Cash For Caulkers Blog

Will the Nuclear Power Debate Resurrect Cash for Caulkers?

Cash For Caulkers — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 20:07:54 +0000

With the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the safety of nuclear energy has been getting a lot of attention recently. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel ordered the closure of Germany’s seven oldest nuclear plants pending a security review. The discussion of nuclear safety has been taking place in the United States as well.

Taking a step back, it has been many months since the governments Homestar program, commonly known as Cash for Caulkers, has had any political or media support. It has looked as if the program will never get off the ground. However, with nuclear power becoming an emerging issue, we can only wonder if the Cash for Caulkers program debate will surface again. Although the government is trying to identify ways to make spending cuts, the Homestar plan could help reduce energy demand and could be a logical investment in the country’s future.

Although the Cash for Caulkers program never made it to the Senate, the Department of Energy did announce the Home Energy Score pilot program. The pilot program ends this spring, and if it was successful it might be rolled out to more cities in 2011. Perhaps the current debate on nuclear energy will resurrect the principles of the Cash for Caulkers plan, whether it be in the bill that the House of Representatives passed in 2010 or if it is in the form of the Home Energy Score program.

Cash for Caulkers Doesn’t Get Mentioned in the President’s State of the Union Address

Cash For Caulkers — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:48:45 +0000

President Obama addressed the nation in the State of the Union address this evening. However, he didn’t mention the proposed Homestar, commonly known as Cash for Caulkers, program.

In Obama’s 2010 State of the Union address he stated his support for giving homeowners rebates for energy efficiency. Approximately four months later the House of Representatives passed their version of the Homestar bill.

In 2011 the polical climate is much different. The Democrats no longer have the majority in the House. Public pressure is on to reduce the deficit and Obama has responded by proposing a 5-year freeze on discretionary spending and by stating he’ll reject any bills that come to him with earmarks. Obama also called for investment in science, education, and infrastructure.

Obama’s only mention of energy was to set a new goal of having 80% of America’s electricity from clean energy sources by 2035.

With deep spending cuts on the horizon, a climate where earmarks will be challenged, no mention of Cash for Caulkers in the State of the Union, and Republicans ready to challenge the agenda put forth by the Democrats, it appears unlikely the Cash for Caulkers program will be discussed further anytime soon.

Will Cash for Caulkers Pass The Senate in 2011?

Cash For Caulkers — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 02:05:17 +0000

Contrary to what many websites are proclaiming, Congress has not passed the Homestar, commonly known as Cash for Caulkers, legislation. The House of Representatives did pass their version of the bill in May 2010. However, the Senate has yet to debate a Cash for Caulkers piece of legislation. If both areas of Congress were to agree on a bill, then it would be sent to the President to sign.

A lot has changed since the proposed Homestar legislation was sent to the Senate.

The Homestar plan was a proposal from the Democrats, not the Republicans. With the Democrats losing many seats in the November 2010 elections, it is unlikely that Cash for Caulkers legislation will be considered by the Senate in 2011.

At this time, the top priorities of Congress appear to be reducing the alarming federal deficit and debating healthcare legislation. There has been very little discussion of energy savings initiatives, such as Cash for Caulkers, over the last few months.

Keep in mind that the Presidents State of the Union address is expected later this month, and we should have a better idea then if he will champion the Cash for Caulkers legislation like he did in his 2010 State of the Union address.

Home Energy Score Program Launched to Grow Home Retrofit Industry

Cash For Caulkers — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:33:52 +0000

On November 9th, Vice President Biden and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu announced the launch of a pilot program to give homeowners information about the energy efficiency of their home.

The pilot program is called Home Energy Score and will be available in Charlottesville, Virginia; Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts; Minnesota; Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska; Indiana; Portland, Oregon; South Carolina; Texas; and Eagle County, Colorado. The pilot program ends in Spring 2011 and the DOE expects to roll out this program on a national basis later in 2011.

With the Home Energy Score program, trained and certified contractors will evaluate homes in less than one hour. A homeowner will then receive a grade from 1 through 10, along with a list of recommended energy efficiency upgrades.

Visit the Home Energy Score website to get full details on how contractors will calculate the score, and to see an example PDF of a score and recommendations.

The Home Energy Score initiative grew out of an effort from the Obama Administration that started in 2009 to develop Federal action to create “green” job opportunities in the United States and save consumers money by improving the energy efficiency of homes and businesses. While the Administration’s Home Star (“Cash for Caulkers”) effort is stalled in the Senate, it appears they are still making progress toward their goal by the release of the Home Energy Score pilot program.

Effect of Recent Elections on the Proposed Home Star Program

Cash For Caulkers — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 12:15:16 +0000

Here’s a breakdown of the legislators in Washington who have had a major role in the proposed Home Star legislation (“Cash for Caulkers”), and how they fared in recent elections on November 2nd.

Rep. Peter Welch, D-VT – Sponsored the House bill on Cash for Caulkers. Welch won his third term to the House on November 2nd. He said that job creation will be his top priority during this term. He serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Senator Jeff Bingaman, D-NM – Sponsored the Senate bill on Cash for Caulkers. Senator Bingaman was not up for re-election, but will be in 2012.

Senator Lindsey Graham, R-SC – Co-sponsored the Senate Cash for Caulkers bill. Senator Graham was not up for re-election, but will be in 2014.

Senator Mark Warner, D-VA – Co-sponsored the Senate Cash for Caulkers bill. Senator Warner will also be up for re-election in 2014.

Senator Harry Reid, D-NV - Introduced the Cash for Caulkers bill before the Senate on July 28, 2010. Reid won with 50.2% of the vote over challenger Sharron Angle, who had 44.6% of the vote.

So, all the key players of the Home Star legislation are still in Washington. However, the Republicans now control the House of Representative and made gains in the Senate. The question now remains will President Obama and the legislators listed above still push for the Home Star program?

What is Your Opinion of Cash for Caulkers?

Cash For Caulkers — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 01:23:09 +0000

Although Congress has been silent on the Homestar program recently, NPR recently published a story about how the Goldstar and Silverstar programs would work. The article generated a lively discussion with 78 comments. So, what do you think about the proposed Homestar program that the Senate needs to vote on? Are you in favor of it or against it? Why? Please leave a comment.

Harry Reid, A Supporter of Cash for Caulkers, May Not Get Re-Elected

Cash For Caulkers — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 16:02:52 +0000

According to Politico, early voting in two of Nevada’s largest counties has been higher on the Republican side, which does not favor Harry Reid’s bid for re-election. This reduces the already slim probability that a Cash for Caulkers bill will get passed any time soon.

As you may recall, in July Harry Reid planned to introduce the bill to the Senate and hoped to pass the bill before the Senate took a recess in August. The bill never came up for discussion and media coverage of the HomeStar program has been basically non-existent since then.

What Happened to the Cash for Caulkers Program?

Cash For Caulkers — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 23:35:08 +0000

The Senate returned from their recess back on September 10th. Contrary to the goals of some in the Senate, there has been very little discussion of the proposed HomeStar program (commonly known as Cash for Caulkers). With the possibility that the democrats would lose control of the House of Representatives in the elections on November 2nd, it is unlikely that any Senators would publicly campaign for the Cash for Caulkers program. With a projected deficit of over $1.4 trillion this year, the electorate simply does not want to see increased government spending, as evidenced by a recent Gallup poll which listed the economy, jobs, dissatisfaction with government, and the budget deficit. So, if the Republicans do strengthen their presence in Washington, it is unlikely that the HomeStar program will ever get passed. However, we’ll continue to monitor the Cash for Caulkers effort, and will post updates as they are available.

Department of Energy Awards $30 Million To States for Energy Efficiency

Cash For Caulkers — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:02:11 +0000

Although the Cash for Caulkers initiative appears to be stalled at this time, the government is still allocating funds toward retrofitting homes to increase energy efficiency. The Department of Energy recently announced awards of $30 million to twelve states for energy efficiency projects. This funding includes $22.5 million to retrofit buildings in seven states in order to increase energy efficiency. Here are the details:

A multi-state award was given to Massachusetts, Alabama, Virginia, and Washington to retrofit at least 12,150 homes by 2013. Then the program plans to retrofit over 75,000 homes by 2021.

In Nevada, funds will be used to expand their Home Performance with Energy Star Program with a target of retrofitting at least 5% of Nevada’s single-family residences by 2021.

In Maine, funds will be allocated to retrofit small to medium multi-family apartment buildings with the goal of reducing energy consumption by 25% in 2% of eligible multi-family units by 2013.

Michigan received funds to retrofit at least 2% of small retail food service businesses by 2013.

Visit the Department of Energy website for the full press release on this initative by the Department of Energy.

Will Obama Discuss Home Star details on September 10th?

Cash For Caulkers — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:19:24 +0000

Harvard University History and Business Professor Niall Ferguson told CNBC today that the White House may roll out tax cuts before the November elections. This story also jives with one from the Business Insider today which suggests the White House is preparing another stimulus, but the White House states that no stimulus is being considered. Business Insider speculates that focus group research might indicate a negative perception of the word “stimulus”, so it is likely any further economic stimulus will not be labeled so.

The question we ask is how does the Home Star program fit in with any potential economic stimulus package from the White House?

Perhaps the stars are aligning for the Cash for Caulkers program. The House has already passed their version of the Home Star program. The Senate is back in session on September 10th. And now President Obama has a news conference scheduled for Friday, September 10, 2010. Will the President be promoting the Home Star program during his news conference?