WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced Tuesday that the Department of Energy is providing more than $101 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to expand weatherization assistance programs in Pennsylvania. These funds, along with additional funds to be disbursed after the state meets certain Recovery Act milestones, will help to weatherize more than 29,000 homes, cutting energy costs for low-income families that need it, reducing pollution, and creating green jobs across the state.
Tuesday’s announcement also includes around $450,000 in weatherization funding for Guam that will help to weatherize approximately 200 homes in the territory.
“These awards demonstrate the Obama Administration’s strong commitment to moving quickly as part of the country’s economic recovery — creating jobs and doing important work for the American people — while ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly,” said Chu. “Today’s investments will save money for hard working families, reduce pollution, strengthen local economies and help move America toward a clean energy future.”
The Department of Energy also released a video today showing Chu visiting a Columbus, OH home as it is being weatherized. He is joined in the video by Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, where they discuss the benefits of weatherization and how funding from the Recovery Act is having a direct impact in communities across America. Click HERE to see the video.
Pennsylvania today will receive 40 percent of its total weatherization funding authorized under the Recovery Act, adding to the initial 10 percent of the state’s funding allocation that was awarded previously for training and ramp-up activities. The remaining 50 percent of funds will be released after the state meets specific reporting, oversight, and accountability milestones required by the Recovery Act.
After demonstrating successful implementation of its plan, Pennsylvania will receive an additional $126 million, for a total of more than $253 million. The state may spend up to 20 percent of its total funds to hire and train workers.
Pennsylvania will use its Recovery Act WAP funds to weatherize or re-weatherize more than 29,000 homes over the next three years. These resources will enable the state to achieve greater energy independence, increase demand for skilled weatherization professionals, and help low-income residents reduce their energy bills.
The Pennsylvania Weatherization Assistance Program is administered through the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), which works with forty-three proven local agencies to deliver services. Pennsylvania has a comprehensive plan for increasing weatherization activity while improving the program’s overall energy reduction performance for the low-income residents it serves. To ensure accountability, monitoring and reporting as part of its weatherization plan, DCED will add new oversight staff with expertise in areas such as financial management and technical assistance.
DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program will be available to families making up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level – or about $44,000 a year for a family of four. Weatherization projects allow low-income families to save money by making their homes more energy efficient, which results in average savings of 32 percent for heating bills and savings of hundreds of dollars per year on overall energy bills.
The Recovery Act includes a strong commitment to oversight and accountability, while emphasizing the necessity of rapidly awarding funds to help create new jobs and stimulate local economies.
