LAUTENBERG, MENENDEZ APPLAUD $47 MILLION TO HELP NEW JERSEY FAMILIES REDUCE ENERGY COSTS

LAUTENBERG, MENENDEZ APPLAUD $47 MILLION TO HELP NEW JERSEY FAMILIES REDUCE ENERGY COSTS
Weatherization Funds Will Allow Residents To Make Homes More Energy Efficient

WASHINGTON, DC - Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today applauded a $47 million award by the U.S. Department of Energy to New Jersey to help the state's homeowners make their homes more energy efficient.  The funding will help weatherize more than 12,700 homes, save consumers money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create green jobs for New Jersey residents.

"This funding will save our residents money, save reduce energy use and create jobs across the state - it's exactly the type of investment we need to help protect the environment and jumpstart the economy," Sen. Lautenberg said.  "These funds are part of the forward-looking energy policy our country needs and we will continue to secure resources for New Jersey to improve energy efficiency and create jobs."

"For every dollar we invest in making our homes more energy efficient, we do three things - save our families money on energy bills, create jobs and clean the air we breathe," said Menendez, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee who also created the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants program for cities, towns and counties. "It pays to be able to comfortably keep the air conditioning and heating in our homes turned off for longer. In these tough times, this is exactly the type of investment that will contribute to our economic recovery and lay the foundation for economic security."

New Jersey will receive $47,500,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to complete the weatherization as part of the federal Weatherization Assistance Program.  Weatherization projects allow low-income families to save money by making their homes more energy efficient, which results in average savings of 32 percent for heating bills and savings of hundreds of dollars per year on overall energy bills.

The funds will be distributed by DOE as a result of the Economic Recovery Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in February.

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