Obama Talks Benefits of Home Energy Conservation at Home Depot

Posted by Jared Killeen on December 16, 2009 at 1:02 pm

Obama talks weatherization and energy efficiency at a Home Depot in Alexandria, Virginia. (image: reuters.com)

Standing in a Home Depot in Alexandria, Virginia, President Obama yesterday made known his most private thoughts on home weatherization. “I know the idea may not be very glamorous, although I get really excited about it,” the president said, according to ABC News. “Here’s what’s sexy about it: saving money.” Rather than ignite a Clintonian scandal, Obama’s candid fetishizing of home energy efficiency is meant to make retrofitting more appealing to the general public. Mindful of the old advertising adage “sex sells,” the president has made himself the campaign’s leading spokesperson, one who’s unafraid to talk dirty if it means making American homes more energy-efficient.

President Obama’s “Cash for Caulkers” proposal would reimburse homeowners for energy-efficient appliances and insulation as part of a broader plan to stimulate the economy and create jobs. The proposal includes designation of money for homeowners who undertake home efficiency improvements, while also offering funding to companies in the renewable energy and energy-efficiency sectors. Individual homeowners could receive up to $12,000 for weatherization-related expenditures. Backed by the promise of cash rebates, retrofitting suddenly becomes a rather—uh—enticing prospect.

The Obama administration has long been a proponent of energy efficiency. In September, US Energy Secretary Steven Chu unveiled a $454 million fund to promote home and business energy efficiency. Around $390 million of these funds went toward neighborhood-sized projects including public and private partnerships, retrofitting and energy auditing programs, and alternative financing initiatives. Around the same time, Vice President Joseph Biden and the Council on Environmental Quality released a report titled “Recovery Through Retrofit,” which outlined a strategy to encourage Americans to retrofit their homes and save a combined $21 billion each year in energy costs.

Just as importantly, the Department of Energy now provides much useful information on its website concerning home energy efficiency.

Homeowners may consult the site to gain a better idea of the money they might save on heating costs if they were to weatherize their homes. The site also provides advice on how homeowners may conduct a home-energy audit to determine their home’s efficiency.

Within the last several months, numerous state programs have begun using federal stimulus money to weatherize homes. Many states, hoping to cut emissions and hold down heating and electricity bills, have also ramped up local spending on weatherization programs. Compared with building new, cleaner power plants, investments in efficiency are cheaper and provide a quicker return on investment. Annual spending on these programs is expected to increase from $3.1 billion in 2008 to $7.5 billion to $12.4 billion by 2020, according to a study released in October by the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

HeatingOil.com reported in November that the Denver-based Laborers’ International Union of North America had begun training workers to retrofit homes, making them cleaner and more energy efficient. In October, the Young Mainers Weatherization Corps began using federal money to weatherize homes against the brutal Maine winter. To date, the Young Mainers have retrofitted dozens of homes, making them more energy efficient and easier to maintain; by 2030, the group hopes to have weatherized 100 percent of residences and 50 percent of businesses in the state.

There are few downsides to home weatherization, and perhaps that explains why President Obama is so smitten with the idea of making America more energy efficient. Not only will the widespread weatherization of homes create jobs and stimulate the economy, but retrofitting programs will ultimately lead to lower heating bills. Homeowners will require less oil and gas to heat their homes, and this decrease in demand will likely result in an overall price drop. Sexy, indeed.

Watch a video clip from President Obama’s speech at Home Depot below:

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