EarthBeat Weekly: Catholic dioceses race to meet federal solar power deadline

Catholic dioceses, parishes race to meet federal solar tax credits deadline   EarthBeat Weekly Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change June 26, 2026   A worker carries a solar panel atop the roof of Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Church, in Hazard, Kentucky. The Appalachian mission parish completed the solar installation in May 2026. (Lexington Diocese/Joshua Van Cleef) At dozens of Catholic parishes and dioceses across the country, there is an urgent pace these days.  Some are poring over contract details and meeting with finance councils and attorneys as they push to finalize solar power installations. Others are charging ahead with the construction and the time-consuming process of connecting solar arrays to the electric grid. As I reported today in a story at EarthBeat, both are pathways for Catholic churches and schools, alongside other nonprofit and commercial entities, to qualify for federal clean energy tax credits that will expire five years earlier than originally planned when they were included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, the country's largest ever investment in clean energy and climate initiatives.  The credits offer a minimum 30% cost reduction on solar projects, and offer an additional 10% each for using union labor and building in low-income areas or energy communities. Those add up to real, significant savings for Catholic institutions (while tax-exempt they can tap into the credits via a special program), and for many, they have turned solar power from a distant aspiration to something actually achievable.  "Without that, I don't know that we would be doing this. We certainly wouldn't be doing this quickly," Doug Rich, director of schools and parish services for the Diocese of Yakima, Washington, told me.  The window to redeem the clean energy credits was shortened last year in the Republican-passed tax law (known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) that requires most solar and wind projects to finish by the end of 2027 to qualify for federal energy credits. The law allows for a two-year extension if by July 4, 2026 — a week from Saturday — projects demonstrate "significant" construction has begun or pay at least 5% of the total costs for solar arrays 1.5 megawatts or smaller, a process known as "safe harboring." The shorter timeframe has added urgency, and stress, on parishes and dioceses to make quick decisions on solar projects and then work to ensure they're either completed before Dec. 31, 2027, or in most cases, safe harbored by the Fourth of July to buy themselves more time.  "We've already had kind of a sense of urgency built into this," said Josh Van Cleef, director of peace and justice office in the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, where they are working installing as much solar as possible before the credits expire as part of its goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.  "It definitely makes it even tighter for us to do this. It has shortened our windows significantly so, I would say." 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Read more here »   A top banker tried to sway Pope Leo XIV on rare earth mining by David Biller, Nicole Winfield, Associated Press The Vatican has long opposed multinational mining corporations, especially in Latin America and in favor of the Indigenous peoples, whose lands and livelihoods are often ravaged by mining projects. Read more here »   With Cuba in crisis, faith groups work to influence policy, deliver aid by Aleja Hertzler-McCain, Religion News Service U.S. Republican administrations have long seen faith groups as a cornerstone for humanitarian aid and community trust as they push for regime change in Cuba. Read more here »   National Catholic Reporter, Global Sisters Report win 45 honors at Catholic Media Awards by NCR Staff The National Catholic Reporter and Global Sisters Report received a combined 45 honors at the 2026 Catholic Media Awards. Read more here » What's happening in other climate news: Supreme Court rejects lawsuit alleging Roundup weedkiller caused cancer —Abbie VanSickle for The New York Times The EPA relied on an influential glyphosate study even after learning Monsanto was a 'ghost writer' —Nate Halverson for Mother Jones 'Every day it's more barriers': how the US is shutting out climate refugees —Oliver Milman for the Guardian Why Trump's algae problem is much bigger than the Reflecting Pool —Sarah Kaplan for the Washington Post Billionaire Rennert-controlled company settles Peru lead poisoning case for $150 million —Jonathan Stempel for Reuters A Trump ally's rise in Colombia could mean the end of landmark climate policies —Katie Surma for Inside Climate News A solar-powered rubbish-eating boat? The vessel chomping plastic waste out of the sea —Katharine Gammon for the Guardian Ancient 'Robin Hood' tree is dead, experts say —Asha Patel and David Pittam for BBC Final Beat: EarthBeat Weekly will take a break next week ahead of the July 4 holiday.  We will return on July 10. As always, thanks for reading EarthBeat.     Brian Roewe Environment Correspondent National Catholic Reporter broewe@ncronline.org     Featured Advertisers   Looking to Hire? Offering Retreats? Selling Books? Place an Ad in NCR's Online Classified Section for Only $75 per Month!   Advertisement