Today I attended the official launch of the Community Power Works program. I am thrilled to be a part of such an exciting project – Community Power Works will be working in Central and Southeast Seattle to provide discounted home energy assessments, rebates, affordable loans to make energy retrofits to homes, and energy experts to ensure that everything is done properly. Simply put, this program is good for people, good for the planet and good for our economy.
The launch today was held at the home of Dana Zimmerman and Allison Henrich in the Genesee neighborhood, shown here on the right.
I am fully supportive of this project because it accomplishes three great goals:
1) reduces our carbon footprint – the reality being that so much of the carbon we emit comes from existing homes that can be made much more efficient,
2) this project allows homeowners to have a better shot at retrofitting their homes, with the end result being a savings in energy bills and a house that is more competitive on the market, and
3) we will be creating demand to generate jobs and careers in a growing field with protections in place to ensure that these jobs pay family wages.
Speaking of green jobs, here I am, pictured below with John (far left) and Joshua (left of Mike), two gentlemen who came through South Seattle Community College‘s weatherization program and who now work for Sound Home Performance. The other face in the picture is Gil, a representative from the U.S. Department of Energy that made this grant possible.
Left to right: John, Gil, Joshua & Mike
I will continue to engage in this program as it proceeds and I intend to make sure that we leverage the $20 million grant that we received through the Department of Energy to its fullest potential. The program plans to reach 2000 homes and I want to make sure that the City Council works with them to achieve that goal.
For more information you can go to www.communitypowerworks.org or call an Energy Expert at 206-449-1170.