April 30, 2015 public statement

WASHINGTON (April 30, 2015) – On Thursday, April 30, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing to address proposed energy efficiency legislation. Of the 22 bills discussed at the hearing, only a few addressed residential energy efficiency, including SB 703, the Weatherization Enhancement and Local Energy Efficiency Investment and Accountability Act.

“Through its new construction and home repair programs, Habitat for Humanity has demonstrated that residential energy efficiency offers untold potential for families through better savings and financial security, for individuals through improved health and safety and for communities through enhanced job creation and improvement of their environment,” said Christopher Ptomey, Habitat for Humanity International’s director of government relations, in a prepared statement to the Senate committee. “Habitat affiliates across the country have seen how energy efficiency upgrades reduce the risk of mortgage default not only by decreasing energy costs but by significantly reducing medical and maintenance expenses as well. In order to strengthen and extend the local delivery of weatherization services to lower-income households, Habitat strongly supports the Weatherization Enhancement and Local Energy Efficiency Investment and Accountability Act. We thank Senators Coons, Collins, Reed and Shaheen for sponsoring this important piece of legislation and supporting this key but often overlooked aspect of decent housing.”

The Weatherization Enhancement and Local Energy Efficiency Investment and Accountability Act would reauthorize the State Energy Program and the Weatherization Assistance Program for five years and, importantly for Habitat, create a new competitive, leveraged grant program for multi-state nonprofits with established experience in energy efficiency work to retrofit homes for lower-income families.

View a full copy of Habitat for Humanity’s April 30, 2015 written testimony.

See Habitat for Humanity’s 2015 Shelter Report on residential energy efficiency.

Sign Habitat for Humanity’s petition to support the Weatherization Enhancement and Local Energy Efficiency Investment and Accountability Act and serve more partner families across the United States.