Commentary
It’s dangerous to dismiss Washington’s shambolic diplomacy out of hand.
Eric Ciaramella
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Other
Weatherization—A Test Case
The Department of Energy’s Weatherization program is receiving $5 billion under the economic stimulus plan. Spending this money effectively depends on accelerated delivery, expanded participation, and long-term sustainability strategies.
Published on Feb 25, 2009
The Department of Energy’s Weatherization program, a 30-year-old program that improves the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income families, is receiving more than a 20-fold increase in funding in the economic stimulus plan. Can this money be spent effectively or is this throwing money at a feel-good program?
The initial answer depends on an accelerated delivery of the expanded program—training the energy retrofit technicians, marketing the program to an enlarged number of recipients, and streamlining its federal–state–local administration. In parallel, the program must expand the participation of its current public and private partners, particularly in southern states. The longterm success depends on constructing links with a broader movement for building energy efficiency, on playing a key role in revitalizing local communities, and on dramatizing the connection between building energy efficiency and climate change. In the end, success will depend on how success is defined—how we balance the urgent need to infuse spending and create jobs with our sustainable future energy, societal, and environmental goals.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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