FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 29, 2011
CONTACTS:
MARA LEE (Matsui) – (916) 498-5600
CHRIS CAPRA (SMUD) – (916) 732-5591
Congresswoman Matsui Joins SMUD for Showcase of Home Performance Program
Program is Making Sacramento Homes More Energy Efficient While Creating Over 750 Jobs
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-5) joined Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) officials at the home of a Sacramento resident, Mary Jane Lee, and her family, who are taking part in SMUD’s Home Performance Program. The event was held to raise awareness about the Home Performance Program, which is funded by $20 million in federal funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and to discuss the benefits for participating homeowners. The program helps subsidize the cost of a home retrofit to make the building more energy efficient.
SMUD secured a $20 million dollar federal grant to help assist its customers with improving the energy efficiency of their homes through the Home Performance Program. The funds were made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant awarded to the California Energy Commission, which is being administered by SMUD, and cuts the cost of home energy audits from $500 to $99. After the home audit, customers are then informed what improvements are needed to be performed on their home and told about the generous rebates they may qualify for – up to $9,000 per home and $2,800 per apartment unit. The Home Performance Program aims to retrofit 2,000 single-family and 2,500 multi-family homes, while creating over 750 jobs in the community.
“The Home Performance Program helps homeowners reduce their energy costs while putting local contractors back to work,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “This program is a prime example of the innovative ideas contained in the Recovery Act – helping turn our economy around while improving our nation’s energy efficiency and investing in clean energy technologies. But homeowners can’t participate in this great program if they don’t know about it. I encourage Sacramento homeowners to take advantage of this opportunity to improve our region’s energy efficiency and to lower your energy costs.”
“Energy efficiency is one of the world’s untapped resources. We don’t have to sacrifice comfort or change our daily routines to be more energy efficient,” said SMUD Board President Renee Taylor. “Efficiency is about doing the same or more with less. Even in California, which leads the way nationally, there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit to be harvested.”
“I am looking forward to a home that is more energy efficient, saves me money on my utility bills, and doesn’t waste energy or our natural resources,” said Mary Jane Lee, Sacramento homeowner and participant in SMUD’s Home Performance Program. “The Home Performance Program was an excellent opportunity to make these upgrades and save me money at the same time.”
“This program comes at an important time for our community,” Matsui added. “With the creation of over 750 jobs, this program will be a shot in the arm for our local economy, and make a real difference in lowering the monthly expenses of Sacramento families.”
For more information about the Home Performance Program, visit http://hpp.smud.org.
For an interactive map of Recovery Act dollars at work in Sacramento, visit www.matsui.house.gov/recovery.
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