The Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Act would create a grant program that will help nonprofits—including places of worship, faith-based organizations, and youth centers—afford the materials needed to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings and generate renewable energy

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Hoeven (R-ND) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to help nonprofits save money on energy efficiency upgrades. The Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Act would create a grant program that will help nonprofits—including places of worship, faith-based organizations, and youth centers—afford the materials needed to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings and generate renewable energy. 

“Energy efficiency upgrades save money and resources that can be used to support the mission of nonprofits,” Klobuchar said. “Our bipartisan legislation would help ensure that nonprofit organizations, including places of worship, no longer have to choose between providing important community services and investing in energy efficiency improvements that both save money and provide environmental benefits.”

“With their focus on helping individuals and their communities, non-profits and faith-based organizations often don’t have the necessary capital to make their facilities more energy efficient,” said Hoeven. “Our legislation would help these organizations cut down on energy usage and operating costs, furthering their work to provide important services and resources to their communities.”

The legislation would provide $10 million each year for the next five years to create a pilot grant program at the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) to support nonprofits in purchasing materials for energy efficiency projects. The grants would promote energy efficiency by supporting the purchase of materials for upgrades to existing infrastructure as well as renewable energy generators and heaters. Nonprofits could apply for grants up to $200,000. The legislation is supported by the National Council of Churches, the YMCA of the USA, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, among other organizations.

In 2016, a provision based on Klobuchar and Hoeven’s Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Act passed the Senate as part of the bipartisan energy bill.

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