Equitable economic energy efficiency : creating good jobs in low-income efficiency programming

Abstract

Energy efficiency is an important consideration in energy policy-making. So, a federal program aimed at funding "energy efficiency retrofits" for low-income households could be an important step in increasing the overall efficiency of energy use in America. If each eligible household reduces the amount of energy it currently wastes by weatherizing, the US could save 127 billion pounds of carbon dioxide. The Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program, that performs energy efficiency retrofits for low-income households, has been funded by over a 20- fold increase due to Stimulus Funding (formally, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009). This increase has caused a serious need for a labor ramp-up to meet the program implementation goals of 1 million to 2 million low-income homes weatherized per year, as compared with the previous level of 100,000 homes a year. This program will only work, however, if the necessary workers can be trained and deployed quickly. This need for labor ramp-up creates a puzzle though. The interests of expanding the weatherization effort quickly and effectively are often posed against the interest of creating quality jobs for marginalized workers. The stakeholders representing each interest-low-income energy efficiency advocates and Green Collar Job Advocates-are both working for the interests of the low-income people, creating some hope for a positive, mutually agreeable solution.

(cont.) This thesis attempts to bridge this gap by documenting how the need for thousands of weatherization workers might be handled in a way that not only stimulates the national economy-the primary goal of the current national economic stimulus effort--but also provides Auditor and Installer jobs for marginalized workers in a way that leads to fruitful long-term employment. Based on my review of ramp-up and weatherization efforts in Massachusetts, I find that collaborative efforts involving existing Community Action Programs, labor unions, Utility companies, neighborhood organizations and educational institutions that prioritize training for long-term skill development may well be possible to promote energy efficiency in a way that addresses both our long-term need to reduce the burning of fossil fuel and our urgent need to stimulate the US economy and improve the economic lot of the most marginalized in US society.