After showing a little common sense and tabling the issue a couple of weeks ago, the Greensboro City Council will revisit the Department of Energy’s $5 million weatherproofing grant. Let’s hope council member Danny Thompson —who says the program “sounds like it’s ripe for abuse”—– will show some leadership tonight. Same for Mayor Bill Knight.
Remember the purpose of the program is to get homeowners to take on debt to make energy-efficient improvements to their homes, with the idea being that energy savings will pay off the costs of the loan and then some. The N&R’s Amanda Lehmert contacted the director of the Long Island (N.Y) “Green Homes Program” that is providing low-interest loans to homeowners for energy upgrades and he said “(w)e aim to have homeowners slightly cash positive from year one.”
This program is already burdening the taxpayers and will serve to only serve to burden them further with more debt while bureaucrats and “consultants” reap the rewards. Let’s hope the council will have the common sense to spike it.
