WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 12, 2009) - The Obama administration announced today that they will release $177 million dollars in weatherization and energy efficiency funds to Massachusetts, which could create more than 6,500 jobs in the Bay State. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Malden), who chairs key energy panels in the U.S. House, praised the move, saying it would reduce energy bills for consumers, cut global warming pollution, and put people back to work building a clean energy economy.
"These funds are the ultimate triple play for the Bay State," said Rep. Markey. "Thousands of Massachusetts workers will be hired, families' energy bills will be permanently cut by hundreds of dollars a year, and global warming pollution will be reduced."
These funds are pulled from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Rep. Markey held several hearings in his Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming on weatherization, energy assistance, and green jobs, and successfully pushed for increased funding in weatherization and other energy efficiency programs in the Recovery Act. The total national investments from the Recovery Act are about $5 billion through the Weatherization Assistance Program and about $3 billion for the State Energy Program.
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