Washington (March 31, 2022) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today announced that Massachusetts will receive $80.1 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). This funding is approximately 10 times greater than the state’s appropriated funding for WAP in recent years, and will supplement the annual funding Massachusetts will receive from the Fiscal Year 2022 spending bill. WAP is the Department of Energy’s (DOE) largest residential energy retrofit program. According to a DOE evaluation of the program, WAP recipient households save on average $283 or more every year through energy retrofits and upgrades, such as the installation of insulation, heat pumps, and more energy-efficient lighting.

“The cleanest and cheapest watt of energy is the one that is never used. The Weatherization Assistance Program is an important resource that enables low-income families to reduce their energy consumption by making their homes more energy efficient,” said the Senators. “We are pleased that Massachusetts will receive much-needed funding to help families lower their energy bills and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. We will continue to advocate for robust funding for weatherization assistance going forward.”

In January, Senators Markey and Warren, alongside three of their Senate colleagues, introduced the Heating and Cooling Relief Act to invest in and expand the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which coordinates with WAP and can provide funding for weatherization assistance. This legislation would increase funding made available for weatherization through LIHEAP and establish a new Just Transition Grant for states and localities to help reduce energy burdens for LIHEAP-eligible households and promote renewable energy usage.

###