On October 19, 2023, at 9 am eastern time, DOE began accepting applications across all four categories of the Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program.

The initial 30-day application window has closed. New application submissions continue to be accepted and will be evaluated on a rolling basis. Following the 30-day period, DOE will generally accept applications on a rolling basis and will review applications and provide recommendations to the IRS in the order applications are received until the IRS allocates all Capacity Limitation in a program year.

The Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda – a transformative set of investments designed to create jobs, lower costs for American families, and spur an economic revitalization in communities that have historically been left behind. The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) established the program under section 48(e), which was added to the Internal Revenue Code by the Inflation Reduction Act, to promote cost-saving clean energy investments in low-income communities, on Indian land, as part of affordable housing developments, and benefitting low-income households.

The program prioritizes:

  • Increased adoption of and access to renewable energy facilities in underserved and environmental justice communities.
  • Encouraging new market participants.
  • Providing substantial benefits to underserved communities and individuals who have been historically marginalized from economic opportunities and overburdened by environmental impacts.

DOE’s Office of Energy Justice and Equity is administering the Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS.  The bonus credit provides a 10 or 20 percentage point increase to the investment tax credit for qualified solar and wind energy facilities with a maximum net output of less than five megawatts (AC). DOE will review applications and make recommendations to the IRS, which will allocate to up to 1.8 gigawatts (GW) of eligible solar and wind capacity per year.

A 10-percentage point increase is available to eligible solar and wind facilities that are installed in low-income communities or on Indian land and a 20 percentage point credit increase is available to eligible solar and wind facilities that are part of a qualified low-income residential building or a qualified low-income economic benefit project.

The annual Capacity Limitation is divided across each facility category as follows:

Category 1: Located in a Low-Income Community 700 megawatts
Category 2: Located on Indian Land 200 megawatts
Category 3: Qualified Low-Income Residential Building Project 200 megawatts
Category 4: Qualified Low-Income Economic Benefit Project 700 megawatts

For the 2023 program year, at least 50% of the capacity of each category will be reserved for projects meeting certain ownership and/or geographic selection criteria as outlined in the Final Regulations and Revenue Procedure.

  • Applicants must submit information for each facility for which they are seeking an allocation. Applications will require information such as the applicable category, ownership, location, facility size/capacity, whether the applicant or facility meet additional selection criteria, and other information.
  • Applicants will complete a series of attestations provided in the online portal and upload certain documentation (in order to demonstrate project maturity).
  • Each individual completing an application on behalf of their organization will need a Login.gov account in order to complete an application.
  • Applications submitted within the first 30 days will be treated as submitted on the same date and at the same time. Applications submitted after the first 30 days will be considered on a rolling basis. Depending on volume of applications, DOE plans to accept applications for the 2023 program year through early 2024.

For more information regarding application requirements and the application submission and selection process, see the Program Guidance and Program Resources below.

Graphic button with the word "Apply" on it.

Program Guidance

Program Resources

Informational Webinar

DOE and the U.S. Department of the Treasury hosted a virtual informational webinar for potential applicants on September 29, 2023. Links to the webinar recording and webinar slides are below. 

Consumer Disclosure Forms

Applicants entering into agreements with consumers as part of a community solar/wind subscription, lease, or power purchase agreement (PPA), must attest that consumer disclosures informing customers of their legal rights and protections have been provided to customers that have signed up and will be provided to future customers, in accordance with program requirements. Applicants are encouraged to use their applicable state-approved disclosure forms where available or may use other forms of similar substance.  Example consumer disclosure forms are provided below.  These forms are provided as a resource only and do not constitute legal advice.  The terms of this form should be modified, as appropriate, to meet the legal requirements of your applicable jurisdiction.  If you have questions about the terms of these forms, please consult a lawyer.

  • Community Subscription Disclosure Form - Coming Soon
  • Consumer Lease Disclosure Form - Coming Soon
  • Consumer Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) Disclosure Form - Coming Soon

Learn More

For Applicant Portal assistance, please call the DOE Support Desk at 1 (888) 415-0131. For program related questions, please email EJBonusSupport@hq.doe.gov. Any questions requesting tax-related guidance or tax filing support should be directed to the Applicant’s tax professional, accountant, or attorney.