible.
   
• Fuel Cells. The credit is equal to 30% of expenditures, with no maximum credit. However, the credit for fuel cells is capped at $1,500 per 0.5 kilowatt (kW) of capacity. Eligible property includes fuel cells with a minimum capacity of 0.5 kW that have an electricity-only generation efficiency of 30% or higher. 

• Small Wind Turbines. The credit is equal to 30% of expenditures, with no maximum credit for small wind turbines placed in service after December 31, 2008. Eligible small wind property includes wind turbines up to 100 kW in capacity. (In general, the maximum credit is $4,000 for eligible property placed in service after October 3, 2008, and before January 1, 2009. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 removed the $4,000 maximum credit limit for small wind turbines.) Small wind turbines must meet the performance and quality standards set forth by either the American Wind Energy Association Small Wind Turbine Performance and Safety Standard 9.1-2009 (AWEA), or the International Electrotechnical Commission 61400-1, 61400-12, and 61400-11 (IEC)

• Geothermal Systems. The credit is equal to 10% of expenditures, with no maximum credit limit stated. Eligible geothermal energy property includes geothermal heat pumps and equipment used to produce, distribute or use energy derived from a geothermal deposit. For electricity produced by geothermal power, equipment qualifies only up to, but not including, the electric transmission stage. For geothermal heat pumps, this credit applies to eligible property placed in service after October 3, 2008. Note that the credit for geothermal property, with the exception of geothermal heat pumps, has no stated expiration date.

• Microturbines. The credit is equal to 10% of expenditures, with no maximum credit limit stated (explicitly). The credit for microturbines is capped at $200 per kW of capacity. Eligible property includes microturbines up to two megawatts (MW) in capacity that have an electricity-only generation efficiency of 26% or higher.

• Combined Heat and Power (CHP). The credit is equal to 10% of expenditures, with no maximum limit stated. Eligible CHP property generally includes systems up to 50 MW in capacity that exceed 60% energy efficiency, subject to certain limitations and reductions for large systems. See the note at the bottom of this page for more details. The efficiency requirement does not apply to CHP systems that use biomass for at least 90% of the system's energy source, but the credit may be reduced for less-efficient systems. This credit applies to eligible property placed in service after October 3, 2008.

• Production Tax Credit-Eligible Technologies. Technologies that are eligible for the Production Tax Credit (PTC) were eligible to opt for the ITC in lieu of the PTC if construction commenced prior to January 1, 2015. As of January 1, 2015, only wind energy systems are eligible to claim the ITC in lieu of the PTC.  

In general, the original use of the equipment must begin with the taxpayer, or the system must be constructed by the taxpayer. The equipment must also meet any performance and quality standards in effect at the time the equipment is acquired. The energy property must be operational in the year in which the credit is first taken.

Significantly, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 repealed a previous restriction on the use of the credit for eligible projects also supported by "subsidized energy financing." For projects placed in service after December 31, 2008, this limitation no longer applies. Businesses that receive other incentives are advised to consult with a tax professional regarding how to calculate this federal tax credit.


* Combined heat and power systems can only receive the full credit if the system has an electrical capacity of 15 MW or less, and a mechanical energy capacity of of 20,000 horsepower or less, or an equivalent combination of electrical and mechanical energy capacities. Larger combined heat and power systems (up to a maximum of 50 MW and 67,000 horsepower) can qualify for a reduced tax credit equal to the ratio between the actual system capacity and 15 MW.  For example, a 45 MW system can qualify for a tax credit worth 15/45 of the otherwise allowable credit. 

History

The federal business energy investment tax credit available under 26 USC § 48 was expanded significantly by the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 (H.R. 1424), enacted in October 2008. This law extended the duration -- by eight years -- of the existing credits for solar energy, fuel cells and microturbines; increased the credit amount for fuel cells; established new credits for small wind-energy systems, geothermal heat pumps, and combined heat and power (CHP) systems; allowed utilities to use the credits; and allowed taxpayers to take the credit against the alternative minimum tax (AMT), subject to certain limitations. The credit was further expanded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, enacted in February 2009. The credit was most recently amended by The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2015, which extended the expiration date, but also introduced a step-down in the value of the credit for solar technologies and PTC-eligible wind. 

City of Palo Alto Utilities is offering incentives for their residential, commercial and industrial customers to install solar water heating systems on their homes and facilities. Incentives are based on the estimated energy savings.  Single-family residential incentives are capped at $2,719 for gas-displacing systems and $1,834 for electricity or propane-displacing systems. Commercial systems are capped at $100,000.

Solar Energy Technologies Office Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power Fiscal Year 2022 Research, Development, and Demonstration Program

The goal of this funding opportunity is to produce solutions and/or strategies that minimize the adverse impacts of solar energy on wildlife and maximize the ecosystem benefits while enabling the rapid deployment of ground-mounted solar energy. SETO is interested in projects that will produce results with broad relevance to solar stakeholders by establishing methods, technologies, models, best management practices, and/or resources that facilitate solar energy’s pivotal role in achieving a 100% clean electricity system by 2035 and a net-zero energy system by 2050. Successful projects will produce research results that are generalizable to multiple sites, pertinent to multiple stakeholder groups, impactful in a short timeframe (i.e., 3 years or less), and engage local communities most affected by solar energy deployment.

If you are in need of a pre-approval stove inspection to verify your stove qualifies or to start the application process, give us a call at (530) 621-7501 or email us at aqmd@edcgov.us.  We will respond within 24 hours by phone or email if you don't reach a live person when calling.

The FRAQMD offers several grant programs to reduce emissions in Yuba and Sutter counties.  Please select one of the following programs to learn more.

The FRAQMD also maintains a list of grants offerred by external agencies that might be of interest to Yuba and Sutter counties residents.  These grants are not administered by the FRAQMD and all questions should be directed towards the applicable agency.

If you have a diesel truck subject to the January 1, 2020 deadline for replacement or repower, please contact the Diesel Hotline at (866) 634-3735 or visit www.arb.ca.gov/truckstop. 

For  grant information for diesel trucks not subject to the January 1, 2020 deadline used in agricultural operations, please contact (916) 874-4892 or visit http://www.airquality.org/businesses/incentive-programs/farmer-program for information on the FARMER grant program. 

GWP’s Smart Home Energy and Water Saving Rebate Program helps our customers save money on energy and water bills by offering rebates on eligible products. Most of the eligible products must be ENERGY STAR® qualified, so look for the ENERGY STAR symbol when making your purchase. Please keep in mind the following:

• You must be a Glendale Water & Power customer and the product you purchase must be installed in a residence serviced by Glendale Water & Power.
• Rebates will be issued in the form of a bill credit which will appear on your GWP bill in 1 to 2 billing cycles.
• Applications must be submitted no more than 12 months from the date of purchase. 
• Rebates apply only to the products listed below.
• Online purchases will receive an Outside of Glendale rebate value.
• Other terms and conditions apply.

Through the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize, DOE aims to fund organizations for ongoing and/or proposed activities related to climate and clean energy that support, build trust, and strengthen relationships and partnerships with disadvantaged communities. Specifically, this prize seeks to enable and enhance business and technology incubation, acceleration, and other community-based and university-based entrepreneurship and innovation in climate and clean energy technologies.

Up to 10 organizations will share a total prize pool of up to $2.5 million.

The goals of the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize are to:

• Enable clean energy and climate innovation, and entrepreneurship programming and capabilities at colleges and universities that serve large populations of students underrepresented in STEM, Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), community colleges, and undergraduate institutions.
• Create or increase participation in clean energy and climate-smart job training and job placement/hiring, including programs that target participation from disadvantaged communities, including formerly incarcerated individuals and youth transitioning out of foster care. Workforce training could cover identifying energy efficiencies and greenhouse gas inventories, renewable energy manufacturing, and deployment.
• Foster grassroots innovation related to just and equitable clean energy deployment through activities focusing on community-centric networks and bottom-up solutions for sustainable development, based on the needs of the communities involved
• Identify and fund activities that will help disadvantaged communities become aware of, apply into or otherwise secure DOE funding or other federal, state, local government or private (for-profit or nonprofit) funding, in support of the government’s Justice40 goals.
• Enable the development of replicable clean energy transitions that deliver just and equitable benefits to disadvantaged communities in support of the government’s Justice40 goals.

Important Dates

• Prize Opens: September 2021
• Prize Closes: 5 p.m. ET on February 25, 2022
• Phase One Winner Announcement & Awards: March 2022 (anticipated)
• Phase Two Begins: March 2023 (anticipated)