Major manufacturers meet with Sec. Granholm and federal, state, and local officials in Wisconsin to discuss rebate programs

MADISON, WI—Seven major manufacturers and energy efficiency service providers gathered Thursday morning with U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, and other state, federal, and local officials for a roundtable discussion focused on important energy rebate programs funded by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. 

Representatives from A. O. Smith, Carrier, Eaton, Johnson Controls, Samsung Electronics America, Sealed, and Trane Technologies provided private-sector expertise and insight in a roundtable discussion about the HOMES (Home Energy Performance-Based, Whole-House Rebates) and HEAR (Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate) programs, organized by the sustainability nonprofit Ceres. The two programs, funded by the federal government through the Inflation Reduction Act but designed and implemented at the state level, will establish rebate systems to help homeowners upgrade to cleaner, more efficient appliances and systems. 

"As a leader in innovative heat pump water heating products, we know that highly efficient appliances save consumers money while reducing carbon emissions. We strive to ensure that our products are accessible and affordable for consumers and contractors alike," said Kevin Wheeler, chairman and CEO, A. O. Smith. "The HOMES and HEAR rebate programs have the potential to help more homeowners adopt these technologies, and we appreciated the opportunity today to discuss the best ways to structure these programs so they deliver beneficial impacts for households, local economies, and the climate." 

“The Department of Energy’s home electrification and appliance rebates will help homeowners save money on energy bills while experiencing the exceptional comfort associated with high efficiency HVAC systems,” said Todd Nolte, executive director, strategy and partnerships, Carrier. “We appreciate Secretary Granholm and the Office of State and Community Energy Programs’ work towards implementing programs at the state level so consumers everywhere can benefit.” 

“There are new tools and programs at hand to effectively and affordably modernize energy systems everywhere, significantly reducing carbon footprint and costs, while keeping the power on,” said Guillaume Laur, senior vice president and general manager, Power Delivery and Regulation, Eaton. “Eaton is uniquely able to help put the energy transition to work because of our scale, abilities and knowledge in powering electric infrastructure, and our approach enables the flexibility to scale energy systems to meet changing needs. Thank you to Sec. Granholm, Governor Evers, Mayor Rhodes Conway and all the participants in today’s discussion—together, we’re accelerating better, cleaner and more affordable energy systems.” 

“Buildings are a big piece of the climate change challenge, representing nearly 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions. They also are low-hanging fruit in cutting carbon,” said Charles McGinnis, performance infrastructure vice president of sales, Johnson Controls. “The technology we have today—energy efficiency, electrification with heat pumps, and digitalization—create big savings for homeowners and businesses while slashing greenhouse gas pollution. The IRA makes that upside even bigger as it provides substantial financial incentive to put these technologies to work. It was our honor to meet with so many peer organizations, Sec. Granholm, and other federal, state and local public officials in our home state today. We look forward to the strong implementation of the HOMES and HEARS rebate programs here in Wisconsin and across the United States.” 

"Samsung applauds the Department of Energy’s (DOE) leadership on the implementation of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) home energy rebates. As a leader in sustainability innovation and in the ENERGY STAR program, Samsung provides innovative energy-efficient solutions for induction cooking, heat pump drying, and heating and cooling through heat pumps, which are all eligible for IRA home energy rebates. We stand ready to work with the DOE, states, and interested stakeholders to ensure that consumers of all economic means can benefit from the energy and financial savings that these rebates will provide by offering a wide range of affordable and sustainable products," said John Godfrey, senior vice president, public policy, Samsung Electronics America. 

"The key to scaling home energy retrofits is winning the battle of the kitchen table. Contractors need to be empowered to recommend the efficient technologies we need to power clean and comfortable homes," said Andy Frank, founder and president, Sealed. "It was our pleasure to meet today with key leaders including Sec. Granholm, Gov. Evers, and Mayor Rhodes Conway to discuss the HOMES and HEAR rebate programs. Done right, including by leveraging the measured savings pathway, we can use these rebate programs to enable more contractors to maximize the IRA impact for households in Wisconsin and states across the U.S. while also ensuring accountability, consumer protection, and market transformation." 

“It was an honor to meet with Secretary Granholm and Governor Evers to discuss programs and partnerships that support sustainable heating and cooling for all homeowners.  As a leading industry partner, we boldly challenge what’s possible for a sustainable world and look forward to continued engagement with the U.S. Department of Energy and states to make energy savings and decarbonization a reality,” said Katie Davis, vice president, engineering and technology residential HVAC, Trane Technologies. 

Thursday's event featured opening remarks by Sec. Granholm, Gov. Evers, Mayor Rhodes-Conway, and Maria Redmond, director of the Wisconsin Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy. Director Redmond then moderated the roundtable discussion between the companies, who spoke to the importance of the HOMES and HEAR programs and noted several key policy considerations to ensure they were implemented as well as possible, such as ensuring all product types are eligible for the rebates and that they include point-of-sale rebate options. 

“From the public to the private sector, and between the federal and state governments, today’s Wisconsin roundtable event showcased the crucial partnerships that are so important to getting the Inflation Reduction Act implemented as effectively as possible to meet our nation’s climate, economic, and equity goals,” said Anne Kelly, vice president of government relations, Ceres. “The HOMES and HEAR programs will be essential to reducing pollution while lowering the costs to power the buildings we all call home. Ceres is grateful to Sec. Granholm, Gov. Evers, Mayor Rhodes-Conway, Director Redmond, and all of their teams for taking the time today to connect with some of the nation’s best-suited businesses to provide expert insight into what will make these programs really flourish.” 

About Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies, and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.