Congressman Paul Tonko has teamed up with Congressman Richard Hanna (NY-24) and Congressman Jim Langevin (RI-2) to author a letter calling on House appropriators to maintain funding in 2012 for the critically important Weatherization Assistance and State Energy Programs.

The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) helps low income families, the elderly, and the disabled save money on energy costs by improving the energy efficiency of their homes through replacement of windows and doors, adding insulation, replacement of old, inefficient equipment and other means. These households can save upwards of 35 percent on their energy costs after weatherization.

The State Energy Program provides cost-shared resources directly to states that are used for energy efficiency, clean energy innovation, and development and demonstration activities.

The legislators are requesting that both programs are funded at 2011 levels, to maintain these critically needed services. In their letter, the legislators wrote: “We recognize the difficult position facing the federal budget. But we also recognize the difficult position facing the record 38.6 million eligible WAP households and state budgets. As such, we respectfully request you maintain at least FY2011 funding levels for these two programs as we continue to progress in crafting a budget for FY2012.”

The full text of the letter is below:

December 2, 2011

The Honorable Harold Rogers                                     The Honorable Norman Dicks

Chairman                                                                          Ranking Member

Committee on Appropriations                                       Committee on Appropriations

H-307 U.S. Capitol                                                           1016 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515                                                 Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Rodney Frelinghuysen                        The Honorable Peter Visclosky

Chairman                                                                           Ranking Member

Subcommittee on Energy and Water                            Subcommittee on Energy and Water

2362B Rayburn House Office Building                        1016 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515                                                 Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Dicks, Chairman Frelinghuysen, and Ranking Member Visclosky,

As you work to develop the FY2012 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill, we respectfully request that you fund the State Energy Program (SEP) and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) at least at FY2011 levels.
 
The State Energy Program (SEP) is the only program administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that provides cost-shared resources directly to the states. This funding is used for energy efficiency, clean energy innovation, development and demonstration activities. SEP received $50 million in FY2011 appropriations, despite being authorized at $125 million. A study by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) found that $7.22 in energy costs were saved annually for each dollar of SEP funds. Additionally, each dollar of SEP federal funds are typically leveraged by $10.71 of state and private funds. We respectfully request you keep flat level funding for this program, all in base formula appropriations.

The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) helps low-income families, the elderly and the disabled by improving energy efficiency in their housing. It does so by working with local contractors and small businesses to do blower-door tests, better insulate houses, improve air flow, check for unsafe conditions and much more. This is especially important to low-income homes, whose energy burden is nearly five times that of non-low income homes. Low-income homes spend about $1,800 yearly on energy costs and can save as much as 35 percent after being weatherized. This is a win for the homeowner, the contractor, the environment and the economy – freeing up resources to be used elsewhere.
 
We recognize the difficult position facing the federal budget. But we also recognize the difficult position facing the record 38.6 million eligible WAP households and state budgets. As such, we respectfully request you maintain at least FY2011 funding levels for these two programs as we continue to progress in crafting a budget for FY2012.

Sincerely,

____________________                    ___________________                                  ___________________

Jim Langevin                                       Richard Hanna                                                 Paul Tonko