Community Post

CD selected for new weatherization program

Today Mayor McGinn was at the White House to accept a federal grant of $20 million to help fund the city’s Weatherize Every Building initiative. And the Central District is in luck, as we make up a big chunk of the area that will participate in the program, as shown in the map at left.

The federal funds will be used to drive a series of programs that help people increase their home’s energy efficiency, saving them money and helping the city reach its environmental goals.

Here’s the key pieces:

  • Help 8,000 residents install compact fluorescent lamps and low-flow showerheads
  • Offer energy performance audits to 2,000 residents for a subsidized price of $95
  • Arrange discounted financing for large retrofit projects on things like windows, doors, insulation, and heating systems. Financing will be backed by municipal bonds and could be billed through your normal utility payments. The city will also help connect residents with a list of qualified contractors to do the work.

With the project now approved by the feds, detailed planning will begin to prepare for a public launch this summer. Performance audits will begin before the end of summer, and financing for retrofit projects will become available in the fall.

The program is estimated to create 2,000 new jobs, and will cut 71,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Stay tuned for a big public outreach process (meetings!) that will begin within the next few months.

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