Vice President Joe Biden and Energy
Secretary Chu today detailed an investment of nearly $8 billion in state and
local weatherization and energy efficiency efforts as part of the
President's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. With an
investment of about $5 billion through the Weatherization Assistance Program
and about $3 billion for the State Energy Program, the Department of Energy
will partner with state and local governments to put 87,000 Americans to work
and save families hundreds of dollars per year on their energy bills.
To jump-start job creation and weatherization work,
the Department of Energy is releasing the first installment of the funding
- about $780 million - in the next few days. The Department will
release additional funding over time as states demonstrate that they are using
the funding effectively and responsibly to create jobs and cut energy use.
"This
energy efficiency funding for states is an important investment in making
America more energy independent, creating a cleaner economy and creating more
jobs for the 21st century that can't be outsourced,"
said Vice President Biden.
The funding will support weatherization of homes,
including adding more insulation, sealing leaks and modernizing heating and air
conditioning equipment, which will pay for itself many times over.
"Even as we seize the enormous potential of
clean energy sources like wind and solar, the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act makes a major investment in energy efficiency, which is the
most cost effective route to energy independence," Chu said.
The Weatherization Assistance Program will allow an
average investment of up to $6,500 per home in energy efficiency upgrades and
will be available for families making up to 200% of the federal poverty level
- or about $44,000 a year for a family of four. [$55,140 for Alaska and $50,720 for Hawaii]
The State Energy
Program funding will be available for rebates to consumers for home energy
audits or other energy saving improvements; development of renewable energy
projects for clean electricity generation and alternative fuels; promotion of
Energy Star products; efficiency upgrades for state and local government
buildings; and other innovative state efforts to help save families money on
their energy bills.
The DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program allows
low-income families to reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy
efficient, reducing heating bills by an average of 32% and overall energy bills
by hundreds of dollars per year.
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