Biden Administration Approves $40 million to Lower Energy Costs

The U.S. Energy Department on July 8 announced the award of over $40 million to five state agencies and 21 organizations to enable U.S. households to increase the energy efficiency of their homes and lower their utility bills. The funding from the Weatherization Assistance Program, or WAP, enhanced by over $3.2 billion through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, would help consumers fix, electrify and weatherize their homes to save families money on energy costs.

The awards would provide $36.5 million to 21 organizations through the department’s Enhancement and Innovation program and $5.1 million through the Sustainable Energy Resources for Consumers, or SERC, to five state weatherization agencies. Beneficiaries of the Enhancement and Innovation program would concentrate on preparing disadvantaged neighborhoods for weatherization and electrification. The awardees of SERC would focus on incorporating innovative technologies such as heat pumps, photovoltaic panels, and cool roofs into energy retrofits. Also, some of the Enhancement and Innovation awardees would focus on employee development initiatives such as job readiness programs, coaching, and counseling with wages and stipends for trainers.

WAP is the oldest energy efficiency program in the U.S. serving all counties in all the states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories. Since its inception in 1976, the program has helped over seven million low-income homes weatherize and lower energy bills on average by $372 million yearly. When energy efficiency, safety, and health benefits are factored in, every dollar invested in the weatherization program saves the most vulnerable Americans $4.50. The program has historically supported 8,500 jobs and provided weatherization services to 35,000 homes annually. The investments create good, well-paying jobs, support workforce development, and retention; enable service providers to leverage innovative technologies in energy retrofits, and enhance the potential of applying these new technologies on a larger scale. The announced awards would also enable the achievement of the Biden administration’s “Justice40” Initiative, designed to deliver 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy and climate investments to disadvantaged communities.