On July 8, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded over $40 million to 21 organizations and five state agencies to help American families across the country make their homes more energy efficient and lower their utility costs.

The funds from the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), bolstered by more than $3.2 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help repair, electrify, and weatherize homes to save families money on their energy bills.

In Pennsylvania, $2 million was awarded to the Philadelphia Energy Authority and the Philadelphia Green Capital Corp for the Built To Last Initiative which uses a novel approach to completing deep energy retrofits and electrification and determining the value of the impacts of holistic home repairs for low-income households.

Built to Last provides a powerful backbone that improves the efficacy of the existing Weatherization Assistance Program to layer, coordinate, and supplement home repair programs that achieve energy efficiency and weatherization, health and safety improvements that address social determinants of health, climate resilience, and preservation and stabilization of existing affordable housing.

Click Here for more information.

The Pennsylvania Weatherization Assistance Program was awarded funding to demonstrate that additional energy savings can be achieved in weatherized homes through expanding energy saving materials and technologies, specifically hybrid water heaters.

The project will target five census tracts that are Opportunity Zones and underserved rural communities (USDA-designated towns) in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

Click Here for the full DOE announcement.  Click Here for a list of grants awarded.

NewsClips:

-- Airport Geeks: Pittsburgh International Airport Sees Great Benefits Just 1 Year After Going Live With Microgrid

-- Utility Dive: Exelon, PG&E, PSEG, Other Companies Call On Congress To Pass ‘Ambitious’ Clean Energy Spending Package

-- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Pittsburgh’s Climate Change Achievements Welcome Global Clean Energy Action Forum In September - Green Building Alliance

Related Articles:

-- Pittsburgh's PNC Bank To Power Operations With Renewable Energy  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Wolf Vetoes Bill Prohibiting Communities From Moving To Cleaner Energy Sources To Address Climate Change  [PaEN]

-- PA Solar Center Hosts July 22 Webinar: Solar Made Easy For Communities - SolarAPP, SolSmart & GET Solar Communities  [PaEN]

[Posted: July 14, 2022]

7/18/2022