The countdown is on for America’s clean energy upgrade.
Clean energy incentives that have saved families and businesses billions are about to be cut years early. You can still help your community cash in quickly.
Once upon a time – as in, last year – the Inflation Reduction Act promised something extraordinary. Cheaper solar panels on rooftops. Heat pumps in homes. Electric vehicles in driveways and chargers at grocery stores. Lower energy bills for families, schools, and businesses. All while juicing US manufacturing and cutting carbon pollution at a record pace.
Then came the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). And just like that, an urgent countdown clock started ticking.
Top takeaways:
Deadlines are now looming, but huge cost-saving tax incentives are still available for homeowners, schools, businesses, and more – for now. Why are these vanishing years early? Blame the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Spreading the word to our neighbors, professional networks, and local communities is how we look out for each other and secure every win possible before this new countdown clock runs out. Let folks know that the time to act is now – later will be too late.
People across the country will be showing up to do this outreach during weekly, facilitated Hours of Action. Start with an RSVP to the September 8 kickoff event, hosted by Climate Changemakers in partnership with The Climate Reality Project. Zero experience needed. Drop into any virtual or in-person co-working session from September to October for a full Action Plan with ready-to-personalize scripts and outreach strategies.
OBBBA traded years of guaranteed clean energy incentives for billionaire tax breaks. Now, the programs that were supposed to make our homes and communities more resilient, safe, affordable, and equitable are now expiring fast – we’re talking about months and even weeks.
Here’s the bit of good news: The chance to save and invest is still here – for now. If we get the word out quickly, we can help a lot of people claim these incentives before they disappear. While we’re at it, our advocacy action will help keep the clean energy transition moving forward – despite the administration's best efforts.
Why This Matters
This isn’t only about saving on taxes (though love that!) – this is about stacking wins:
Lower utility costs for families, small businesses, schools, and nonprofits – freeing up money for teacher salaries, new equipment, and community programs.
Clean energy momentum – every solar panel, heat pump, EV, and battery installed now keeps cutting emissions for decades and investing in clean manufacturing.
Community leadership – Putting solar panels on one community institution has been linked with inspiring other people in the community to do the same, according to a recent study! Local governments, school districts, and even your corner café can be visible, influential climate leaders.
What’s On the Table
Homes, businesses, and – for the first time – community institutions like schools, city governments, and nonprofits can directly access tax credits on the following clean energy improvements.
🌞 Solar panels – Homes, schools, and nonprofits can turn their rooftops into mini power plants and cut utility bills for decades with up to 30% off through 2025.
🏡 Energy efficiency upgrades & home audits – Seal drafts, insulate like a pro, and get available rebates through 2025 in certain states.
❄️ Heat pumps (and geothermal heat pumps) – Up to 3x more efficiently than fossil fuel heating systems, and get up to $2,000 off qualifying models through 2025. Even good for cold climates, typically down to slightly colder than 0°F — and if it's colder than that, geothermal's your friend.
🚙 Electric vehicles — Kiss gas stations goodbye and instant torque hello (oh, and lower operating costs than gas cars that can save people thousands over a vehicle’s lifetime ?!) with up to $7,500 off new and $4,000 off used through Sept 30, 2025, for qualifying buyers. (You may also be able to access discounts when leasing too, with certain available tax credits!)
🔌 EV chargers — Charge at home for and pay about half as much in fuel for the average driver each month compared to filling up the tank for gas-powered vehicles. Rural and low-income households can get up to $1,000/item off installation costs through June 30, 2026.
🔋 Home battery storage — Can be installed in just one-to-two days, keeps the lights on during outages, and stores solar for later with 30% off the cost.
Moments like this don’t come often – the chance to save big, protect what we love, and shape a future that works for everyone. Acting now means more money in your pocket, more resilience in our neighborhoods, and more clean energy for generations to come. Some installs can take one-to-two days, but some need weeks of lead time, so those windows are closing even faster. Let’s claim every win we can before the clock runs out.
What You Can Do
You don’t need to own property or have extra cash to make a big difference now and build momentum for the future. You just need to know people – and we all do.
Join a nationwide wave of advocates – on Zoom, in cities, and in your own community – helping schools, nonprofits, businesses, and homeowners claim these incentives while they still can.
We’ll give you the full Action Plan, ready-to-personalize email scripts, and easy steps for strategic outreach. From September 8 through October 24, we’re joining forces with Climate Reality and partners across the country to blitz the nation with this message: Use it or lose it.
This is one of those moments where the more people know, the better off we all are! RSVP now for the kickoff event – the full Action Plan drops September 8.
OBBBA might have shortened the runway, but we still have time to make this takeoff epic.
