Rep. Welch introduces his REEP program at the home of Jason Van Driesche and Susan Munkres in Burlington

President Obama endorsed Rep. Peter Welch’s energy efficiency retrofit initiative as one of three components of a job creation program he announced Tuesday morning.

In a speech to the Brookings Institute, Obama highlighted the need for a national investment in home retrofits. Welch has been working with the White House and House leadership to quickly enact elements of his Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance (REEP) program in order to immediately create jobs and spur economic growth.

“President Obama made clear today the job-creating potential of investing in energy efficiency retrofits. His endorsement of efficiency retrofits is a vital boost to a program that will create hundreds of thousands of jobs that cannot be outsourced, reduce the energy use of millions of homes, and save billions in energy bills for homeowners,” said Welch, a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. “Now Congress must get to work and pass legislation that will immediately create jobs and restore our economy.”

Welch has led the charge on Capitol Hill for a nationwide retrofit initiative since he introduced the REEP program (H.R. 1778) last March. REEP, which subsequently passed the House in the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454), is designed to retrofit millions of existing homes and commercial buildings in an effort to increase energy efficiency by 20 percent.

In recent months, Welch has been working with White House officials and House leadership to immediately implement a short-term version of REEP as part of a job-creation program, known as 'Home Star' or 'Cash for Caulkers.' Welch’s initiative is designed to take effect immediately, combining a ‘prescriptive’ first track with rebate incentives for basic efficiency measures and a ‘performance’ second track tied to whole-house energy improvements.

In a memo to the White House in October, Welch wrote, “This federal investment will lay the foundation for a long-term, domestic home performance industry providing good jobs that cannot be outsourced.”

Welch subsequently organized a group of 44 House members who urged President Obama to include a version of REEP in the program he announced today. In his speech today, Obama embraced the proposal, saying, “I’m calling on Congress to consider a new program to provide incentives for consumers who retrofit their homes to become more energy efficient, which we know creates jobs, saves money for families, and reduces the pollution that threatens our environment.”