| 08, 2009 Volume 1, Issue 3 |
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The Weatherization PLUS Newsletter
Economic Opportunity Studies, Inc. | www.weatherizationplus.org
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White House staff member Van Jones and some of the newest workers in the Weatherization network at the DOE training conference in Indianapolis (Photo: Lina Karaoglanova, EOS)
National Weatherization Training Conference – Huge Success!
The Network turned out a record 3,200 participants at this year’s training conference in Indianapolis, July 20-23. The White House Council on Environmental Quality’s Special Advisor on Green Jobs, Van Jones, noted that the Weatherization Program will "send a hero into everybody’s house," and praised the Weatherization Network for its hard work.
EOS project staff attended too. We learned from participants that we should track and report back on:
• new training partnership models,
• innovative housing improvement strategies,
• renewable energy-WAP partnership, and
• financing options for 2012 and beyond.
(Remember: Technical questions may be addressed at the site, waptac.org. It’s packed with material. The conference presentations will soon be posted there.)
Are you or a colleague in the above picture with Van Jones? Send us your name and contact info, and we will send you the full-size (2 mb) photo file.
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News!
DOE Releases Final Davis-Bacon Guidance for W.A.P.
The Department of Energy released the long-awaited Davis-Bacon guidance for W.A.P. on July 21. The five-page document provides more detail about how to implement the Davis-Bacon provisions in the Recovery Act. The Department of Labor will make the final prevailing wage determination for 15 states by August 14. All agencies in the other 35 states plus DC must complete a wage survey by August 14 and will learn their wage by August 30. View document here.
News!
Weatherization Agencies Spent $1B in PY 2008:
2.5 Year Recovery WAP Will Mean WAP Is Triple its Old Size
The recently-released NASCSP PY 2008 WAP funding survey found that the WAP agencies in 50 states and DC together spent more than $1B on weatherization and "piggybacked" services. Just $239.5M was DOE-funding. A new EOS update analyzes this pre-ARRA funding "baseline" to provide the correct perspective on the Recovery Act growth challenge.
At 2008 levels, national WAP network spending over the 2.5 years without ARRA would be $2.5B. With ARRA funds and an increase in 2009 regular funds, there will be $7.4B total ($200M above base in 2009 plus $4.7B allocated to states and territories). The program will be about three times bigger for two and a half years.
Of course, the growth rate varies by state and the length of time planned for spending ARRA funds. Florida’s total program will be four times larger yearly than it was in PY 2008. Wisconsin’s program will not even double.
Exaggerated press reports have trumpeted a "22-fold increase." Weatherizers must re-educate their local officials and their press contacts both about their existing real capacity and funding and about how Recovery WAP will be implemented over the next two (plus) years.
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Opportunities: Act Now!
Training Program Grants - ExxonMobil has teamed up with the National Community Action Foundation (NCAF) to offer $4.5 million in grants for projects that enhance Weatherization’s training programs and build green career skills. NCAF is currently seeking innovative proposals to design and test new approaches. IT’S NOT TOO LATE!
Click here to download the RFP
Coming Up! Training Event - 2009 Combined Conferences: Community Investment & Energy Leveraging [CIF & NCAF] - November 1-6, 2009, at the Renaissance Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida, the 2009 CIF/Energy Conference will combine community economic development, green community investment resources, green-collar worker initiatives, energy programs partnerships, and advocacy resources.
Click here for more details and to register
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New EOS Reports!
Ready for Recovery: The Ohio & Louisiana Weatherization Program Progress Reports
The Department of Energy has assigned EOS to collect WAP ramp-up data from each state. The first two reports in the series are currently available on www.opportunitystudies.org/arra/.
You may have seen pessimistic press reports predicting weatherization will fail to put people to work and weatherize homes. The new reports will present the reality - weatherization is already working!
We want your data now and in the future! The new section on our Recovery Act page will feature these reports, ARRA progress reports, and success stories.
Contact Lina with your local information
News
Alex Moore Honored:
Richard M. Saul Weatherization Lifetime Achievement Award
The family of the late Alex Moore, senior technical advisor to the federal Weatherization management team, accepted the Richard M. Saul Weatherization Lifetime Achievement Award on his behalf at the 2009 National Weatherization Conference.
This Award was established in 2005 by the Weatherization Assistance Program network in recognition of the founding role of Dick Saul in creating the federal low-income energy efficiency movement and reducing the energy burden facing the nation’s low-income families. His creative spark ignited the Weatherization network. The award is given occasionally to honor an individual who exemplifies the qualities that Dick Saul brought to his work:
- Creativity in serving low-income communities;
- Intelligence in program design; and,
- Unrelenting focus on meeting the challenges facing America’s low-income families.
The Newsletter of Economic Opportunity Studies’ Weatherization PLUS Leveraging Partnership Project brings timely information about developments that expand the Weatherization Assistance Program to help your organization take advantage of emerging opportunities. Visit the Weatherization PLUS portal for more information.
Why You Are Receiving This Email
Your name is on a list of federal and state Weatherization Program contacts from WAP conference attendance records. Of course, you may unsubscribe (see below). However, we hope you will help us add the names and addresses of all who may be interested. Our promise: 1) We do not share our list, and, 2) The newsletter will be sent only when there is useful material for weatherizers.
Specific questions? Opinions? Subjects we should cover in the future? Email us at:
energy_leveraging_news@opportunitystudies.org.
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In This Issue:
» National Weatherization Training Conference
» DOE Davis-Bacon Guidance Released
» WAP Network Spent over $1B in PY 2008
» Energy & Environment Week at United We Serve
» OH and LA: The First "Readiness" Reports
» Recovery Project Branding Tools
» Alex Moore Honored
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Energy & Environment Week at United We Serve
President Obama’s summer service initiative continues!
Rappahannock Area Agency on Aging recently got a visit from Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine for a United We Serve project.
Other local agencies are being featured on the Administration’s blog. Let us help you showcase your volunteer projects of any kind. Contact Lina to learn how you can join this initiative or visit our United We Serve info page.
Governor Tim Kaine with Bill Beachy of Community Housing Partners on July 29, Fredericksburg, VA
Volunteers help St. John’s Housing Partnership WAP, St. Augustine, FL, a United We Serve event
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"Brand" Your Recovery Act Project
 Your agency is playing an important role in revitalizing the economy with Recovery Act funding. Your community deserves to know that the "stimulus" means jobs at home. EOS has a guide to the tools that implement federal guidelines for "branding" Recovery Act projects and demonstrate your role.
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Find us on 
EOS is now sharing its growing research and tools on Facebook. Become a "fan" to stay connected to other weatherizers. Post comments and questions in our "Discussion" section.
Also check out the Weatherization Partners group to meet other weatherizers and see what they’re saying and doing
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 You may now receive RSS feeds from our site. Signing up for our RSS feeds will keep you updated as soon as we add reports, weatherization materials, and news.
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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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