Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Tax Incentive Resources

• Federal incentives
• Pennsylvania state incentives
• Incentives by technology type (Solar, biomass, wind)
• Full text of federal tax incentive legislation

Federal Incentives

This section lists and describes several resources that contain information about federal incentives available to support energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Tax Incentives Assistance Project (TIAP)

This website is sponsored by a number of government agencies, nonprofit groups, and other organizations. It focuses solely on information about federal tax incentives. Information is organized into categories for consumers, businesses, and builders/manufacturers. The site includes updates about enacted federal legislation and provides links to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax forms.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Energy Star

This website has a page on "Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency." The information on that page is organized into categories for consumers (home improvements, cars, solar energy, fuel cells), home builders, appliance manufacturers, and commercial buildings. The site includes a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section providing answers about energy efficiency tax credits.

Department of Energy (DOE) Financial Opportunities

This website is focused mainly on information about matching funds, grants, and financing. Information is organized into categories for consumers, business/industry/universities, inventors (small business), federal energy managers, states, and Native American tribes. The site includes a section on energy efficiency and consumer home financing.

U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC)

This website presents information about incentives for alternative fuels (renewable fuels and others) and vehicles. A key link provides access to "State and Federal Incentives and Laws." Incentives covered include grants, tax credits, loans, rebates, regulatory exemptions, fuel discounts, and technical assistance. Information on state incentives is made available through a national map and through summary tables organized by type of incentive, regulation, technology/fuel, and user. The information about state incentives is updated after each state legislature's session ends. Information about federal incentives is updated after pertinent legislation is enacted into law. Another link provides access to "Laws and Incentives Enactment History."

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Clean Cities Financial Opportunities

This website presents information about incentives for alternative fuels and advanced technologies. A link to "Government Sources" provides information about funding opportunities through federal grant-making agencies (Grants.gov), Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program, and various EPA programs. A link to "Solicitations" provides information about business funding opportunities that cover a variety of changing topics that have included plug-in hybrid vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, and transportation planning. Clean Cities Coordinators are available to help with funding applications.

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Energy Efficient Mortgages Program

HUD's website provides information on Energy Efficient Mortgages. These mortgages can help homeowners finance the cost of adding energy-efficiency features to new or existing housing as part of their Federal Housing Authority-insured home purchase or refinance.

Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) Home and Vehicle Tax Credits

ASE's website organizes information into categories on energy efficiency incentives for home improvements, hybrid vehicles, and solar energy. The site includes details on eligible equipment, credit limits, and credit expiration dates.

Pennsylvania State Incentives

Pennsylvania Incentives/Policies for Renewables & Efficiency

Information on residential, business, and industrial incentives provided within or by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE)

DSIRE's website is sponsored by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). IREC is a nonprofit organization focused on standards, guidelines, and other activities to support renewable energy. This site contains information about various types of energy efficiency and renewable energy financial incentives provided by state and local governments and utility companies. Summary data is accessed through a national map—and several additional special topic maps—that are linked to data on each state. Alternatively, the data can be searched by technology (solar, wind, geothermal), sector (residential, commercial/industrial, government, utility), and incentive type (tax credits, bonds, grants, loans), and eligible and implementing sectors.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) State Activities and Weatherization Assistance

DOE's website on the Weatherization Assistance Program has information about how to apply for weatherization funding assistance. The site also has a "state activities" link, which provides information about state-level energy assistance programs.

Incentives by Technology Type

The following are links to resources by type of renewable energy.

Biomass

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Energy Efficiency (DSIRE)

Incentive for Biomass

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center
State and Federal Incentives and Laws

Environmental Protection Agency
Funding Database Biomass/Biogas

Geothermal

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Energy Efficiency (DSIRE)

Incentives for Geothermal Heat Pumps and Geothermal Electric

Geothermal Heat Consortium – GeoExchange.org
New Federal Tax Credits for Geothermal Heat Pump Systems

Solar

Alliance to Save Energy
Energy-Efficiency Home and Vehicle Tax Credits
Solar Energy and Fuel Cell

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Energy Efficiency (DSIRE)

Incentives for Solar Technology
Energy Star

Federal Tax Incentives for Renewable Energy
Tax Incentives for Solar Energy Systems

Solar Energy Industries Association

Solar Bills/Legislation

Solar Energy Industries Association
Frequently Asked Questions on the Solar Investment Tax Credit

Tax Incentives Assistance Project
Consumer Tax Incentives. Solar Energy Systems

Tax Incentives Assistance Project Businesses Tax Incentives
Solar Energy Systems

Wind

American Wind Energy Association

Legislative Affairs

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Energy Efficiency (DSIRE)

Incentives for Wind

Full Text of Tax Incentive Legislation

Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT) P.L. 109-58
The tax provisions are located in Title XIII

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) P.L. 110-343
The tax provisions are located in Titles I, II, and III of Division B, the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) P.L. 111-5

Conference Report with full text of the act and the Joint Explanatory Statement. The tax provisions are located in Division B, Title I