Heinrich Celebrates Launch of Home Energy Rebates Program in New Mexico

Program based on Heinrich's Zero-Emission Homes Act and passed into law through the Inflation Reduction Act will help working families in New Mexico make homes more energy efficient and purchase clean and efficient appliances, lower energy bills, and create healthier homes

ALBUQUERQUE - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and Co-Chair of the Electrification Caucus, joined Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) David M. Turk to announce the first phase in the State of New Mexico's rollout of the federally funded Home Energy Rebates Program that Heinrich authored and secured in the landmark Inflation Reduction Act.

New Mexico is the third state in the nation to begin launching the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) portion of the rebate program - and the first to do so at the point-of-sale in retail stores. This program in the Inflation Reduction Act is based on Heinrich's Zero Emission Homes Act, which he introduced in 2021. Once the program is fully online, these rebates will enable lower- and moderate-income households in New Mexico to save on energy efficiency improvements such as insulation, air sealing, and heat pumps that reduce whole-home energy consumption.

PHOTOS/VIDEOS: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich celebrates New Mexico's launch of the first phase of the Home Energy Rebates Program he authored and secured in the Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for working families and create healthier homes.

"I led the fight to create and fund a rebate program that would help families with the upfront costs of high-efficiency electric home appliances. Today, New Mexico is launching the first phase of that very program," said Heinrich. "After this, I am eager for the state to continue rolling out the program I wrote and passed into law, so that all New Mexicans can enjoy the benefits of high-efficiency appliances - from heat pumps for home heating and cooling to induction stovetops and electric clothes dryers - delivering lower costs for New Mexico families, making homes healthier and more comfortable, and giving more folks the freedom to choose the appliances that work for them."

"New Mexico is the first state to enable residents to get home-energy efficiency rebates at the point of sale, reflecting our ongoing commitment to leading on the clean energy transition," said New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. "These rebates are available to low-income residents, ensuring that all of our citizens can participate in this transition."

"The Biden-Harris Administration is helping American consumers keep their hard-earned money in their pockets by making it easier to afford energy efficient technologies that slash home utility bills," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm."Increasing access to home energy upgrades is a money saver and a job creator-and we congratulate New Mexico for making the clean energy transition affordable for all New Mexicans."

"Home energy rebates for clean and energy-efficient appliances and upgrades are good for the planet because they help cut pollution, but more importantly, they are good for New Mexican families because they will save money by lowering energy bills," said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy. "Congratulations to New Mexico for making these game-changing Inflation Reduction Act incentives available to their residents."

Background on Heinrich's Home Energy Rebates Program that will lower energy costs for working families and create healthier homes:

Heinrich's Zero-Emission Homes Act was included in the Inflation Reduction Act's Home Energy Rebates Program as the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) Program. It will provide upfront, point-of-sale rebates for the purchase and installation of energy-efficient electric appliances and equipment in single-family homes and multifamily buildings, with support for low- and moderate-income households.

Funded and created by Heinrich's legislation and administered by the State of New Mexico, the HEAR Program will offer eligible households up to $14,000 to help with the purchase of clean and efficient home appliances. This will include up to $8,000 for heat pumps, $1,750 for a heat pump water heater, and $4,000 for panel/service upgrades. Other eligible items for rebates will include electric stoves, clothes dryers, and weatherization upgrades.

In December 2022, Heinrich announced that $87,742,040 will be available to the State of New Mexico and Tribes in the state to establish the Home Energy Rebates Program, which also includes the Home Efficiency Rebates Program that will allow States, Territories, and Tribes to create rebates to help reduce the upfront cost of whole-home energy efficiency upgrades in both single-family and multi-family homes. Heinrich welcomed the U.S. Department of Energy's announced guidance for State and Territorial Energy Offices on the implementation of the Home Energy Rebates Programs last July.

Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Heinrich has visited community colleges and union workforce training programs that are preparing New Mexicans for new careers they can build their families around while lowering home appliance costs for families, making homes healthier, and advancing the transition to a clean energy future.

In the two years since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law, it has spurred a manufacturing renaissance and helped to position New Mexico as a national leader in an American-made clean energy future. Since enactment in 2022, the law has made historic investments to fight inflation and lower costs, grow the economy, create high-quality jobs, and reduce the nation's climate warming carbon emissions.

To learn more about the Home Energy Rebates that will be available to New Mexicans, click here.

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