Doe Awards $128.2 Million To 30 States And The Navajo Nation To Weatherize Low-Income Family Homes
An award of $128.2 million to 30 states and the Navajo Nation to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income families has been announced by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Low-income families spend an average of 14 percent of their income on energy, compared with 3.5 percent spent by the average American. On average, weatherization reduces home energy costs by $218 a year. The program gives a priority to low-income households with elderly persons, people with disabilities and children.
The program is delivered through the states and 970 local agencies. Every state, the District of Columbia, the Navajo Nation, and the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona will receive weatherization grants this year. with the weatherization year beginning April 1.
The congressional appropriation for the Weatherization Assistance Program is $227.166 million in FY 2004, which is expected to assist approximately 94,450 homes. The funding this year is up from $223.5 million appropriated in FY 2003.
The program performs energy audits to identify the most cost- effective measures for each home, which typically include adding insulation, reducing air infiltration, servicing the heating and cooling systems, and providing health and safety diagnostic services. For every dollar spent, weatherization returns $1.40 in energy savings over the life of the measures. Other benefits include increased housing affordability, increased property values, job creation, lower owner and renter turnover, and reduced fire risks.
The Energy Department funds provide training and technical assistance for additional weatherization investments from the Low- Income Home Energy Assistance Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, utility public benefit funds and other state and local sources.
The grants being awarded today and the President’s weatherization request for FY 2005 are: State, FY 2004 Weatherization Grants, FY 2005 Presidential Request to Congress Alabama, $2,407,556
Alaska, $1,680,350
Arkansas, $2,070,568
California, $6,295,195
Connecticut, $2,506,917
Delaware, $574,894
Florida, $1,957,419
Hawaii, $204,314
Idaho, $1,973,522
Indiana, $6,551,417
Iowa, $4,989,424
Kansas, $2,530,561
Louisiana, $1,731,371
Maine, $3,068,227
Massachusetts, $6,548,606
Michigan, $15,190,413
Mississippi, $1,648,503
Montana, $2,519,458
New Hampshire, $1,508,657
New Jersey, $5,102,877
New York, $20,170,923
Ohio, $13,741,148
Oklahoma, $2,591,542
Oregon, $2,821,454
Rhode Island, $1,156,210
South Carolina, $1,775,540
Texas, $5,575,530
Vermont, $1,277,921
Washington, $4,540,287
West Virginia, $3,211,847
Navajo Nation, $322,620
