Pine Bluff Jefferson County Economic Opportunities Commission Inc. has received $501,323.12 in federal funds to continue to operate the Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides insulation and other measures to the homes of low-income Arkansans to make them more energy efficient, safe and healthy.
PBJCEOC, a private, nonprofit community action agency, has operated the program in Arkansas, Cleveland, Grant, Jefferson, and Lincoln counties. Now, it provides the service in those counties and in Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha, Drew, Lee , Monroe, Phillips and Prairie counties. Five other community action agencies now operate the program in the rest of the 75 counties.
The statewide program has been funded by the federal Department of Energy, administered by the state Office of Community Services of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, and operated by 14 community action agencies and another nonprofit. Since the program was begun in 1976, the agencies have injected more than $165 million into communities throughout the state to weatherize more than 78,000 homes, including more than 1,300 in the last year.
State legislation approved and signed into law in April transferred the program to the Arkansas Energy Office of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, which administers a number of other energy efficiency programs and incentives. The transfer became effective July 1.
PBJCEOC Executive Director David Knight said in a news release announcing the development that the program “is a vital part of our overall effort to help people of low and moderate income sustain themselves and become economically self-sufficient.” He stressed that it not only helps conserve energy and save income for other basic necessities but also “inspires clients to do more to improve their homes and helps strengthen families.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The more than $3 million that will be allocated to the six agencies that now operate weatherization will be provided by state OCS through its Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The funds are granted to the state by the federal Office of Community Services. Although DOE, the long-time primary funder, provided no funds last year, the agencies used DOE carryover funds and LIHEAP funds to continue to operate the program. DOE is expected to provide funds later this year.
AEO Director Scott Hamilton said in the news release that weatherization “is a very important program and represents the kind of work we’re supposed to do to help others.”
He said the program will “strengthen our effort to advance energy efficiency among customers, builders, businesses, industries, public agencies, institutions and others” and that “we’ll work to maximize every weatherization dollar and develop other funds and resources to expand the program to help more of the many thousands eligible for it.”
PBJCEOC, which has weatherized thousands of homes, including 100 last year, will be able to invest up to $6,904 in a home, free of charge to those who meet income guidelines: $22,980 for an individual; $31,020, a family of two; $39,060, family of three; $47,100, family of four; $55,140, family of five; $63,180, family of six; $71,220, family of seven; and $79,260, family of eight. (Add $4,020 for each additional person.)
The agency will continue to participate in a related program, the Arkansas Weatherization Program, sanctioned by the state Public Service Commission and operated in collaboration with the state’s seven investor-owned utilities. AWP weatherizes the utilities’ customers’ homes diagnosed as “severely energy inefficient.” The service is available to those of all incomes, but those whose incomes don’t meet the guidelines for federally funded assistance must pay for the measures they choose to have done. (The agency’s partners in the program are Entergy and CenterPoint Energy.)
More information about the programs may be obtained by calling PBJCEOC at (870) 536-0046.