Financing Inclusive Clean Energy Investments in Rural America
Channel: eesionline
Date: 2022-02-08

More information at: https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/020822fed

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to view a briefing series on federal programs that currently deliver a host of climate, environmental, economic, and social benefits nationwide. Experts and practitioners discussed how these programs are working on-the-ground to deliver value to constituents across geographies, in both urban and rural settings. The series covered federal programs in climate financing, energy efficiency, climate adaptation, and conservation. 

The first briefing in the series featured the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP), which provides rural electric cooperatives, other rural utilities, credit unions, and green banks with zero-percent loans to launch or expand energy efficiency, beneficial electrification, and renewable energy on-bill financing programs. 

RESP was authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and launched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2016. To date, RESP has made loans worth more than $180 million to 30 utilities in 17 states. Panelists discussed the importance of RESP in helping rural communities transform how they finance clean energy and advance equity. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

00:00 - Start
03:26 - U.S. Congressman James Clyburn, Sixth District of South Carolina
08:08 - Bob Coates, Branch Chief, Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service, USDA 
25:24 - Doug O’Brien, President and CEO, National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA CLUSA)
35:50 - Denise Abdul-Rahman, Energy Democracy Fellow, Environmental and Climate Justice Program, NAACPSociety President; Elected to National Academy of Engineering
44:29 - Travis Neal, Head Accountant, Orcas Power and Light Cooperative (OPALCO)
01:01:23 - Q&A

Topics and Speakers:

U.S. Congressman James Clyburn
Sixth District of South Carolina
Skip to presentation: https://youtu.be/oaAhXxDIs3M?t=03m26s

Bob Coates, Branch Chief, Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service, USDA
Download Slides: https://www.eesi.org/files/Bob_Coates_Slides_20220208.pdf
Skip to presentation: https://youtu.be/oaAhXxDIs3M?t=08m08s

Doug O'Brien
President and CEO, National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International (NCBA CLUSA)
Download Slides: https://www.eesi.org/files/Doug_Obrien_Slides_20220208.pdf
Skip to presentation: https://youtu.be/oaAhXxDIs3M?t=25m24s

Denise Abdul-Rahman
Energy Democracy Fellow, Environmental and Climate Justice, NAACP
Skip to presentation: https://youtu.be/oaAhXxDIs3M?t=35m50s

Travis Neal
Head Accountant, Orcas Power and Light Cooperative (OPALCO)
Download Slides: https://www.eesi.org/files/Travis_Neal_Slides_20220208.pdf
Skip to presentation: https://youtu.be/oaAhXxDIs3M?t=44m29s