HARRISBURG – Gov. Edward G. Rendell announced that the first installment of $123 million in federal Recovery funds for weatherization will begin to be released Nov. 2, part of $253 million that the state will use for this purpose.
The governor said the funding represents an unprecedented level of investment that will help to create new, “green” jobs, save money for struggling families, and stimulate local economic activity as weatherization agencies buy required material, vehicles and equipment.
“The weatherization program stimulates the economy in several ways,” Rendell said. “It saves money on energy bills for people who need it the most, and keeps those dollars circulating in local communities because families will be able to spend more on food, clothing and other necessities. It also will create new jobs in the growing ‘green’ economic development sector.”
Pennsylvania’s allocation of $253 million for weatherization from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is the fourth largest in the nation; only New York, Texas and Ohio received more. The money will be paid over three years.
The first of the Recovery Act funds to the state’s 43 weatherization agencies, $123 million, will be disbursed Monday. Payments to agencies are expected to be completed by mid-November.
Pennsylvania will allocate the federal grant over three years, through March 2012, expending at least 50 percent of the Recovery allocation by Sept. 30, 2010. At least 80 percent will be allocated by the end of the 2010-11 fiscal year.
Recovery Act weatherization rules increase income-eligibility to 200 percent of the poverty level—$44,100 for a family of four—and the dollar amount for work per household, to $6,500, up from $2,500.
The commonwealth’s plan calls for weatherizing more than 29,000 units. By contrast, a little more than 5,000 were weatherized last year under the 30-year-old Weatherization Assistance Program. That program has served more than 475,000 low-income households and more than 1.18 million residents.
The governor proclaimed Oct. 30 as Weatherization Day in Pennsylvania to align with National Weatherization Day. Every household in Pennsylvania can take simple and effective steps to conserve energy, even if they do not participate in the weatherization program, Governor Rendell said.
A portion of the weatherization funds will also go towards increasing the number of centers to train and certify weatherization workers, from one to seven. The Department of Labor and Industry announced those sites on Oct. 28.
The commonwealth is establishing a strong oversight, monitoring and reporting program to ensure Pennsylvania’s transparency and accountability with the unprecedented infusion of funds, Governor Rendell said.
“The federal Recovery program – not just weatherization, but all Recovery programs – calls for funds to be expended quickly, but, at the same time, we are committed to doing it correctly,” Rendell said.
For more information about Pennsylvania’s weatherization program efforts, visit here, keyword: weatherization.
For more information about American Recovery and Reinvestment Act initiatives in Pennsylvania, visit here.
Editors note: A list of the state’s weatherization agencies, the counties they serve, and their three-year federal Recovery Act weatherization allocation follows:
Action Housing Inc. (Allegheny, Washington & Greene) $15,270,788
Armstrong County Community Action Agency $2,684,080
Berks Community Action Program $4,615,804
Blair County Community Action Program $3,477,104
Bucks County Opportunity Council Inc. $4,473,467
Carbon County Action Committee for Human Services $2,338,403
Center for Community Action (Bedford, Fulton) $2,663,745
Central PA Community Action Program Inc.
(Centre & Clearfield) $4,717,474
City of New Castle Home Weatherization
Program (Lawrence) $3,029,757
Commission of Economic Opportunity of Luzerne County $6,588,197
Community Action Agency of Delaware County $5,307,158
Community Action Committee of Lehigh Valley Inc. $6,323,855
Community Action Partnership of Cambria County $4,107,456
Community Action Partnership of Mercer County $4,737,808
Community Action, Inc. (Jefferson, Clarion) $2,562,077
Dauphin County Board of Commissioners $4,107,456
Energy Coordinating Agency (Philadelphia) $13,949,082
Erie County Housing Authority $3,294,098
Greater Erie Community Action Committee $3,334,765
HDC 3 (Lancaster, Lebanon, Chester) $8,784,262
Housing Authority of the County of Beaver $3,517,771
Indiana County Community Action Program Inc. $2,989,089
Lycoming/Clinton Counties Commission for
Community Action $3,741,446
Monroe County Redevelopment Authority $2,968,753
Montgomery County Community Action
Development Commission $5,083,485
Northern Tier Community Action
Corporation (Cameron, Elk, Potter & McKean) $3,355,100
Northumberland County Weatherization $3,029,757
Northwest PA Weatherization Inc. (Crawford) $3,192,429
Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency $22,318,832
Philadelphia Housing Development
Corporation (Philadelphia) $15,921,477
Redevelopment Authority of the County of Fayette $4,046,454
Schuylkill County Community Action $3,395,768
Scranton/Lackawanna Human Development Agency $4,920,813
SEDA-Council of Governments (Juniata, Mifflin,
Snyder, Union, Columbia, Montour & Perry) $5,185,154
South Central Community Action Programs Inc.
(Adams, Franklin, Cumberland) $4,941,148
Steel Valley Opportunities Industrialization
Center (Allegheny) $4,981,815
Tableland Services Inc. (Somerset) $2,846,751
The TREHAB Center (Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna,
Tioga & Wyoming) $4,351,463
Warren/Forest Economic Opportunity Council $3,334,765
Wayne County Redevelopment Authority $3,151,761
Weatherization Inc. (Huntingdon) $2,257,067
Westmoreland County Housing Authority $5,449,496
York County Board of Commissioners $4,310,795
