EESI – Financing Inclusive Clean Energy Investments in Rural America

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

The first briefing in the series will feature 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 will discuss the importance of RESP in helping rural communities transform how they finance clean energy and advance equity.

Speakers

• Robert CoatesBranch Chief, Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service, USDA Rural Development
• Doug O’BrienPresident and CEO, National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International (NCBA CLUSA)
• Denise Abdul-RahmanEnergy Democracy Fellow, Environmental and Climate Justice, NAACP
• Travis NealHead Accountant, Orcas Power and Light Cooperative (OPALCO)