How many local governments in NEO--have applied for federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants?
Architecture 2030 [1] provides a template for local governments to use:
To address the economic crisis while simultaneously addressing energy independence and climate change, we propose to leverage EECBG funding to create a local mortgage buy-down program that offers reduced mortgage interest rates contingent upon renovating or building to meet specific energy reduction targets. To qualify for the program, a homeowner will be required to invest in energy efficiency retrofits, creating demand for construction jobs and generating much-needed private spending. The cost of the efficiency upgrades will be added into the mortgage, but, because of the lower interest rate, the homeowner’s monthly mortgage payments and energy bills will be significantly lower.
Our objective is to encourage households into the renovation and home-buying market to leverage private spending to pay for efficiency retrofits, creating jobs and a new market for material and product manufacturers, reducing the risk of mortgage failure, increasing home values, creating more disposable income for homeowners, and dramatically reducing home energy consumption and GHG emissions.
The 14x approach will leverage each $1 of stimulus money spent to generate $14 of private spending, create 14 times the number of jobs, reimburse the federal government $3, and return $1 to state and local governments. A portion of the tax revenue generated can be used to sustain the program for as long as needed or desired.
How easy is that?! So, what's the status NEO?
Links:
[1] http://www.architecture2030.org/