Efficiency First

On the eve of Thursday’s scheduled House of Representatives vote on the HOME STAR Energy Retrofit Act of 2010, USA Today has published a brief overview of the legislation and its potential to create new jobs for American workers in construction and related manufacturing. The article cites Steve Cowell, chairman of Conservation Services Group, explaining in clear and convincing terms how the proposed HOME STAR incentives differ from existing federal support for residential efficiency measures:

But why this program, too? Congress has funded federal tax credits for certain Energy Star products and efficiency upgrades, $300 million for the “cash for appliance” program, which states have been rolling out, and $5 billion in three-year stimulus funding to weatherize homes.

Not everyone is eligible for the last two of these three funding sources, and people have to wait for the tax credits, says Steve Cowell, chairman of the Conservation Services Group, which trains contractors nationwide to do home retrofits.

“Home Star fills the gap. It’s an immediate credit,” says Cowell, adding that many people struggle to come up with the total upfront costs of efficiency upgrades.

Read the read the rest of the article here:

www.content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/05/do-homeowners-need-rebates-for-retrofits-house-to-vote-on-6-billion-program/1