MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle today announced that Wisconsin will receive $196,990,133 in weatherization and energy funding – including $141,502,133 for the Weatherization Assistance Program and another $55,488,000 for the State Energy Program. The funding is expected to create jobs for hardworking families across the state and renewable energy manufacturing opportunities for Wisconsin businesses.
Governor Doyle also announced today that he will welcome Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu to Wisconsin on Friday. While in Wisconsin, Secretary Chu and Governor Doyle will meet with local energy, business, and labor leaders and help weatherize a Milwaukee home. Earlier this month, Governor Doyle and Secretary Chu met in Washington, D.C. to discuss Wisconsin’s leadership in achieving energy independence. The Governor invited Secretary Chu to Wisconsin to view these projects firsthand.
“This important funding puts hardworking Wisconsin families to work and puts our state and country on a path towards energy independence,” Governor Doyle said. “I look forward to partnering with Secretary Chu and the Obama Administration in charting a cleaner and brighter future for generations to come.”
This funding is part of a nationwide investment announced today of nearly $8 billion under the President’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding will support weatherization of homes, including adding more insulation, sealing leaks and modernizing heating and air conditioning equipment, which will pay for itself many times over.
The Weatherization Assistance Program will allow an average investment of up to $6,500 per home in energy efficiency upgrades and will be available for families making up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level – or about $44,000 a year for a family of four.
The State Energy Program funding will be available for the development of renewable energy projects for clean electricity generation and alternative fuels; efficiency upgrades for state and local government buildings; and other innovative state efforts to help save families money on their energy bills. The funding will help create clean energy manufacturing opportunities for innovative Wisconsin businesses.
The DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program allows low-income families to reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient, reducing heating bills by an average of 32 percent and overall energy bills by hundreds of dollars per year.
Governor Doyle is committed to a clean energy future. His plan for energy independence includes:
Generating 25 percent of our electricity and 25 percent of the fuels for our cars and trucks from
renewable sources by the year 2025; capturing 10 percent of the market share for renewable energy and bioproducts, and utilizing Wisconsin’s tremendous capability for research to become the country’s leader in making alternative energies more affordable and available to all.
The Wisconsin Division of Energy Services provides services to Wisconsin qualified residential households with energy assistance and weatherization needs. For more information call 1- 866-HEATWIS (432-8947).
-30-