We believe strongly in the following:

1 - We believe that the DOE Weatherization Program is a good expenditure of public dollars because it "works".   It benefits the low-income clients served as well as society at large.  We believe that the Weatherization Program has moved from a program that simply helps low-income families to a program that has national security implications. 
The President has called for our nation to reduce our dependence on imported oil.  Our clients do not have the financial resources to weatherize their own dwellings and thus, for the benefit of all Americans, it makes for good public policy to support the DOE Weatherization Program.  Conservation is the cheapest energy.   Therefore we call for the federal government to restore the DOE Weatherization budget and to consider increasing funding for this important federal program going forward.

Facts to support our position from National Studies by Oak Ridge National Labs and WapTac's Website
 

• Weatherization saves an average of 30.8% in gas space heating according to Oak Ridge Fuel Studies.  Click Here for more information on fuel studies performed by Oak Ridge National Labs.
• Each Year the 11,000 homes and apartments weatherized in New York State save in excess of $5 million dollars in energy costs. 
• Weatherization addresses more than the heating loads, we now address the Electric Baseloads as well
• Weatherization addresses many Health & Safety issues found in the homes weatherize such combustion appliances that are not drafting properly, Carbon Monoxide issues, smoke alarms, etc.
• Taken together, for every $1 invested in the Program, Weatherization returns $2.60 in energy and non-energy related benefits.
• Weatherization creates 52 direct jobs and 23 indirect jobs for every $1 million invested.
• For every $1 invested by DOE, the Program leverages $1.54 in other federal, state, utility and private resources. Agencies use leveraged resources to weatherize more low-income homes and to deliver more services while in the home
• Installed measures continue to benefit the client long after federal dollars have been expended
   

New York still has an additional 1.4 million households eligible for Weatherization.  We have a long way to go to serve all eligible households and  provide energy efficient homes for all NY families.

2 - We believe it makes for good public policy to use a portion of HEAP funds for long term benefits by using a portion of the states grant for Weatherization.  Weatherization of low income housing units can save more dollar per year than the typical HEAP grants thus doubling the impact on the low income family's budget.  Therefore we support the portion of HEAP funds appropriated for Weatherization to be increased to 25% as some other states have done.  
 

Facts to support our position
 

• HEAP recipients far too often live in dwellings that are not weatherized.  These homes can often use 10-15 times as much energy as homes that are energy efficient.  HEAP grants can have a much larger impact on a family if their home is weatherized.  Click Here for detailed explanation.
• For information on how the Weatherization Program relates to the HEAP Program see the Oak Ridge National Laboratory report on non-energy benefits of the Program - ORNL CON 486

3 - We applaud the NY Legislators for supporting HEAP with surplus state funds this year.  But with the high cost of energy, (the current energy crisis in NY is our "Katrina") and with the long waiting lists agencies have for Weatherization services, New York legislators needs to think "long term" and provide funds to increase the number of homes weatherized.  NY needs long term solutions as well as short term solutions.    Therefore we support the idea of NY State allocating state funds to support Weatherization at the same level that HEAP was supported, $100,000,000 but put into a trust fund to allow Weatherization to spend over time in a wise manor.

Facts to support this position

• Again the same arguments apply as the previous issue.  It does not make sense to provide HEAP grants to homes with no insulation.  Many low income homes use 15 times as much energy per heated square foot as the best Energy Star homes that many upper middle class families live in.  Click Here for more details.
• NY State has the distinction of being the state with the highest low income population in a state with high heating degree days

4 - We believe that the Weatherization Program is no longer simply a program that helps low-income families but is a program that now has national security implications.  We therefore call on the federal government to increase the funding for the Weatherization Program, not cut the program as the Presidents budget has done.

Facts to support this argument

• The President has called for our nation to reduce our dependence on imported oil.  Our clients do not have the financial resources to weatherize their own dwellings and thus, for the benefit of all Americans, it makes for good public policy to support the DOE Weatherization Program.
• Weatherization measures reduce national energy demand by the equivalent of 18 million barrels of oil per year according to DOE.
• Energy Conservation is much cheaper than alternative fuel sources.

5 - We believe that the era of cheap Oil and Natural Gas energy sources are over.  Energy Conservation is more important in 2006 than at any time in history.  We therefore call on our state and federal legislators to support low-income energy conservation.

Facts to support this point.
 

• There has been a great deal of media coverage on the concept of "Peak Oil" and "Peak Natural Gas" lately.  Though the concept has its critics it has now gained legitimacy after a 2005 study commissioned by the Department of Energy referred to as the Hirsch Report.  Click Here for summary of the Hirsch Report
• The concept of "Peak Oil" is now being discussed on the floor of congress by congressman Bartlett and Udall and others. 
  Click Here for important details and speeches by various Congressmen on Peak Oil
• Peak Oil issues now being reported by the NY Times and other major publications as well as the Oil Companies.  Click Here for information and links on Peak Oil issues.
• "Domestic oil production peaked in 1970 and continues to decline. Proved domestic reserve lifetime for oil is about 3.4 yrs. World oil production is at or near its peak and current world demand exceeds the supply. Saudi Arabia is considered the bellwether nation for oil production and has not increased production since April 2003."  This is a quote from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is dated September 2005 and available on one of the Military Servers at http://stinet.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=A440265&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

What NYSWDA Staff is doing for the Network on
Legislative Issues - Click Here

Please take the time to visit the links on this page, there is a great deal of important information contained on these links that relate to Weatherization

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