Weatherization program to create jobs

From a story on WGBA-TV:

Governor Jim Doyle today announced that Wisconsin is receiving $56,600,853 in Recovery Act funds to weatherize or re-weatherize more than 18,400 homes over the course of the next three years.

"Today's investments will save money for hard working Wisconsin families, reduce pollution, strengthen local economies, and help us move forward on our goals of achieving energy independence," Governor Doyle said. "Here in Wisconsin, we are moving quickly to allocate recovery funding, creating jobs for hardworking Wisconsin families, while ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly."

Today's installment adds to the $14.1 million previously awarded to Wisconsin for training and ramp-up activities. After demonstrating successful implementation of its plan, Wisconsin will receive an additional $70.8 million, for a total in excess of $141 million. Under the Recovery Act, the states may spend up to 20 percent of the funds to hire and train workers. The remaining 50 percent of funds will be released when states meet reporting, oversight, and accountability milestones required by the Recovery Act.

Typical weatherization work includes instrumented air sealing; insulation of attics, sidewalls and other areas that define the heating envelope; refrigerator replacement; electric water heater replacement; mechanical adjustments such as cleaning and tune-up; furnace replacements when necessary; and lighting replacement with ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescents. Wisconsin will supplement these measures with leveraged funds to provide freezer replacement and expanded health and safety measures that are necessary to maintain the indoor air quality in weatherized homes.