Heat Pump Program Receives $25M Boost

PROVIDENCE — There’s good news for folks seeking to electrify their homes and adopt heat pumps this winter: state officials this week are expected to announce the last of a new incentive program to tackle home heating emissions.

The program, dubbed Clean Heat RI by the Office of Energy Resources (OER), provides an additional $25 million to the state’s existing suite of heat pump incentives to spur early adoption of the climate-friendly technology in homes and businesses around the state. At least 40% of the funds, which are allocated from federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars, are earmarked for incentives for underserved communities in compliance with federal guidelines set by the federal Department of Energy.

A 2020 report from Acadia Center, an environmental nonprofit dedicated to climate and renewable energy solutions, estimates switching a home from heating oil to a heat pump reduces the equivalent emissions of taking dozens of cars off the road for a year. Over the lifespan of the equipment, a home can reduce its emissions by 58 metric equivalent tons.

To read the full article from EcoRI, click here.