June 25th, 2024

Please join the Office of Indian Energy webinar on June 26th, 2024 at 1:00pm ET for the latest updates on the Low-Income Bonus Credit Program (LICBCP), which is now accepting applications for investment tax credits for solar and wind energy facilities on Tribal Nation land. The LICBCP is a provision of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that offers tax credits to Tribal Nations that participate in solar and wind energy projects on Tribal Homelands. The program aims to increase access to renewable energy in low-income communities and other areas with environmental justice concerns. The initial 30-day application window will conclude on June 27 at 11:59 pm ET. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and notifications will follow after a 30-day period of review.

Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Justice and Equity administers the LICBCP in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS. The program prioritizes:

• Increased adoption of and access to renewable energy facilities in underserved and environmental justice communities, including Tribal Nations.
• Encouraging new market participants.
• Providing substantial benefits to underserved communities, such as Tribal Nations and individuals who have been historically marginalized from economic opportunities and overburdened by environmental impacts.

The bonus credit provides a 10 or 20 percentage point increase to the investment tax credit for qualified solar and wind energy facilities with a maximum net output of less than five megawatts (AC). DOE will review applications and make recommendations to the IRS, which will allocate to up to 1.8 gigawatts (GW) of eligible solar and wind capacity per year. Project type proposed will depend on the needs of each specific community, but may save millions of dollars on the overall cost for those communities. For more information visit the DOE website on LICBP here.

Reminder: The initial 30-day application window will conclude on June 27th at 11:59 pm ET.

For more information contact Melanie Plucinski, Tribal Infrastructure Policy Analyst, at mplucinski@usetinc.org.

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Established in 1969, the United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. (USET) is a non-profit, inter-Tribal organization serving thirty-three (33) federally recognized Tribal Nations from the Northeastern Woodlands to the Everglades and across the Gulf of Mexico. USET is dedicated to enhancing the development of Tribal Nations, improving the capabilities of Tribal governments, and improving the quality of life for Indian people through a variety of technical and supportive programmatic services.

Established in 2014, the USET Sovereignty Protection Fund (USET SPF) is a non-profit, inter-Tribal organization advocating on behalf of thirty-three (33) federally recognized Tribal Nations from the Northeastern Woodlands to the Everglades and across the Gulf of Mexico. USET SPF is dedicated to promoting, protecting, and advancing the inherent sovereign rights and authorities of Tribal Nations and in assisting its membership in dealing effectively with public policy issues.