Weatherizing program iced by budget cuts

A report issued Feb. 19 by the U.S. Department of Energy’s inspector general revealed that one of the hallmark programs of the federal economic stimulus program has proven a dismal failure. President Barack Obama’s much-heralded plan to create jobs and save on energy costs for low-income residents through a massively funded weatherization program has fallen far short of its goals.

Under the 2009 Recovery Act, $5 billion over three years was allocated for weatherproofing homes and apartments by such measures as improving insulation and replacing leaky doors and windows. States were authorized to spend up to 50 percent of the money they received under the program by the end of 2009.

As of Feb. 16, during one of the coldest and snowiest winters in recent memory, only 5.17 percent of the projected housing units were weatherized. In some of the largest states the percentage of homes scheduled for winterization that have been completed is even lower: 1.28 percent in Pennsylvania, 1.23 percent in Illinois and .03 percent in California. In Michigan, where DTE Energy shut off utilities to over 200,000 homes in metropolitan Detroit last year, only 1.15 percent, or 385 of the 33,410 scheduled for winterization, have been completed under the program. For five U.S. “territories” as well as two Indigenous nations, the percentage completed is zero. (ig.energy.gov)

Inspector General Gregory H. Friedman has admitted that the lack of progress is “alarming” and stated the program has neither saved energy nor put people to work.

Ironically, because of the economic and budget crises impacting every state, the very federal program that was supposed to help alleviate unemployment and provide energy savings to low-income people cannot be implemented.

According to the report: “[B]ecause of budget shortfalls associated with the economic downturn, certain states were under hiring freezes that applied to all employees regardless of the source of their funding, including those tasked with weatherization-related work. In other states, progress was impacted because personnel involved with the program were subject to significant state-wide furloughs. Further, the approval of state budgets was delayed in states such as Pennsylvania as legislators deliberated over how to address overall budget shortfalls. Lacking staff, states were unable to perform required implementation tasks necessary to handle the large infusion of Recovery Act Weatherization Program funding. Without budgets, states did not have spending authority and, hence, were not able to obligate or expend any Weatherization Program funds.”