DOE Announces $30 Million for Energy-Efficient Housing Partnerships
July 20, 2010

The U.S. Department of Energy today announced 15 research and deployment partnerships to help dramatically improve the energy efficiency of American homes. These highly-qualified, multidisciplinary teams will receive a total of up to $30 million for the initial eighteen months of the projects to deliver innovative energy efficiency strategies to the residential market and address barriers to bringing high-efficiency homes within reach for all Americans. A total of up to $20 million per year will also be made available for the partnerships for three potential one-year extensions. These research and deployment partnerships will provide technical assistance to retrofit projects and will leverage industry expertise and funding to support DOE’s energy efficiency retrofit programs. (more…)

The White House announcement of a new Middle Class Task Force, run by Vice President Joe Biden, shows that even with the main focus on healing our ailing economy, the campaign promises of a greener economy remain a focus of the new administration.

“The task force’s first focus will be green jobs as a pathway to a strong middle class,” according to a White House Statement released with the task force materials. “Green jobs are jobs that provide products and services which use renewable energy resources, reduce pollution, conserve energy and natural resources and reconstitute waste.”

“At a time when good jobs at good wages are harder and harder to come by, it is critical we find new and innovate ways to create more such jobs. Building a new power grid, manufacturing solar panels, weatherizing homes and office buildings, and renovating schools are just a few examples of ways to create new good quality jobs – green jobs – and strengthen the foundation of this country at the same time. (more…)