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Welcome to the Newsletter of Economic Opportunity Studies’ Weatherization PLUS Leveraging Partnerships Project. It brings timely information about developments that expand the Weatherization Assistance Program to help your organization take advantage of new opportunities. The Leveraging Partnerships Project is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy to help your program grow. To get on our list for this FREE monthly newsletter and timely alerts, send an email to: energy_leveraging_news@opportunitystudies.org. We do not share our list or sell to you.
News
Wage Issues Logjam Almost Resolved
There are two final hurdles the federal agencies must leap so that approved state plans get funded.
The Network is gradually climbing over the first one: determining the correct wage "floor" for workers as every agency and its contractors completes the wage survey Department of Labor gave DOE to send out July 7. Fifteen states’ forms are due July 31. All other states will receive the forms this week (7/20), and they are due August 14. Download the survey and find instructions and a sample at our Recovery Act resource page: opportunitystudies.org/arra/
The second hurdle is to incorporate contract language about wages into all local procurement. Department of Energy is preparing the required clauses for states to use and official guidance for release soon.
New Resource
Recovery Act Weatherization Online Resources
The Network faces the welcome challenge of ramping up to unprecedented levels of energy efficiency investment with "Stimulus" spending on Weatherization. Our new page is dedicated to the expansion. Find news, models, planning tools, operations manuals, and technical training material. See reports on the ways others are succeeding (like our new Alaska case study.) Send reports, materials and tools you use for growth to l_karaoglanova@opportunitystudies.org. We’ll share them with the network.
Visit www.opportunitystudies.org/arra/ to see the resources.
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Opportunities: Act Now!
Weatherization and Green Careers - A Request for Proposal for a share of $4.5M in grants is being issued by the ExxonMobil/National Community Action Foundation partnership at the National Weatherization Conference. All winning proposals must involve one or more current Weatherization Assistance Program organizations, local, regional, and/or state. Get the RFP at www.ncaf.org.
Green Jobs Competitive Grants - Most W.A.P. agencies are eligible! The Department of Labor has issued its RFP for the use of $500M in competitive "green jobs" grants. Two of five categories are open to partnerships including community-based non-profits. See the RFP at our Recovery Act page.
Help the President’s "green" volunteer initiative succeed! Sign up your agency projects that use volunteers at serve.gov. Call Lina for help: (202) 628-4900.
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Any specific questions? Subjects we should cover in the future? Email us at energy_leveraging_news@opportunitystudies.org or call (202) 628-4900.
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Van Jones travelled across town from his White House office to join a D.C. W.A.P. crew. Watch the video at our homepage.
In This Issue:
» Latest on Wage Issues
» Opportunities - Green Jobs $
» Recovery Act Web Resources
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ARRA Myth-Busting!
Challenge cynics AND reporters!
MYTH: This year, the program is 22 times the size of last year’s program.
FACTS: Department of Energy managed $227M in W.A.P. last year, for sure. However, LOCAL Weatherization programs delivered $1B in services last year; they had utility ratepayer financed programs and state LIHEAP funds to integrate with their DOE dollars.
If there were $5B to be spent locally in one year, we would have a program 6 times bigger. There ISN’T. DOE will distribute $4.5B to states over 2.5 years, or $1.8B average per year. Therefore, the program each year will be 2.8 times the size of last year.
True, the federal agency must get all funds out fast and smart. DOE does have 22 times the work to do. A few states have 12-fold increases.
MYTH: These jobs are menial, make-work labor without a future.
FACT: This National Conference is the BEST answer to that poppycock. Too bad the President’s critics in Congress didn’t come.
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Future Funding for DOE W.A.P.
Where DOE W.A.P. Was:
» FY 2008 - $227M
Where DOE W.A.P. Is:
» FY 2009 "Regular" - $450M
» Share of ARRA 09-11 - $1-$2B
Where DOE W.A.P. Will Be:
» For FY 2010 "Regular" Program:
o President asked - $250M
o House Bill provides - $220M (passed
7/16)
o Senate Bill provides - $130M (pending)
plus $70M for special DOE projects
o Share of ARRA 09-11 - $2-$3B
» For FY 2011 and beyond:
o FY 2011 ARRA - "remainder" ± $0.5B
(House-passed Climate Change Bill lacks
any designated funds.) |
Our Project Staff:
Meg Power - Project Manager
Eli Nesson - Information Manager
Lina Karaoglanova - Project Associate
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Disclaimer: "This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof."
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