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Frequently Asked Questions

What does DSIRE offer?

The DSIRE web site provides information about renewable energy and energy efficiency incentives and policies in effect in the United States. Relevant incentives and policies established by the federal government, state governments, local governments, utilities and non-profit organizations are included in DSIRE.

DSIRE provides the following information and resources:

Incentives Available in U.S. States & Territories

The DSIRE home page features a U.S. map for easy access to incentives and policies available in each state. Clicking a state or territory provides a list of available incentives and policies in that state, organized into two categories: (1) Financial Incentives and (2) Rules, Regulations & Policies. (To find out what types of incentives and policies are included in each category, visit the DSIRE Glossary.)

The list of incentives and policies provides links to individual summaries with the following details:

The incentive or policy type (e.g., tax credit, rebate program, net metering)
The implementing sector (e.g., federal, state, utility)
Eligible sectors (e.g., residential, commercial, government)
Eligible technologies (e.g., solar water heating, wind energy, insulation)
Links to authorizing statutes, regulations and relevant legal documents
A summary of the incentive or policy
A link to the incentive or policy web site
Contact information

To view or print all summaries, click "See All Summaries" at the top of the page.

Federal Incentives

DSIRE includes information on federal incentives and policies for renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, with an emphasis on incentives for end-users. DSIRE does not include research & development incentives, outreach programs or non-programmatic funding opportunities. Click Federal Incentives on the DSIRE home page to view relevant summaries.

National & Regional Policy Trends in Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency

DSIRE’s Summary Maps provide a geographical overview of certain financial incentives and regulatory policies that promote renewable energy. DSIRE’s Summary Tables provide an overview of renewable energy and energy efficiency incentives and policies available in each state.

DSIRE Searches

The Search function on the DSIRE home page allows users to search all incentives and policies included in DSIRE by one of five different criteria: state, incentive type, technology type, implementing sector or eligible sector. Searching by any of these criteria provides a comprehensive list of applicable incentives and policies, with links to each program summary. To view or print all summaries, click "See All Summaries" at the top of the page.

Other DSIRE Resources

DSIRE also offers the following resources, available on the DSIRE home page:

Lists of new and updated incentives and policies (What’s New?)
A glossary of relevant terms
A library of relevant DSIRE publications and presentations
Links to other organizations and useful resources
Solar-specific policy resources (DSIRE Solar)

What types of renewable energy incentives and policies are included in DSIRE?

DSIRE tracks renewable energy incentives and policies established by the federal government, state governments, local governments, larger utilities and a few non-profit organizations. DSIRE categorizes renewable energy incentives and policies into two groups:

Financial Incentives include a variety of tax incentives, grants, loans, rebates, industry recruitment/support, bond programs, green building incentives, leasing/lease purchase programs and production incentives.
Rules, Regulations & Policies include public benefits funds, renewable portfolio standards, net metering, interconnection, extension analysis, generation disclosure requirements, contractor licensing, equipment certification, solar/wind access laws, solar/wind permitting standards, construction & design standards (including building energy codes and energy standards for public buildings), mandatory utility green power options, and green power purchasing/aggregation policies.

The DSIRE Glossary provides a description of each incentive type.

Users can choose to review only the renewable energy program summaries in DSIRE by checking the "Renewable Energy" box and un-checking the "Energy Efficiency" box on the home page. Check both boxes to review both types of incentives and policies. (This is the default setting.)

DSIRE does not provide information related to alternative transportation fuels or alternative fuel vehicles. For information on incentives and policies that promote these technologies, visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center.

What types of energy efficiency incentives and policies are included in DSIRE?

DSIRE tracks energy efficiency incentives and policies established by the federal government, state governments, larger local governments and larger utilities. DSIRE categorizes energy efficiency incentives and policies into two groups:

Financial Incentives for energy efficiency include a variety of tax incentives, rebates, grants, loans, bond programs, and green building incentives.
Rules, Regulations & Policies include appliance/equipment efficiency standards, public benefits funds, and construction & design standards (including building energy codes and energy standards for public buildings).

What types of federal incentives and policies are included in DSIRE?

DSIRE tracks federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. The federal incentives included in DSIRE are generally limited to those available to residents, businesses and other end-users. DSIRE does not include federal funding opportunities for research & development, demonstration projects, outreach, inter-governmental programs.

For more information on federal funding opportunities for research & development and demonstration projects related to renewable energy or energy efficiency, visit the following web sites:

Does DSIRE cover funding opportunities associated with the February 2009 federal stimulus bill (ARRA)?

DSIRE emphasizes funding opportunities that are continuous and for end-users. DSIRE generally does not include funding opportunities with very short deadlines, those supported only by a single round of funding, or those related to research and development. With respect to ARRA funding, DSIRE will include State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Programs (SEEARP) and other state rebate programs, state loan programs, and other funding opportunities that are continuous and for end-users. For more information on federal funding opportunities under ARRA, see www.energy.gov/recovery/funding.htm.

Does DSIRE track relevant incentives and policies for all utilities?

DSIRE tracks relevant incentives and policies for all investor-owned utilities in the United States. However, because there are thousands of electric cooperatives and municipal utilities across the country, DSIRE’s scope is generally limited to incentives and policies established by electric cooperatives and municipal utilities with more than 30,000 customers. (If your utility is relatively small, contact the utility directly to find out about the availability of incentive programs.)

Does DSIRE track relevant incentives and policies for all cities and counties?

No. DSIRE provides information on more than 150 incentives and policies established by local governments. However, because there are thousands of municipalities and counties in the United States, DSIRE's scope is generally limited to especially innovative incentives and policies, and incentives and policies established by larger municipalities and counties.

Does DSIRE track incentives and policies that encourage alternative transportation fuels and alternative fuel vehicles?

No. For information on incentives and policies that promote these technologies, visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicles Data Center.

How can I find out about financial incentives for residential projects in a certain state?

The DSIRE home page features a U.S. map for quick access to incentives available in each state. Clicking any state will provide a list of incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency in that state. Likewise, clicking Federal Incentives provides a list of relevant federal financial incentives and policies. To view only the incentives applicable to residential energy projects, click "See Residential Incentives Only" at the top of the page.

Can I search DSIRE for incentives and policies that encourage a specific type of technology or improvement, such as photovoltaics (PV) or insulation?

Yes. To view summaries of all incentives and policies relevant to a particular type of technology, click the Search function on the DSIRE home page. Then, select "Technology" from the drop-down menu of search options, and select the desired technology from the next drop-down menu. Click "See All Summaries" to view all the summaries on the same page.

The search function allows users to search the incentives and policies included in DSIRE by one of the following criteria:

State
Incentive type
Technology type
Implementing sector (e.g., federal, state, utility)
Eligible sector (e.g., commercial, industrial, residential)

How can I find out which states have established a certain type of incentive or policy, such as a tax credit, a rebate program or a renewable portfolio standard (RPS)?

For a quick overview of the availability of a particular incentive type around the United States, see DSIRE’s Summary Tables. Color-coded buttons indicate the number of incentives or policies by implementing sector (e.g., state government, local government, utility) available in each state. Clicking a color-coded button provides a corresponding list of relevant incentives and policies, including links to summaries.

Alternatively, to view summaries of all incentives and policies relevant to a particular type of incentive, select the Search function on the DSIRE home page. Then, select "Incentive/Policy Type" from the drop-down menu, and select the desired incentive type from the next drop-down menu. Click "See All Summaries" to view all the summaries on the same page.

The search function allows users to search the incentives and policies included in DSIRE by one of the following criteria:

State
Incentive type
Technology type
Implementing sector (e.g., federal, state, utility)
Eligible sector (e.g., commercial, industrial, residential)

Is there an international version of DSIRE?

Not exactly. But these sites might be useful:

How often is DSIRE updated?

Existing DSIRE program summaries are updated and new program summaries are added as the project staff become aware of new information. Incentives and policies that are created or modified through the legislative process, such as tax incentives, are reviewed and updated as necessary once per year. Other types of incentives and policies that are typically created or modified by other means, such as rebate programs and grant programs, are reviewed several times per year. Each program summary included in DSIRE indicates the date on which the program was last updated or verified.

To find out which incentives and policies have been added or updated during the past two months, click What’s New? on the DSIRE home page.

Whom should I contact about updating, correcting or adding information to DSIRE?

Please contact the DSIRE staff.

Where does all this information come from?

The information on the DSIRE web site is based on the DSIRE staff’s analysis of statutes, enacted legislation, administrative rules, public utilities commission orders, executive orders, program guidelines, program web sites, and scores of newsletters and news articles. In addition, the DSIRE staff receives information from contacts at state energy offices, public utilities commissions and other government agencies; utilities; non-profit organizations; businesses; and the general public. The DSIRE staff proactively communicate with program administrators to verify or update incentives and policies currently included in DSIRE, and to obtain details and clarification of new incentives and policies.

How you do pronounce "DSIRE?"

We say "desire." (Others have pronounced it much more creatively.)

Please note: The information on the DSIRE web site provides an overview of incentives and other policies, but it should not be used as the only source of information when making purchasing decisions, investment decisions, tax decisions or other binding agreements. Please refer to the individual contact provided in each record to verify that a specific incentive or other policy is applicable to your specific project.