Texas Receives Stimulus Funding for Energy-Efficient Projects
By:
Megan Quinn
Texas will receive more than $545 million in weatherization and energy-efficiency grants as part of the economic stimulus package signed into law
by President Obama.
The U.S. Department of Energy will furnish these funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Of that total, $327 million
will go toward weatherizing individual homes as part of the Energy Department's Weatherization Assistance Program. This program helps low-income
families reduce their utility bills by making their homes more energy efficient. Another $218 million will go to the state of Texas to invest in
either renewable and clean-energy projects or improving the efficiency of state and local government buildings.
However, in order to receive at least $200 million of the federal funding, ARRA requires that Texas first adopt the latest building codes for
energy efficiency, which would require home builders to improve the minimum efficiency of new residences by approximately 15 percent. Legislation
to adopt the latest building codes are included in SB 16, an omnibus clean air bill by Sen. Kip Averitt (R-Waco), Chair of the Senate Natural
Resources committee. According to a 2007 report by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, if Texas adopted the latest building
codes and increased funding for the LoanSTAR program (a revolving loan fund which has helped almost 200 school districts and local governments
invest in energy-saving measures) by $200 million, the state would save enough electricity to power almost one million homes annually by 2020.
If you have any questions about this e-Alert, contact Megan Quinn at 210.978.7786
or mquinn@jw.com.
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