State gets $50 million to weatherize homes

Georgia learned Friday that it will receive $50 million in federal stimulus money to weatherize the homes of low-income citizens, and that’s probably just the down payment.

If the state satisfies federal rules for using the money —- and the state’s larger plan to boost energy efficiency works —- another $60 million will follow, the U.S. Department of Energy said. It is unclear when that money would be allocated.

The total package of $125 million in stimulus money for Georgia’s weatherization program —- $15 million was received earlier this year —- will go toward improving the energy efficiency of 13,600 homes in the state over the next three years, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said. It is part of the Obama administration’s push to reduce the nation’s energy consumption and help wean itself off foreign oil.

The weatherization program —- which includes sealing air ducts and adding weather stripping to windows —- was set up to help cut utility and gas bills for low-income families. Under the federal stimulus package, the income threshold for free weatherization service rises to twice the poverty level, up from 125 percent of it.

A family of four must make less than $44,100 to qualify for aid of up to about $6,000.

As part of the stimulus program for weatherization, states may spend up to 20 percent of funds to hire and train workers. Jobs include record keepers, people who determine which homes are eligible to receive help, energy auditors and quality control inspectors as well as the people who actually hire them.

As with every job created with stimulus money, these must be accounted for, said Shane Hix, spokesman for the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, which oversees the weatherization program.

These jobs —- typically called “green” jobs —- have been a major focus of the Obama administration’s $787 billion recovery package, designed to create or save jobs and help pull the economy out of recession.

States must apply for the weatherization money, and the Energy Department uses a formula to determine the size of each grant to the states. The northern states received more money initially, basically because the winters are longer and colder, and it costs more to heat homes.

That imbalance held until the Energy Department paid out a total of $233.1 million —- a threshold it has already passed in the $5 billion weatherization program. After that point, the money is doled out more evenly.

But even with more money flowing into Georgia, the program will not expand to cover more households, officials said.

“We don’t really do anything differently in terms of how the program is run, we just have more money per capita,” Hix said.

The federal energy department is reviewing the entire weatherization program to determine whether it’s effective and whether the money is being allocated the best way, said Jen Stutsman, an agency spokeswoman.

“We think the money is going where it needs to,” Stutsman said. “It’s spread out and helps create jobs and stimulate the economy all across the nation.”