Rev. Clara Sims, assistant executive director for Interfaith Power & Light New Mexico-El Paso, has expressed concerns regarding the future of federal funding aimed at promoting solar power within faith communities in New Mexico. The concern arises from former President Trump's recent pledge to rescind "all unspent funds" from the federal Inflation Reduction Act.

Sims shared her thoughts with the Santa Fe New Mexican, stating, “That’s certainly a concern for us in terms of looking ahead to the potential of really rolling back the money that’s available.” Her organization has been actively involved for decades in assisting faith communities across New Mexico and El Paso with energy-efficiency audits and solar panel installations.

The Inflation Reduction Act's "direct pay" provisions have significantly boosted efforts by allowing tax-exempt nonprofits and government entities to receive payments covering up to 30% of their solar installation costs in the year following installation. This initiative has encouraged a notable increase in green projects among faith communities.

Sims noted that her organization is currently collaborating with five faith groups utilizing this tax credit. She remarked, “My sense is that the faith communities who maybe don’t have the same kind of budget capacity that others did in the past have been able to really push that forward in their congregations or houses of worship in the past several years.”