Administration Announces $8 Billion In Weatherization, Efficiency Grants

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is encouraging state officials to get on the front lines of the government's program to revive the ailing economy.

Obama stopped by a conference Thursday with state officials gathered in the capital to discuss carrying out the $787 billion economic stimulus program. He said he believes the American people are behind his administration's efforts but also said that officials at all levels of government must spend the money wisely.

Obama told his audience: "You've got this wonderful mission. And it's rare where you get your chance to put your shoulder to the wheel of history and put it in a better direction."

Biden and Energy Secretary Steven Chu also announced $8 billion in stimulus money to be directed to state and local weatherization and energy efficiency efforts.

From the Vice President's press release:

Vice President Joe Biden and Energy Secretary Chu today detailed an investment of nearly $8 billion in state and local weatherization and energy efficiency efforts as part of the President's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. With an investment of about $5 billion through the Weatherization Assistance Program and about $3 billion for the State Energy Program, the Department of Energy will partner with state and local governments to put 87,000 Americans to work and save families hundreds of dollars per year on their energy bills.

To jump-start job creation and weatherization work, the Department of Energy is releasing the first installment of the funding - about $780 million -- in the next few days. The Department will release additional funding over time as states demonstrate that they are using the funding effectively and responsibly to create jobs and cut energy use.

Comments

[munki]

given a proper incentive... YES!

[collima]

Do you think oil companies should pay their fair share of taxes? I do, and so does President Obama.

In his budget, the President has proposed cutting billions of dollars in unfair subsidies and tax loopholes for oil and gas companies to help pay for critical priorities like clean energy and green jobs. After all, they don't exactly need the help: ExxonMobil made a record profit of $45.2 billion last year.

But Big Oil is already fighting back. So we've got to be louder than Big Oil, and remind our elected representatives that they work for us, not ExxonMobil.

I just signed a petition supporting Obama—will you join me? Just click here:

http://pol.moveon.org/stopbigoil/?r_by=15729-13460258-ehqR.7x&rc=confemail

Thanks!

[plantguy]

Just like any other business, creating green jobs means losing nuclear and coal jobs and don't say retraining for these people at their stage in life. If you want to stop the coal and nuclear industry , you won't even reconize our economy !

[Javani]

But, there is the Information Economy! promised back in time of NAFTA and other worker-busting trade programs were instituted in order to help Wall Street Finance get access to foreign markets.

[alvdh1]

The sky is falling. According to your logic, we should still be plowing the fields with horse drawn plows because the horses would lose their jobs. We will recognize the economy because millions of unemployed people will return to work.

[Ozarks]

Building a $30 billion dollar nuke plant, typing up $30 billion in required "Trust funds" to decommission a nuke plant and "storing" lethal isotopes for 1000+ years is not a recognizable way to improve or maintain "our economy".

[Davonne Rushing]

That' good, I DON'T want to recognize our economy! I want a BRAND NEW economy! An economy that's reliable, sustainable, and more efficient. I'm tired of the wasteful nonsense that we've had for so long. This is the 21st century, it's time for things to change. It's time for accountability and I'm grateful that I'm alive to see it this finally happening.

[BrianJDonovan]

Louisiana will create jobs by growing ethanol demand, specifically hydrous ethanol demand, beyond the 10% blend market.

Governor Bobby Jindal has signed into law the Advanced Biofuel Industry Development Initiative, Act 382, the most comprehensive and far-reaching state legislation in the nation enacted to develop a statewide advanced biofuel industry. The legislature found that the proper development of an advanced biofuel industry in Louisiana requires implementation of the comprehensive “field-to-pump” strategy:

(1) Feedstock other than corn;
(2) Decentralized network of small advanced biofuel manufacturing facilities;
(3) Variable blending pumps, in lieu of splash blending, will offer the consumer E10, E20, E30 and E85; and
(4) Hydrous ethanol.

"Field-to-Pump" is a unique strategy created by Renergie, Inc. to locally produce and market advanced biofuel (“non-corn ethanol”) via a network of small advanced biofuel manufacturing facilities. The purpose of “field-to-pump” is to maximize rural development and job creation while minimizing feedstock supply risk and the burden on local water supplies.

For more information, feel free to visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field-to-Pump

[Greenguy25]

This is much welcomed news, we are gearing up for the rapid increase in business prospects because of this spending and we will be hiring many to keep pace, so say what you will, GreenScene EMS couldn't be more excited.

We are looking for auditors nationwide:

http://www.greensceneems.com

[EllaBee]

This is awesome.

http://www.newurbanismblog.com

[QuinnIsIrish]

Come on rethugs, putting 87,000 Americans back to work and saving families hundreds of dollars per year on their energy bills is a welcome start.

Admit it.

Nope, didn't think you could. Sad. Pathetic. You wingers are just getting further and further out of touch.

[tjfdownsouth]

These statements wear me out. You seem to take the moral high groud that only the dems want to help people. I don't know of anyone from either party that wishes ill on anyone(maybe), the only disagreement I see is how we want to help each other.

But if you want to take this tack then i submit that by stealing the money from the taxpayers and falsely proping up this industry you are only going to create a fake industry that will become the goverments new welfare industry like farming.

[BobDobbs757]

I heard they were abloshing toilet paper in Australia.. too bad about jobs lost from TP factories.

[thundermummy]

Now taking bets on stupid rethug comments. Place your bets, place your bets!

[nogimmicks]

I am ready to submit one:

"The effect of diminished toilet flushing on energy and water conservation"

[LuckyLeif]

On energy, global warming, cap 'n trade, this Administration is running our country into the ground.
http://allanerickson.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/kerry-gore-kevorkian-twins/

[alvdh1]

The electrical and mechanical trade unions need to lead the nation followed by trade schools and community colleges when it comes to energy efficiency and alternative energy training. At the university level, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet need to extend their philanthropy to building high tech schools dedicated to training engineers, architects, business professionals and computer scientists in the field of green economics, energy efficiency and alternative energy. The universities would have waiting lists for admission before they were ever built. The avenue to changing the world is through the energy required to drive the world economies. You can pay me now or pay me later, thanks to Fram oil filters, always has some merit when deciding our future.

[Mildmannered]

operating wind farms and geothermal plants, servicing hybrid cars -- plenty of upcoming jobs and inadequate mechanical training facilities and schools

[forpeace]

*

It's about time ........... and this is good start.

*

[alvdh1]

I am looking for a President to hire an energy team that just says no to coal and nuclear power in any form. I am looking for a President who says the best application of solar and wind is on residential and business rooftops where the majority of the power will be consumed. I am looking for a President who says that energy efficiency will receive the lions share of the energy dept. and sitmulus budgets first at a level that will make a difference before one thin dime is spent on solar and wind.

Here is something for the energy secretary to chew on: You are the alleged energy efficiency guru and their is nothing that remotely resembles energy efficiency when it comes to nuclear power and the bogus clean coal initiatives being proposed. Both are boondoggles when it comes to the most bang for the buck when it involves our tax dollars.

Therefore Mr. President and Mr. Energy Secretary, please appropriate $100 billion plus per year to energy efficiency until we are the model of the world and then provide complete access to the grid by removing all barriers to access and allow us to get paid full retail rates for our excess capacity. Doing nothing less will ensure that Washington and many other coastal cities will gobble up trillions of dollars when they are displaced from rising sea water.

[RTIII]

I see we are on the same page; thanks for posting - I haven't the time at the moment!
.

[Koreanovice]

Sometimes, you have to start slow before you go full bore.

[billionaireby16]

I am looking to go to school for Certification and a Degree in Renewable Energy & Alternative Techonology, and you know what I found? I found that there's only 15-17 schools in NORTH AMERICA THAT OFFER ANY TYPE OF DEGREE OR CERTIFICATION IN RENEWABLE ENERGY....

So I said, "Hmmmmm... I thought e were suppossed to be going Green." Instantly, I asked myself, "Does Europe, who's considerably ahead of the United States and the World in Alternative Energy, have the same number of AVAILABLE PROGRAMS or MORE?"

Sure enough.... I found out that MOST Renewable Energy Programs IN THE WORLD are located in Europe. Moroever, their number of programs in comparison to those of the United States exceed us by nearly a 2 to 1 Margin!!!

Bottom Line, we NEED to get this stuff in the CLASSROOM.... Please, spread the WORD!!!

[Koreanovice]

I think he's making a good start!