Letter to the Editor
Support SB 289
Published Sunday, April 6, 2008
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To the editor:
Act now to reduce your energy costs! State legislators are currently in session working on a bill which proposes increased funding for Alaska Housing and Finance Corp. programs for weatherization projects. It is Senate Bill 289: Home conservation and weatherization, and it’s urgent to ask your representatives in Juneau to pass this one.
Let them know the seriousness of the energy situation in the Interior. Let them know you’re struggling with your fuel bill. This legislation allows AHFC to assist Alaskans by expanding existing programs to deal with home energy conservation and weatherization without limiting it to low income. It would still give first priority to those most in need.
If you don’t qualify by your income, you can participate in rebate programs, and there’s a program for renters as well. This bill will offer us solutions for right now, while we plan and work to shift away from fossil fuels.
Conserving the amount of fossil fuel used is the most important action you can take to get your energy bills down. It will change how we use energy and how much of it we use. It will change our workforce, our local economy, and our personal budgets. The increase in demand for professional retrofits will create job training and employment opportunities for Interior Alaska. More of our income will stay right here in our community, and in our pocketbooks.
Please write your local representative today at www.legis.state.ak.us and ask them to support SB 289. Then write Gov. Palin and ask her to pass the supplemental budget with the $300 million to fund this bill.
Community Discussion
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The money for these programs will be at best available in the fall to AHFC and that means that at best it will be spring time before that funding makes it to Fairbanks due to the necessity to write program procedures. The money that they are reffering to is actually for the grant program, not just the Winterization program that most of us are familiar with. the grant is up to $30,000 for eligible families, the weatherization most people associate with this program (up to @$1500 per household) will still be in operation all year. On average, there are about 20 grants given in this area per year.
no
NO THANKS
No way. Middle class gets screwed again. Cash energy rebates are more effective as people can directly off set their energy bills. I just got a $900.00 oil bill. I have already put in a new boiler, new attic insulation and replaced all my windows and doors. This bill does me no good. I say contact your representatives and get them to give us cash per family to help cover energy related expenses.
I'd rather my hubby put in a day of overtime. Keep govt out.
just another government funded program. the people who truly need it aren't eligible for it. the ones who get it will just abuse it. most of it won't be put to use anyways due to the complexity of government paperwork... if it isn't easy people won't do it...
I'm not sure what everyone is worried about - SB 289 is a great idea. Weatherizing your home can end up saving about a third of your energy bill - not just one year like a rebate - but year after year after year. Plus, the reason they're asking for so much is so that more folks can get the weatherization help. The way it is set up now, only folks who are at 60% of the median income are eligible but if this passes everyone who is 100% of the median income or below will be eligible for weatherization help. If you're worried about the cost of heating your home but don't have the $$ to fix it yourself this is the program to support.
akgrl2002...what about those of us who have already done all that and are still being hurt by oil prices?
Chris that is a really important question and why SB 289 is only part of the solution. There is a bill - HB 152 - that Legislators are debating that would put another $300 million into developing renewable energy resources across the state. Because renewable energy is a fixed cost and won't increase like oil and gas, the more renewable energy we can use the less our energy prices will be impacted by these outside forces. Of course, I'm not saying it is an overnight fix or a silver bullet but it should reduce our dependency on oil and hopefully give us a break on our heating bills. Also, instead of giving everyone a one-time-only check, getting renewable energy projects going will help year after year.
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