Ari Matusiak is the founder and CEO of Rewiring America.
Rewiring America is a driving force in the movement to electrify everything. As our homes transition to using heat pumps for heating and cooling, induction stoves for cooking and electric vehicles for transportation, Rewiring America has established itself as the go-to expert resource to help us navigate this transition.
Ari boasts an impressive background that informs his leadership of the organization. He has experience in affordable housing, philanthropy, and the Obama White House, where he served as a special assistant to the president and director of private sector engagement. In this role, he managed the administration's relationships with Fortune 500 CEOs, Wall Street firms, and other business leaders. He then held the position of Chief Strategy Officer at Renovate America, the largest residential energy efficiency and renewable energy financing platform at the time. He was also a co-founder and chairman of Young Invincibles, a national nonprofit focused on creating economic opportunities for young adults.
In addition to leading Rewiring America, Ari is the managing partner at Purpose Venture Group, an advisory firm and incubator focused on launching community-centered ventures to tackle climate change and economic inequality.
In this conversation, Ari discusses Rewiring America's origin story, core work, and the home electrification measures in the Inflation Reduction Act. He provides perspective on the current status of US electrification progress and how each of us can contribute to advancing Rewiring America's mission.
In this episode, we cover:
- [03:03]: The founding story of Rewiring America
- [11:51]: Hurdles of electrifying homes
- [15:58]: Tax credits available to homeowners through the IRA
- [20:27]: Stackable rebates and tax credits through federal, state and local programs
- [22:00]: Using Rewiring America's IRA Calculator to estimate benefits
- [26:40]: Empowering people to electrify their homes and become active community guides
- [30:50]: Countering the fossil fuel lobby with local storytellers and validators
- [33:49]: Insights from Rewiring America's Pace of Progress Report on electric product adoption
- [40:31]: Challenges and solutions to boost EV adoption
- [43:04]: State of rooftop solar in the Pace of Progress report
- [44:05]: Why rooftop solar remains essential
- [46:28]: Electrification options for renters and apartment incentives
- [50:16]: Ari’s outlook on electrification progress over the next decade
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Episode recorded on Aug 24, 2023 (Published on Oct 9, 2023)
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
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