The Brief

If you've wanted to install rooftop solar panels or buy an electric vehicle in recent years, you've probably been able to get federal money for them in the form of tax credits.

But those incentives are going away now that President Donald Trump signed what he's called the "One Big Beautiful Bill" into law on July 4.

That means in the coming months there will be "a 'hurry-up-and-buy' 'limited-time-offer' kind of dynamic" to get these government incentives, says Ari Matusiak, CEO of the nonprofit Rewiring America.

"If you want to access them, then really you need to get going," he says.

Here's what you need to know about what's happening to federal tax incentives for everything from solar panels to heat pumps to electric vehicles, and how much time you have to get that federal money.

Home solar tax credits end Dec. 31

The country's first major climate policy under the Biden administration secured at least a decade of federal tax incentives for rooftop solar panels, solar water heaters and geothermal heat pumps, says Sean Gallagher, vice president of policy for the Solar Energy Industries Association.

These technologies not only reduce climate pollution, they also make energy bills more affordable.

Scientists say that solar energy plus batteries, as well as energy-efficient appliances, are all reliable technologies that can save households money. Despite the evidence, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers wrote in an email to NPR, "Instead of subsidizing unreliable energy sources at the expense of hardworking taxpayers, President Trump is unleashing American energy to lower costs to provide further relief for businesses and families."

The tax credit meant homeowners could get up to 30% off the cost of installation or equipment. That tax incentive goes away Dec. 31.

Matusiak suggests that people sign a contract with a contractor and pay for and install the project before the end of the calendar year so that they can secure their eligibility for the tax credit.

Solar project installation can take a few months and some contractors can have long wait times. That's why he suggests talking to a contractor as soon as possible.

If people are buying efficient heat pumps or installing home solar, experts suggest signing a contract with a contractor and paying for and installing the project before Dec. 31 to secure eligibility for the federal tax credit.

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Another incentive for heat pumps and insulation ends Dec. 31

In addition to the 30% off investments in things like home solar, a federal incentive called the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit will also disappear later this year.

That credit meant up to $2,000 off heat pumps, water heaters, biomass stoves or biomass boilers on your tax bill. To qualify, appliances must have a high efficiency rating. Some manufacturer websites list tax credit-eligible equipment, as does the Energy Star Product Finder.

The tax credit also offered up to $1,200 off home upgrades like new insulation, doors and windows.

To qualify for this tax credit, it's not enough to just purchase the equipment. They must be "placed in service" during the calendar year — another reason Matusiak suggests moving quickly.

Dealers are scrambling to sell qualifying EVs on their lots before the tax credits disappear. "This is going to be the best time to buy an EV in a long time," says Pat Ryan of the car-buying app CoPilot.

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Federal tax credits for electric vehicles end Sept. 30

Currently, some electric vehicle buyers are eligible for a federal tax credit worth up to $7,500 for buying or leasing a new EV, and up to $4,000 for a used vehicle. That money is available as a cash rebate at the time of purchase and can be used as a down payment. (Not every buyer and not every vehicle qualifies. You can read more about these credits here.)

The new law ends those credits after Sept. 30, over the protests of auto dealers, who said such a rapid change will be disruptive. Rogers at the White House wrote in an email to NPR that ending the tax incentives will "lower costs and incentivize Made in America products."

Dealers are now scrambling to sell qualifying EVs on their lots before the tax credits disappear. "This is going to be the best time to buy an EV in a long time," says Pat Ryan of the car-buying app CoPilot. "But, of course, that will go away when prices effectively go up when the rebate ends."

The nonprofit research group Resources for the Future says that its modeling suggests EV sales as a share of the total U.S. market could contract by a third with the end of the credits.

That doesn't mean the end of the EV industry, analysts say. "Automakers have spent literally billions of dollars building out supply chains," says Joseph Yoon of the auto data company Edmunds. "I don't think it's just going to turn around and say, 'Oh, well, that was a fun little experiment.'" But it could significantly reduce the pace of EV adoption and, as a result, lock in decades worth of future carbon pollution from the gas-powered vehicles being sold today.

EV tax credits do boost EV sales, but they require a high government expenditure for each additional sale they encourage; some economic research has suggested that putting money toward chargers is a more cost-effective policy approach. The Trump administration has been working to roll back charger funding, too.

The tax-and-spending package will end a credit available to businesses and individuals to help with the costs of installing EV chargers, specifically in low-income or rural areas. That credit, which covers 30% of the installation cost, will end June 30, 2026. Separately, the Trump administration has also frozen funding to build high-speed EV chargers on highways, a move that some states are currently challenging in court.

There's still money available from some states and utilities, for now

Some local utility companies offer incentives for technologies like heat pumps, residential solar, or insulation, so experts suggest checking in with your local utility.

The country's major climate legislation in 2022 gave more than $8.5 billion to states, including Arizona, Georgia, New York and Wisconsin, to help them expand or establish rebate programs for home green technology upgrades. Much of that money is still available.

Rewiring America and another nonprofit called The Switch is On have online tools that can help people, in most states, plug in their ZIP codes and incomes to search for the federal, state, local and utility company incentives for which they're qualified. Consumers can also check for incentives at an online database from the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center.

Still, because a lot of state rebate money is tied to Biden-era policies, experts also suggest looking into those sooner rather than later. Lowell Ungar, head of federal policy at The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a nonprofit research organization, doesn't think most states will run out of rebate money this year, but he adds, "eventually they will run out of money and then there won't be any further federal help."
Copyright 2025 NPR

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.