Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance Program Act
At a Capitol Hill press conference on Thursday, March 26, 2009, Representative Peter Welch (D-VT) outlined the components of a new energy efficiency bill (H.R. 1778) that would help retrofit millions of homes and commercial buildings, thereby increasing efficiency by 20% or more nationally. The Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance Program Act, as it is called, would fund state and municipal investments up to half the cost associated with retrofitting existing homes and buildings. The bill also includes provisions that encourage owners of historic structures to make appropriate energy efficiency improvements.
The proposal provides $2.5 billion to states annually from FY10-FY13 through the existing state energy program formula. Both homeowners and business owners could qualify for financial incentives for achieving increases in efficiency, with the amount dependent on the overall percentage of improved efficiency. Incentives for both homes and commercial buildings would be capped at 50% of the cost of retrofits. Historic buildings listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places would qualify for 120% of these same awards for funding energy efficiency.
The bill has the endorsement of a number of national interest groups, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the U.S. Green Building Council, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. At the press event, National Trust Vice President for Public Policy Emily Wadhams acknowledged support for the legislation, adding that it would create jobs while promoting building reuse, reinvestment in older communities, and the greening of existing buildings to combat climate change. The goals of the bill are very much in line with the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Sustainability Initiative, which focuses on the importance of reusing existing buildings and reinvesting in older and historic communities as critical elements in combating climate change.
Importantly, the bill was incorporated in its entirety into the energy efficiency section of a comprehensive piece of climate change legislation that is currently in the House. The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, authored by House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman and Subcommittee on Energy and Environment Chairman Edward Markey, will create millions of new clean energy jobs, save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars in energy costs, enhance America's energy independence, and cut global warming pollution.
Please stayed tuned to PreservationNation.org as we continue to track this important piece legislation through Congress, as well as report on its significance to preservation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Sustainability Initiative.
Submitted by Clark at: November 5, 2009
I am interested in getting involved in doing this work in New Orleans