Save energy. Create jobs.

March 4, 2009

By investing in residential efficiency, Americans can do both.

To restore the United States’ economic health, some things are essential: creating new jobs, supporting new investment and helping working families. As Americans are about to see, energy efficiency can be a driving force toward all three of these national goals.

The recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act increases funding for the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). This program, implemented by 900 local community agencies represented by the National Community Action Foundation (NCAF), enables low-income Americans to reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient.

In existence since 1976, the WAP has proven that efficiency is a sound investment. NCAF research shows that every dollar spent on the program returns $1.67 in energy-related benefits. The average household sees its energy bill reduced by 23 percent — about $400 a year at current prices. Over 20 years, the average home will save $8,000, and avoid 32 tons of carbon-dioxide emissions.

Now, with the expansion of the WAP, many more low-income Americans — three quarters of a million over the next two years — will enjoy these same benefits.

Just as important, tens of thousands of American workers will be trained in efficiency technologies and gain a marketable set of new job skills, through groups represented by the NCAF.

We estimate the expanded program will directly employ at least 46,000 new workers, and create more than 87,000 jobs through the purchase of trucks, insulation, heating systems and testing equipment.

To build this workforce, NCAF is partnering with ExxonMobil, a leader in efficiency technology. ExxonMobil has committed the largest-ever private contribution to community organizations that work with the WAP to finance innovative projects that will significantly expand weatherization and efficiency training.

Workers use state-of-the-art tools to diagnose energy waste and install high-impact efficiency measures such as sidewall insulation, efficient equipment and temperature controls. Through projects the partnership will facilitate, workers will learn additional techniques and best practices that are new to most American homebuilders.

David Bradley, NCAF executive director, has emphasized the importance of developing a career track for individuals who can transfer valuable energy-efficiency skills to benefit their local community and economy.  Residential usage accounts for 21 percent of all energy consumed in the United States.  By mobilizing a “weatherization workforce” to make U.S. homes more energy-efficient, we can save money, create jobs, and train thousands of American workers in the efficiency technologies so essential to our nation’s future.