Energy efficiency retrofits are a proven and cost-effective way to reduce the household energy use that accounts for one-fifth of U.S. carbon emissions—roughly twice the global warming pollution produced by passenger cars. Basic efficiency improvements can cut energy waste and carbon emissions by 20 percent to 40 percent, while actually saving money instead of costing the economy.
HOME STAR would be effective if all it did was save energy and cut global warming pollution. But the economic case for HOME STAR is just as compelling because it will quickly create tens of thousands of jobs and breathe new life into struggling manufacturing and retail sectors.
“Retrofitting America’s 128 million homes will be the work of private companies, but market forces alone will not move fast enough to avert the crisis at hand,” wrote Matt Golden, founder of a San Francisco home energy retrofitting company, in a recent commentary in Forbes. “The legions of unemployed contractors and factory workers desperately need jobs now to pay their mortgages and feed their families. While the private sector is ready to step up and invest in long-term growth, near-term incentives will generate immediate demand and allow private businesses to start hiring again, right away.”
We couldn’t agree more.
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