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Politics : Rat's Nest - Chronicles of Collapse -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (10037)	3/3/2010 11:35:05 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 24212

Energy savers may get rebates Posted 8h 25m ago By Julie Schmit, USA TODAY President Obama on Tuesday revealed details of a program to boost the energy efficiency of the nation's homes, create jobs and cut energy bills. The Home Star program, which needs congressional approval, envisions rebates of $1,000 to $1,500, or 50% of the cost, for simple upgrades, such as windows and insulation, for a maximum of $3,000 per home. Or, consumers could get a $3,000 rebate for a home-energy retrofit that cuts use by 20%. If more is cut, rebates could go up. The program could save consumers $200 to $500 a year in energy costs, the White House says. "These are big incentives," Obama said at a gathering in Savannah, Ga. Home Star's cost is estimated at $6 billion and would provide "an unprecedented level of attention for home efficiency," says Lane Burt of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Last fall, a White House report said that energy retrofitting can reduce energy use by up to 40% per home and cut home energy bills by $21 billion a year. Details, such as when Home Star would start, depend on congressional action. The concept, also dubbed "cash for caulkers," resembles cash for clunkers, which helped spur auto sales last year. Consumers could get rebates for a variety of energy upgrades, such as insulation, duct sealing, water heaters and windows. The government would reimburse retailers or contractors. Job creation could be a big selling point with Congress. It's been estimated the program could create 168,000 jobs in construction and related industries, said a release Tuesday from the Home Star Coalition, a collection of 500 companies and others urging Congress to support the idea. That would be a boost to a construction sector suffering nearly 25% unemployment. "This could put people back to work faster than anything else," says Larry Laseter, president of Masco Home Services, a home product and services company. Energy incentives have created jobs. Andersen Windows refilled 600 positions because of increased demand last year driven by a $1,500 energy tax credit, says Jim Humphrey, CEO of Andersen, which employs 10,000. The rebate "stimulated people to get off the dime," he says. The federal government has already provided $300 million for rebates on energy-efficient appliances. Most of that money is likely to be spent by the time Home Star could start, says Jeff Genzer, counsel to the National Association of State Energy Officials usatoday.com