Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeships under the Inflation Reduction Act

Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and Production Tax Credit (PTC) include prevailing wage and registered apprenticeship requirements for solar projects (above 1 megawatt in size AC) in order to access the full value of the tax credits.

On July 25, 2024, the U.S. Department of Treasury published the Final Rules for Prevailing Wage and Registered Apprenticeship (PWA) Requirements. Treasury also updated the FAQs for Prevailing Wage & Apprenticeship under the IRA, based on the final rules.

The July 2024 SEIA Webinar: Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeships: Important Updates in Treasury’s Final Rules covers key updates and clarifications in these rules.

It is important to note that to count as Qualified Apprentices under the IRA, apprentices must be enrolled in a Registered Apprenticeship Program, which means a program that is approved by the U.S. Department of Labor or a State Apprenticeship Agency.

For information on and assistance with navigating the Registered Apprenticeship System or Registering an Apprenticeship Program, please visit SEIA’s Apprenticeships in the Solar Industry page.