Tag: EmPower+

Programs: EmPower+
To: Participating Contractors; Clean Energy Hubs
Summary: Pending Program Changes
Questions: If there are any questions, please contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069

To maintain program continuity and ensure equitable access to incentives, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is, implementing the following changes to the EmPower+ program. The changes are designed to provide greater certainty for contractors and customers by managing the flow of projects in alignment with available budgets while prioritizing customer needs.

NYSERDA will be reviewing changes in more detail during the July 11, 2025, Contractor Check-in Webinar.

The changes will be effective for work scope submissions beginning August 1, 2025.

Moving forward, we will have a robust stakeholder process on how to create a sustainable program for the future, while adapting EmPower+ to the new Energy Efficiency/Building Electrification (EE/BE) Order from the New York State Public Service Commission.

Changes to the EmPower+ Program

1. Furnaces and Boilers

EmPower+ will no longer provide program incentives for the following fossil-fuel heating equipment and relatedmeasures:

• Boilers and Furnaces
• Clean and Tunes
• Heating System Repairs

NYSERDA is exploring options to offer a limited budget for No-Heat replacements which occur during the heating season (October 1-April 30) and will provide additional information in a future announcement. Participating Contractors with fossil-fuel heating measures have until August 1, 2025, to submit these projects to the Program.

2. Project Level Caps

Effective for work scope submissions beginning August 1, 2025, EmPower+ program funding caps will be enforced per the table below. There will be no exceptions for exceeding the EmPower+ funding caps (Tertiary approvals will no longer be available).

The Program expects contractors to use the least cost insulation that is appropriate to the application to help keep total project costs and customer co-pays as low as reasonably possible.

In the event the household needs work that exceeds the EmPower + Program funding caps above, potential options to address the funding gap are provided below:

1. Leverage low-interest financing through Green Jobs Green New York
2. Consult the local Clean Energy Hub for additional funding opportunities in your area.
3. Encourage the household to apply to the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) for project coordination with EmPower+
4. Reapply to EmPower+ after the Program look-back date has passed. Currently, there is a one year look back for a household to reapply after their funding cap has been met.

3. Applications

To manage the volume of incoming EmPower+ applications within the available budget, Participating Contractors will not be permitted to submit applications on behalf of customers from August 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025. This includes submissions via the Salesforce portal, MyEnergy, or mail. Customers may still select a Participating Contractor as part of the application process, and CLEAResult will assign the customer to the selected contractor accordingly.

We will reassess the application submission process based on feedback gathered through upcoming stakeholder engagement sessions.

As indicated above, NYSERDA Program staff will be covering these changes and encourage Participating Contractors and Clean Energy Hubs to participate on the July 11, 2025, Contractor Webinar.

Program/s: EmPower+, Weatherization Assistance Program 
To: Participating Contractors, Clean Energy Hubs
Summary: Closing Date for the 2024-2025 HEAP Cooling Assistance Component
Contact: HEAP Bureau (518) 473-0332 or NYSHEAP@otda.ny.gov

Section 2 – Cooling Assistance Component (CAC) Dates of Operation

The 2024-2025 Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) CAC stopped accepting applications on June 23, 2025. Any applications received after the CAC closing date must be denied using the Client Notice System (CNS) closing code M09 “Cooling Benefit Denial” or the Home Energy Assistance Program Notice of Eligibility Decision – Denial (LDSS 3494B).

All HEAP CAC applications must be processed in accordance with instructions found in 25DC026, 24-LCM-15, and the HEAP Manual. Vendors must submit final bills to social services districts (districts) within 30 business days of services rendered, but no later than September 30, 2025.

Section 3 – Additional Guidance for Districts

Districts are reminded to continue submitting their HEAP Pending Case Report on a weekly basis, as outlined in 24-LCM-15 and 25DC026.

Households who requested CAC after the closing date of June 23, 2025, should be provided with resources on managing extreme heat, including information on any local cooling centers.

Please see the following websites for some helpful information: 

• Extreme Heat Advice – Department of Health website that includes information on extreme heat, such as how to determine the heat risk by zip code and a link to locate local cooling centers. 
• Extreme Heat and Your Health – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website that includes tips and suggestions for managing and preventing heat-related illnesses.

Program/s: EmPower+ 
To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors, Regional Clean Energy Hubs
Summary: Updated Income Limits for EmPower+
Contact: If there are any questions, please call us at 1-866-NYSERDA

The income limits for EmPower+ have been updated and will be effective as of July 1, 2025. This round of updates only impacts the Area Median Income numbers used to determine eligibility for the EmPower+ moderate income incentive. The next round of revisions will take place in the Fall when the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) income guidelines are updated.

These income limits are based on 2024-2025 State Median Income numbers provided by HEAP and 2025 Area Median Income numbers provided by The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The updated guidelines can be found in Section 3.4 of the Program Manual.

NYSERDA is in the process of updating its website and anticipates these changes to be posted in mid-July. If you have any questions, please contact 1-866-NYSERDA.

Programs: EmPower+, Weatherization Assistance Program
To: Participating Contractors; Clean Energy Hubs
Summary: Combined EmPower+/WAP Application
Questions: If there are any questions, please contact 1-866-NYSERDA

NYSERDA and New York State Homes and Community Renewal have made available an updated joint application to allow for households to apply to both EmPower+ and Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) using a single application. Contractors with households looking to apply for both programs should begin using this updated version immediately. The application can be found in Section 3 of the Program Manual. This joint application is only available in hardcopy and must be mailed in for processing to the address on the cover page.

Program will continue to accept previous versions of the joint application through the end of June.

Beginning July 1, 2025, only the updated version of the application will be accepted.

If there are any questions, please reach out to 1-866-NYSERDA