In my last few blogs, I have shared with you the ins and outs of the Copenhagen Summit, and what the changes might mean for Europeans and Americans. Now, President Obama has unveiled a new way to encourage Americans to make their homes more “green” while helping to put Americans back to work.
At the beginning of this month, Obama was in Savannah, Georgia to discuss a new program, called the HOMESTAR program. HOMESTAR would give rebates to consumers who made changes to their homes to make them more energy efficient. Here is what the program would do:
- Give rebates directly to the consumers in two tiers
- Tier 1: Silver Star Rebates of $1000-$1500 for projects such as insulation, duct sealing, water heaters, HVAC units, windows, roofing and doors
- Tier 2: Gold Star Rebates of up to $3000 for performing a “home energy audit” and then making necessary improvements to reduce energy use by 20%
- provide financing options for repairs
This program would offer new jobs for contractors, small businesses, and construction companies. Plus, some of the energy efficient housing parts, such as windows, are manufactured here in the US.
The Obama Administration hopes that this program will be as successful as last year’s Cash For Clunkers— another program that gave money for living a more sustainable lifestyle. Like HOMESTAR, the Cash For Clunkers program also helped to stimulate the economy by encouraging Americans to buy a car with a better fuel efficiency.
If you are interested in learning more about the HOMESTAR program, check out the White House Webpage.
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