Push to Help Families Lower Energy Bills Puts PA's Weatherization Efforts in Top Tier

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Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development

Sep 14, 2010, 03:56 ET

State 5th in U.S. for Number of Weatherized Homes

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since the federal government provided Pennsylvania more than $250 million to help low-income households save money by using less energy, the commonwealth has weatherized the fifth highest number of homes in the country, the Department of Community and Economic Development said today.

According to the most recent U.S. Department of Energy statistics, Pennsylvania has weatherized 8,370 homes since American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding was released. Ohio has weatherized the most homes in the country (14,931) followed by Illinois (11,114), California (8,923), and Texas (8,641).

"From the beginning, we have worked with our local agencies throughout Pennsylvania to help families fix drafty and broken windows, fill cracks in their homes' foundations, and upgrade heating systems," said E. Craig Heim, executive director of the state's Office of Energy Conservation and Weatherization. "Our success is their success because more than 2,000 individuals, working through local agencies, have been diligent in their efforts, and the results are proof of the impact we are having in the state."

The Office of Energy Conservation and Weatherization oversees the work of the state's 42 local agencies and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, which was added to remediate large buildings throughout the state.

The agencies that have completed the most projects, to date, are Action Housing Inc. (which completed 931 units in Allegheny, Greene and Washington counties), Energy Coordinating Agency (744 units in Philadelphia), Philadelphia Housing Development Corp. (691), Community Action Agency of Delaware County (665), and Commission of Economic Opportunity of Luzerne County (646).

The commonwealth has more than a year remaining to spend its federal Recovery Act allotment of $252.8 million, and it is still working toward weatherizing a total of 29,700 homes by the time the effort ends.

"The progress we're making today means we are in great shape to exceed our goal," said Heim, who added that Pennsylvania is on pace to weatherize more than 34,000 homes by the Department of Energy deadline.

The energy saved in the Recovery Act-weatherized homes would be enough to power more than 7,000 dwellings.

For more information on the weatherization initiative, visit www.newpa.com. To learn more about how the federal Recovery Act and related investments are helping Pennsylvanians, visit www.recovery.pa.gov.

Media contact: Mark Shade, 717-783-1132

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development