Federal pandemic aid now funding EV rebates in South Portland

I guess the "Inflation Reduction Act" is not the only way that our federal income taxes are being transferred into the hands of the administration's "green" friends.

South Portland launches rebate program for electric vehicles, lawn equipment

Open to low- and moderate-income residents, it's one of several local funding efforts to reduce carbon emissions in Maine.

By Kelley BouchardStaff Writer

SOUTH PORTLAND — The city has launched a rebate program that encourages low- and moderate-income residents to purchase more efficient and cleaner electric technologies for their homes, transportation and lawn care.

The Electrify Everything! rebate program will provide qualified residents with rebates of up to $2,000 per household on electric vehicles, heat pumps, e-bikes, home insulation and weatherization projects, as well as electric leaf blowers and lawn mowers.

The municipal program augments rebates offered through Efficiency Maine, the state’s independent administrator of programs to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And it’s similar to programs being offered by other communities and the Mills’ administration as a way to encourage Mainers to act locally in the fight against global climate change.

“With heating fuel and gasoline prices at record highs, the technologies we are supporting will help people save money, feel comfortable in their homes, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Julie Rosenbach, the city’s sustainability director.

Electrify Everything! is open to South Portland residents with household incomes up to 100 percent of the area median income, which ranges from $78,200 for a single person to $111,700 for a family of four, according to program guidelines.

The following rebates are available: $2,000 for a new battery electric vehicle or plug-in electric hybrid vehicle; $1,200 for a Tier 2 air source heat pump; $400 for a hot water heat pump; $300 for an e-bike; $500 for an e-cargo bike, $100 for an electric lawn mower or leaf blower; $100 for air sealing with an energy assessment; and 20 percent of an insulation project cost up to $2,000......................

....................Funded with $270,000 in federal pandemic recovery aid, Electrify Everything! is expected to help the city become carbon neutral by 2050, a goal outlined in One Climate Future, South Portland’s climate action plan. The Maine Climate Council has set a more ambitious goal of reaching state carbon neutrality by 2045 under Maine Won’t Wait, a four-year plan for climate action launched in 2020.

The full article can be read at:

https://www.pressherald.com/2022/09/06/south-portland-launches-reba...

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