Here’s a good news story — the Department of Energy (DOE) announced last week that it had reached a national target of getting 600,000 U.S. homes weatherized (including over 125,000 multi-family homes, like apartment buildings)… and the target was reached 3 months early!
“The Department reached this major milestone as part of its efforts to save energy and reduce home utility bills for families, while creating jobs in communities throughout the country,” the agency’s website stated.
“Through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, states and territories supported by the Department’s Weatherization Assistance Program set the aggressive goal to reduce energy waste in approximately 600,000 low-income homes with energy efficient upgrades such as insulation, air-sealing, and more efficient heating and cooling systems. The program is helping families save money on their energy bills and creating thousands of jobs locally – putting carpenters, electricians, and others back to work.”
From Green for All, where I ran across the news, has more on home weatherization and a great green jobs program in New York City:
“The video below illustrates how this puts people to work. From our partners at CEC in New York, it describes the scale of impact that weatherizing can have. Featured prominently is Thalia Williams, a single mother who finally found a way into construction through the CEC.”
What a great program, initiative, story, and so on! It gave me a lift!
Have you weatherized your home recently? If not, here are a couple posts on Planetsave on the topic:
- Preparing Your House for Winter & Saving Money (29 Tips)
- Cheap and Easy Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient – Leaking
