Churches are making electrifying changes as 'creation care' trend sweeps across nation: 'I expect … it's really going to boom' - The Cool Down
Churches are making electrifying changes as 'creation care' trend sweeps across nation: 'I expect … it's really going to boom'
A federal regulation has streamlined the process for houses of worship to install rooftop solar panels, making it a more affordable and accessible choice, reported Grist.
Solar power is a less expensive energy source that can benefit our health, our lifestyles, and the environment by preventing and reducing the toxic, harmful pollution released when coal, gas, and oil are burned for fuel.
The past two decades have seen real progress in religious Americans' knowledge of and belief in the necessity of alternative energy.
"In the beginning, people of faith were really, really being courageous … talking about responding to climate change through renewable energy and energy efficiency as a moral call to care for creation," reflected Sarah Paulos, programs director for national climate action and religion network Interfaith Power and Light, to Grist.
To incentivize the development and use of residential and corporate solar projects, the U.S. government offers tax breaks and credits through its federal Inflation Reduction Act. Churches, synagogues, and mosques, typically tax-exempt institutions, have traditionally not been able to benefit from this opportunity — forcing them to seek alternatives like "power purchase agreements" with third parties, explained Grist.
But in 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced an expansion of the IRA's guidelines to include houses of worship. As Grist noted, this "direct pay" program allows religious institutions to gain some financial support toward renewable energy investments, a move "critical to getting more congregations to consider solar."
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The Grist report spotlights one such congregation, the Greensky Hill Indian United Methodist Church in Michigan, which plans to install rooftop solar as part of its overall energy efficiency goals — referred to as "climate care, or creation care" by Greensky Pastor Johnathan Mays.
The IRA expansion, plus examples set by congregations like Greensky Hill, are optimistic signs that, despite bureaucratic hurdles, construction concerns, and budget limitations, the pursuit of sustainability in religious buildings may soon become the norm.
Paulos echoed the hopeful prediction, per Grist: "I expect in the coming year, it's really going to boom, the solar on houses of worship," she commented.
Ready to place your faith in solar? Educate the people around you, including religious leaders, about how solar can save money and benefit everyone. Learn about the tax breaks available, support community initiatives, install your own panels, and stay informed.
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Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”