State to hold public input session on the Home Energy Rebates Programs

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. The public is invited to attend and provide input on home energy rebate information sharing, community engagement methods and workforce development. DEQ encourages written public comment until August 6, 2024.

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 federally funded rebates for low-income and middle-income and families in North Carolina to buy and install electric appliances and make energy efficiency improvements to their homes.

North Carolina has received $5 million from the United States 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 program implementation 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: https://www.deq.nc.gov/energy-climate/state-energy-office/inflation-reduction-act/energy-efficiency-rebates.

If you would like to provide input in Spanish or another language, please contact Sascha Medina.