Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine January 2024

HVACR NewsMagazine January 2024

Version 3.1 (or the regional program requirements applicable to the home). • January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2032: ENERGY STAR Single Family New Homes National Version 3.2 (or the regional program requirements applicable to the home). • Manufactured Homes - $2,500 available for ENERGY STAR certified manufactured homes meeting the most recent ENERGY STAR Manufactured New Homes program requirements (currently Version 2, with Version 2.1 currently proposed to be implemented in May 2023). • Multifamily - $500 available for ENERGY STAR certified multifamily units meeting the ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction National program requirements (or the regional program requirements) applicable to the dwelling unit, as specified in Section 13304. A larger tax credit is available for multifamily projects that meet prevailing wage requirements. The Energy Star website also has information for homeowners. Go to their site, click on “Tax Credits for Homeowner” and then select the picture of the appliance you are interested in. That site again is https://www.energystar.gov/about/federal _tax_credits/non_business_energy_propert y_tax_credits You may have noted that I used the word “MAY” and underlined it. Why? Because we are not sure what Arkansas is going to accept. Our Energy Office and the Governor’s Office seem to be in a bit of a As you can see, we’re talking big money.

quandary. What to accept and how to process it. It seems that Arkansas has a law that prohibits the state and utilities from having programs that result in fuel switching. As you probably know, IRA is very interested in eliminating gas heating and installing heat pumps. If my information is correct, that creates a big problem for the Governor. No one wants to turn down over $50,000,000 in federal tax rebates but then there is the law and the proclivity of some in our State’s government. Now, I don’t know the title and date of the non-fuel switching law but it has been at least policy for a couple of decades. You may recall back in the 90s when heat pump rebates were stopped because the gas companies were certain that they could not compete with the giant electricity utilities. So heat pump rebates that resulted in fuel switching went away. I said that NO One would want to turn down the federal money but Florida did just that — approximately 364 million. Not all related to Home Energy Efficiency but a bucket load was. Now it seems that Governor DeSantis is having a change of heart at least according to some Florida papers. Gossip has it that our Governor may turn down as much as $50 million. Now that is the scuttlebutt — only gossip at this time. Regardless of how much Governor Sanders decides to accept, the process is laborious. • First, the Arkansas Energy Office puts together a plan to present to the Governor. • Second, she will return it with suggested changes to the Arkansas Energy Office. • Third, the Energy Office will have stakeholders meetings and make changes as they see fit. If changes are made, it will return to the Governor’s office.