Latest news with #RewiringAmerica
CNET
13-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
From Heating Oil to Heat Pump: One Homeowner's Savings Story
Heating and cooling your home make up the biggest chunk of your home's energy costs. But not enough people are considering a heat pump as a solution. The Energy Information Administration data shows 31% of energy consumption comes from air conditioning and space heating. It's no wonder CNET's latest energy cost survey found 78% of Americans are stressed out about their utility bills. While these energy-efficient HVAC systems have gained popularity in recent years -- outpacing gas furnaces for the past three years -- the same CNET survey also showed only 14% of respondents plan to upgrade to a heat pump to help reduce those energy costs. At CNET, we are big fans of heat pumps because of their efficiency and ability to both heat and cool your home by transferring heat rather than generating it. While heat pumps are often advertised as a money-saving home upgrade, the actual savings depend on where you live, electricity rates and the HVAC system you're replacing. So, how much can you really save with a heat pump? We asked home electrification expert and Pennsylvania homeowner Wael Kanj, who is also a senior researcher at Rewiring America, a nonprofit that advocates for home electrification efforts. A heat pump case study: Pennsylvania Heat pumps are an energy-efficient way to keep your home comfortable year-round. Heat pumps run on electricity and move heat from inside your home to outside to cool it. Then it reverses the process for heating by pumping the heat inside. We spoke with a homeowner in Pennsylvania who tracked their heating and cooling costs for the past nine years. The home was built in the late 1950s and used an air conditioner and heating oil before installing a heat pump in January 2022. Prior to installing a heat pump, the homeowner's electricity costs included air conditioning, lights and home appliances. In 2019, the homeowner completed an energy audit to evaluate the home's efficiency and made weatherization improvements in 2020. We reviewed their energy cost data to assess the overall energy savings from switching to a heat pump compared with using electricity and heating oil. Before installing a heat pump, the homeowner's average electricity bill totaled $138 per month. After the heat pump, their average bill increased to $153. While the homeowner's total electricity costs increased, they saved on total heating and cooling expenses by installing a heat pump. Here's how. Total energy costs The following table displays the total costs for heating and electricity from 2016 to 2024. There's a significant decrease in overall costs after heat pump installation in 2022. Year Annual energy cost 2016 $2,800 2017 $2,700 2018 $4,000 2019 $3,050 2020 $2,100 2021 $2,500 2022 $1,700 2023 $1,900 2024 $1,850 Does a heat pump save you money? The short answer is yes, heat pumps save you money. But how much you save depends on the system you're replacing, how much energy you use and where you live. Your electricity bill might go up because heat pumps use electricity for both heating and cooling. But heat pumps will save money overall because you won't pay for heating fuels. Natural gas is cheaper than delivered fuels, like propane or heating oil. So if you're replacing delivered fuels, you will save more than someone replacing a natural gas heating system. You can determine your home's potential energy savings using the Energy Star calculator or Rewiring America Personal Electrification Planner. Energy savings depend on where you live As mentioned, location plays a big role in potential heat pump savings due to the climate, home size, insulation and energy costs. In cold climates where heat is used more frequently, those using delivered fuels will save more money with a heat pump than those using natural gas. However, some are concerned that extreme cold temperatures affect heat pump efficiency. "A lot of folks will probably hear heat pumps don't work where it's really cold. And that's just not true," Kanj said. "Many of the modern heat pumps work into negative Fahrenheit temperatures." For example, the Mitsubishi H2i still keeps working down to minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit. Below these temperatures, heat pumps can lose efficiency and need more energy to operate. Electricity costs in your area can also impact how much you save with a heat pump. Homes with poor insulation or drafty doors and windows may use more electricity to maintain indoor temperatures. Kanj recommends a home energy audit to make your home as efficient as possible. Expensive electric bills might be an issue for those in states with high rates, such as Hawaii, Connecticut and Texas. But heat pumps are more efficient than traditional systems, so it may not be as much as you think. For example, the Pennsylvania homeowner's electricity bill increased by only $15 after switching to a heat pump, and they still saved money overall by eliminating heating oil costs. It depends on your heating fuel The type of fuel you use for heating impacts how much money you can save with a heat pump. "If folks are using delivered fuels in their household, then we think there's a high likelihood those would save by switching to a heat pump," Kanj said. "Folks in the southeast and areas with more tempered climates have a higher likelihood of saving money too." The homeowner from the Pennsylvania case study saved $800 in their first year with a heat pump compared with the previous year using air conditioning and heating oil. The estimated annual savings from switching to a heat pump from delivered fuels is $810 more than switching from natural gas. "The savings in natural gas is less, but if you live in a place where you use more air conditioning a heat pump could help you save more," Kanj said. Heat pumps may not drastically reduce your bill if you already have cheap heating fuel, like natural gas. But prices are expected to rise in 2025. So installing a heat pump offers long-term energy efficiency, savings and potential environmental benefits when powered by renewable sources like solar energy. Heat pump savings comparison Here's how much you could save with a heat pump based on your current fuel type, according to Rewiring America. Fuel type Annual estimated savings Delivered fuels (propane or heating oil) $840 Furnace or baseboard heat $780 Natural gas $60 How much does it cost to run a furnace and air conditioner? Heating and cooling costs vary, and your heating fuel also plays a major role. Natural gas, electricity, propane and heating fuel are the most popular heating fuels, but usage varies by region. Natural gas is the most common heating fuel, used in 47% of US households. It's the main source in the northeast, the Midwest and the West. Electricity is more common in the South where winters are milder. Generally, heating and cooling costs are more expensive in regions with extreme temperatures. For example, Massachusetts uses more heat in the winter than warmer climates like Florida. This means homeowners in colder climates spend more on heating, while those in hotter areas pay more for air conditioning. The type of heating fuel also impacts your costs. Natural gas tends to be cheaper than electricity or delivered fuels, like propane and oil. Here's an idea of how location and heating source affect costs based on EIA data. State Average natural gas usage (million British thermal units) Average annual heating cost Primary heating source Details Hawaii 30.3 $1,538 Minimal heating (6%) Warm climate, only 57% homes use AC Alaska 125.1 $1,509 Space heating (99% use) Cold climate, only 7% homes use AC North Dakota 94.3 $1,648 Natural gas Cold climate, higher heating costs due to natural gas use Florida 50.3 $1,654 Electricity Mild winters, high cooling costs due to AC use The different types of heat pumps Air-source heat pumps are the most common type, but you have other options to choose from based on your home and budget.
E&E News
08-05-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Greenhouse fund recipient announces layoffs
A housing electrification nonprofit laid off more than a quarter of its staff Thursday because EPA has barred it from accessing its climate law grant award for nearly three months. Rewiring America, one of three coalition members jointly awarded $2 billion last year under the embattled Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund program, announced Thursday that it had notified 36 employees that their positions would be terminated. In a letter to employees, CEO Ari Matusiak blamed EPA for freezing Power Forward Communities' accounts at Citibank and forcing the coalition and other nonprofit awardees to go to court to try to regain access to their funds. Advertisement 'The volatility we face is not something we created: it is being directed at us,' he wrote.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fact-checking Trump's claim that a group ‘headed up' by Stacey Abrams received $2 billion
Statement: The Trump administration identified $1.9 billion in federal dollars going to a 'decarbonization of homes' group Stacey Abrams 'headed up.' During his Tuesday night address to Congress, President Donald Trump called out Stacey Abrams, saying the two-time Democratic candidate for Georgia governor "headed up" a group that was an example of wasteful government spending. Trump listed several federal spending items he characterized as examples of "appalling waste." Among them, he said, was "$1.9 billion (that went) to (a) recently created decarbonization of homes committee, headed up — and we know she's involved, just at the last minute the money was passed over — by a woman named Stacey Abrams. Have you ever heard of her?" Some people in the crowd booed. The White House did not respond to our request for comment. But Trump appeared to be referencing a grant at the center of a related viral talking point involving Abrams that we recently rated False. Abrams, an attorney, is a voting rights activist. From March 2023 through the end of 2024, she was senior counsel for Rewiring America, one of five groups in a coalition that was awarded an Environmental Protection Agency grant. But Abrams did not "head up" the coalition, and there's no evidence she directly received any of the grant money. Trump appeared to be referring to a $2 billion Environmental Protection Agency grant awarded in April 2024 to a coalition of clean energy groups known as Power Forward Communities to fund energy efficient housing projects around the country. A news release announcing the coalition included a phrase similar to language from Trump's speech: "A new coalition forms for unprecedented US housing decarbonization." That coalition included Rewiring America and four other groups that came together in 2023 to apply for $9.5 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act's clean energy funding. After what it described as a robust review process, the EPA awarded the grant under then-President Joe Biden. Power Forward Communities said Feb. 24 it was beginning work on several projects including energy efficiency upgrades in Clinton, Iowa, a new apartment complex in Detroit, Michigan, and home renovations in Salem, Massachusetts. It said those investments would total about $539 million — or about 27% of the total EPA grant. There's no evidence Abrams directly received any of the grant money or that she currently leads either Rewiring America or the broader coalition. She is not listed on Rewiring America's "Meet the leadership team" portion of its website, for example. Her spokesperson, Joshua Karp, told PolitiFact that Abrams did not have a role at Power Forward Communities beyond her position at Rewiring America. Power Forward Communities CEO Tim Mayopoulos told Politico that Abrams was not paid by Power Forward Communities or involved beyond her work at Rewiring America. "Stacey Abrams has not received a penny of this EPA grant," Mayopoulos said in the Feb. 24 Politico article. "It was never the plan for her to receive any money from this grant. Power Forward Communities has no relationship with Ms. Abrams, other than the fact that she's one of the people who have advised one of our coalition members in the past." In October 2023, shortly after Rewiring America announced Power Forward Communities' creation, Abrams said in an X post she was "Thrilled to be part of (Rewiring America) and the Power Forward Communities coalition." In an apparent response to the mention in Trump's Tuesday speech, Abrams said she stood by her energy work. Trump said his administration identified $1.9 billion going to a "decarbonization of homes" group that Abrams "headed up." This is inaccurate. From March 2023 through the end of 2024, Abrams was senior counsel for Rewiring America, one of five groups in the Power Forward Communities coalition. Power Forward Communities was awarded a $2 billion EPA grant, but Abrams did not "head up" that group and there's no evidence she directly received any of the grant money. The coalition's CEO said Abrams was not paid by Power Forward Communities and did not receive any of the federal funds. We rate Trump's claim False. PolitiFact Contributing Writer Caleb McCullough contributed to this report. PolitiFact, Without evidence, social media posts claim fraud in EPA grant to Stacey Abrams-linked group, Feb. 26, 2025 Politico, Recipient isn't giving in as Trump's EPA tries to revoke climate grants, Feb. 24, 2025 Environmental Protection Agency, Biden-Harris Administration Announces $20 Billion in Grants to Mobilize Private Capital and Deliver Clean Energy and Climate Solutions to Communities Across America, April 4, 2024 Rewiring America, Stacey Abrams joins Rewiring America as senior counsel, March 14, 2023 Power Forward Communities, Power Forward Communities Announces More Than Half a Billion Dollars in Investments to Lower Housing Costs and Utility Bills for Families Nationwide, Feb. 24, 2025 Stacey Abrams X post, Oct. 15, 2023 Stacey Abrams X post, March 4, 2025 National Civil Rights Museum, Stacey Abrams: Champion of Voting Rights Honored at the National Civil Rights Museum, accessed March 5, 2025 Stacey Abrams Instagram post with CNN clip, March 5, 2025 This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Trump claim on decarbonization group receiving $2 billion is false
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Unpacking claim that group linked to Stacey Abrams got $2B federal grant
Claim: The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency discovered a $2 billion U.S. government grant paid to a nonprofit group linked to former Democratic Rep. Stacey Abrams. Rating: What's True: Power Forward Communities is a program led by five organizations including Rewiring America, a nonprofit group that former Democratic state Rep. Stacey Abrams has worked with since 2023. Power Forward Communities received a $2 billion government grant from the Environmental Protection Agency in 2024. What's Undetermined: Claims online say the $2 billion grant for Power Forward Communities was discovered by DOGE. However, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said on Feb. 13 that his team discovered the funding. Additionally, information about the grant was publicly available on a U.S. government website that tracks federal spending, and Power Forward Communities announced it in 2024. During his address to a joint session of Congress on March 4, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump extolled his new Department of Government Efficiency by listing, at length, alleged fraud and waste uncovered by DOGE. One of his examples involved federal payments to a nonprofit group connected to Stacey Abrams, a Democratic former state representative from Georgia (at 43:46): $1.9 billion to recently created decarbonization of homes committee, headed up — and we know she's involved — just at the last moment, the money was passed over by a woman named Stacey Abrams. Have you ever heard of her? The claim about a group connected to Abrams receiving a $2 billion U.S. government grant also circulated online in February 2025, with one post (archived) on X getting more than 19 million views. STACEY ABRAMS SCAM UNCOVERED BY DOGE?! @DOGE found $2 BILLION in taxpayer dollars designated for a fledgling nonprofit called "Power Forward Communities," which had close ties to Democrat Stacey Abrams. The claim also appeared elsewhere on X (archived), Facebook (archived), Threads (archived) and Bluesky (archived). According to a database of federal contracts and grants, a program named Power Forward Communities did receive a $2 billion federal grant in April 2024. The grant came from the Environmental Protection Agency's National Clean Investment Fund and was paid out to Power Forward Communities in full at the time of this writing. However, while Abrams is connected to that group, it is through an advisory role for one of its five founding organizations, a nonprofit called Rewiring America. We have asked Power Forward Communities and Abrams' office to confirm her involvement with the program and will update this story if they reply. Furthermore, there was no indication that DOGE "discovered" the grant. Rather, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said on Feb. 13 that his team discovered the funding, which was part of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, and was working to claw it back. Additionally, information about the grant was publicly available on an official website that tracks federal spending as well as the Power Forward Communities website. We have reached out to the EPA for more information and will update this story if they reply. Given the above, we rate this claim a mixture of truth and undetermined information. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 made almost $27 billion available to the EPA for "greenhouse gas- and air pollution-reducing projects" across the U.S. The funding was divided into three programs: the National Clean Investment Fund, the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator and Solar for All. The $2 billion funding for Power Forward Communities came from the National Clean Investment Fund. According to the EPA, the grant recipients were "establishing national clean financing institutions that deliver accessible, affordable financing for clean technology projects nationwide." Abrams' connection to Power Forward Communities, as mentioned above, is through Rewiring America, one of the five organizations that leads the program. Rewiring America said via news release in March 2023 that Abrams was joining as senior counsel. According to Abrams' website, she was still working with Rewiring America at the time of this writing. According to its website, Power Forward Communities helps finance "home energy efficiency upgrades" by assisting "homeowners, developers, and renters swap outdated, inefficient appliances with more efficient and modernized options." The program said in August 2024 that it expected to being its work with the $2 billion funding in early 2025. Claims online said the funding was "discovered" by DOGE, the government advisory body headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk. However, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a video message on Feb. 13 that "my awesome team" had "found" the funding while going through the agency's finances. Zeldin specifically referenced a $7 billion grant to the Climate United Fund, another recipient of the National Clean Investment Fund that also funded the grant to Power Forward Communities. Musk (archived) and DOGE (archived) both commented on Zeldin's X post about the discovery of the funding, but did not indicate that they were involved in the discovery. Also, information about the grant to Power Foward Communities was available to the public on an official source that tracks U.S. government spending. Power Forward Communities announced the grant in a news release on its website on Aug. 16, 2024. In his Feb. 13 announcement, Zeldin claimed the funding his team discovered was "purposefully designed to obligate all of the money in a rush job with reduced oversight." This statement tied into a Project Veritas report from December 2024, where an alleged Biden EPA staffer said the agency was trying to "get the money out as fast as possible" before Inauguration Day. Zeldin's statement claimed his team at the EPA found some of the funding allegedly funneled out of the agency by the Biden-era staff. It remains to be seen whether Zeldin can legally carry out his promised clawback of the funds. @billtoures. "Stacey Abrams Lost Her Election and Started a Climate Charity. ." Threads, 21 Feb. 2025, Brown, Claire. "The $20 Billion Controversy Over E.P.A. Climate Funds, Explained." New York Times, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025, @Bubblebathgirl. "Stacey Abrams Caught Trying to Steal a Gigantic $2 BILLION from Taxpayers." X, 19 Feb. 2025, "EXPOSED: Stacey Abrams-Linked Group, Power Forward Communities, Was given $2 Billion in Taxpayer Money and Only Generated a Dismal $100 in Revenue in Its First Three Months of Operation. ." Bluesky, 21 Feb. 2025, @DOGE. "Great Momentum by @epa @epaleezeldin." X, 13 Feb. 2025, @elonmusk. "Wow!" X, 17 Feb. 2025, "From:DOGE Abrams." X, 21 Feb. 2025, "From:Elonmusk Abrams." X, 21 Feb. 2025, Geller, Pamela. "Stacey Abrams Stole $2 BILLION From Taxpayers." Facebook, 20 Feb. 2025, Home | Rewiring America. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025. @libsoftiktok. "STACEY ABRAMS SCAM UNCOVERED BY DOGE?!" X, 19 Feb. 2025, Power Forward Communities. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025. ---. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025. "Problem Solver." Stacey Abrams, Accessed 21 Feb. 2025. @Project_Veritas. "BREAKING: @EPA Advisor Admits 'Insurance Policy' Against Trump Is Funneling Billions to Climate Organizations, 'We're Throwing Gold Bars off the Titanic' ." X, 3 Dec. 2024, Stacey Abrams Joins Rewiring America as Senior Counsel | Rewiring America. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025. US EPA, OA. About the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. 13 Feb. 2023, ---. Administrator Zeldin Announces That Billions of Dollars Worth of "Gold Bars" Have Been Located at Outside Financial Institution. 13 Feb. 2025, ---. Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. 1 Feb. 2023, ---. National Clean Investment Fund. 10 July 2023, Accessed 21 Feb. 2025. Yarmuth, John A. H.R.5376 - Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. H.R.5376, 27 Sept. 2021,
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Did Stacey Abrams Receive $2 Billion From Taxpayers?
Internet users have claimed that Stacey Abrams, a two-time former Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, personally collected $2 billion in federal taxpayer funding. 'Stacey Abrams caught trying to steal a gigantic $2 BILLION from taxpayers,' one right-wing influencer tweeted on X. 'The huge scandal revolves around funds earmarked for a group linked to the biggest election denier ever.' One X account suggested Abrams might face jail time. 'The Democrats wanted to make Stacey Abrams the next big thing,' the user tweeted. 'Now she might be going to prison for a $2 billion laundering scam.' Abrams is an adviser to a group that received funding authorized via the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 but she did not receive $2 billion personally. The rumors began after the Trump administration's new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator, former New York GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin, announced on February 13 that the federal agency found 'billions of taxpayer dollars' in climate grants held in a bank account formed by former President Joe Biden's White House administration. That funding, authorized from the Inflation Reduction Act, awarded a total of $20 billion to eight nonprofit organizations for investments in a slew of clean energy initiatives, including $2 billion to Power Forward Communities, a group linked to Abrams. Dinesh D'Souza, a right-wing activist and creator of 2,000 Mules—a documentary movie that made false and misleading claims about voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election—attempted to connect the $2 billion in federal funding to bogus theories about the 2020 election, tweeting, 'Who would pay Stacey Abrams $2 billion for climate change? No one,' he answered. 'But was the money really for that?' he added. 'Or was it a payoff for helping to rig the 2020 election?' Power Forward Communities received a $2 billion grant in August 2024 from the EPA's National Clean Investment Fund—allocated from the Inflation Reduction Act—to help 'affordably decarbonize American homes,' according to a press release from the nonprofit. It was formed in October 2023 by five separate nonprofit groups—including Rewiring America, where Abrams serves as 'senior advisor.' Records from the federal government's official online resource for tracking funding data, confirm that Power Forward Communities received the $2 billion EPA grant. 'Thrilled to be part of Rewiring America and the Power Forward Communities coalition,' Abrams tweeted in October 2023, in response to a separate tweet announcing Power Forward Communities' formation. 'This is how we expand access to clean energy—by prioritizing housing, equity and resilience.' Abrams first joined Rewiring America as 'senior counsel' in March 2023, according to a press release that has since been removed from its website. However, Rewiring America referred to Abrams' position earlier this month as a 'senior advisor.' Abrams' personal website also states that she is a 'senior advisor and consultant' for Rewiring America. Power Forward Communities stated in a press release announcing the grant that 'Rewiring America will orchestrate financing, financial assistance, and technical assistance to homeowners in specific markets, and will offer nationwide planning tools and resources, including cost savings and carbon emissions abatement projections to support household electrification at the single-family level.' There have been legitimate issues raised regarding the Biden administration's funding of Power Toward Communities. As the Washington Free Beacon reported last week, Power Forward Communities had reported a total of $100 for both its 'total revenue' and 'net assets' in its 2023 tax return. GuideStar, a website that tracks public information for nonprofit organizations, notes that the Internal Revenue Service granted tax-exempt status to Power Forward Communities only in 2024. But claims that Abrams personally received $2 billion in government funding are false. If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@ If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@
