LARSON, OBAMA ANNOUNCE $102.85 MIL IN WEATHERIZATION FUNDING FOR CT
March 12, 2009
March 12, 2009
Contact: Emily Barocas/202-225-7295
LARSON, OBAMA ANNOUNCE $102.85 MIL IN WEATHERIZATION FUNDING FOR CT
Washington, DC – The White House announced today that $8 billion in Weatherization funding will begin to be released to states over the next few days. More than $100 million of this funding will come to Connecticut. Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, responded to the announcement. “Investing in Weatherization Assistance and the State Energy Program is one of the best ways to get money to the families that need it most. This money will help families lower their energy bills, it will put hardworking Americans back to work, help the environment, and it will put us on a path towards greater energy independence. As part of our American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, this money will offer short term help to Americans who have lost their job or are having trouble making ends meet, and long term solutions to end our dependence on foreign oil.“Investing in green industries is one of the most responsible and effective ways we can grow our economy in the long term. It brings money and jobs directly to our local economy. Fixing our economic problems won’t happen overnight. It will take time and a lot of hard work to repair the damage that has been done to our economy. But, with efforts like the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Weatherization Program, we are making great progress.”Background: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.This funding will allow the Weatherization Assistance Program to increase the average investment to up to $6,500 per home in energy efficiency upgrades and expand eligibility to families making up to 200% of the federal poverty level – or about $44,000 a year for a family of four. The increased funding and expanded eligibility will help an additional 17,000 Connecticut households save on heating and cooling costs.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; efficiency upgrades for state and local government buildings; and other innovative state efforts to help save families money on their energy bills.###