As Congress Offers Bipartisan Legislation, Dozens of Firms Send Appropriators Letter Seeking Funding for Energy Efficiency Programs
WASHINGTON, DC – RealEstateRama – As Congress resumed working on spending measures this week, the Alliance to Save Energy along with 69 other organizations, sent a letter to House and Senate appropriators asking them to support FY 2026 funding for the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and State Energy Program (SEP).
The letter said the programs create thousands of jobs, pay for themselves many times over and deliver energy security and lower energy costs for all Americans. Congress has shown support for WAP and SEP, but there remains uncertainty over what language will be included in any final FY 2026 spending bill. President Trump has proposed to zero out funding for these programs.
“These energy efficiency programs deliver significant private sector investment and direct benefits to all Americans,” said Paula Glover, Alliance president and CEO. “At a time when the administration has expressed concerns about the rising price of energy, energy efficiency programs such as these are a no brainer. They yield economic growth, and they help ease energy demand, thereby keeping costs in check.”
Since its creation in 1976, the Weatherization Assistance Program has helped improve the lives of more than 7.2 million low-income and rural Americans—individuals particularly susceptible to high energy burdens. Congress has consistently shown strong bipartisan support for this program, which enables upgrades that save households an average of $372 or more in average annual energy costs every year.
According to DOE, the annual funds provided by WAP support 8,500 jobs every year. Much of the program’s work is on the ground—performing in-home installations or maintenance—and these jobs support local economies and cannot be outsourced.
SEP provides formula funding to 56 states, territories, and the District of Columbia to enhance energy security, advance state-led energy development and grid modernization initiatives and increase energy affordability. Through congressional SEP funding, State Energy Offices realize substantial benefits for American families, communities, and businesses.
State SEP investments have:
- modernized State Energy Emergency planning and response to reduce the impact of natural disasters and cyber-attacks;
- cut energy waste and cut costs in more than 20,000 buildings;
- advanced cost-effective industrial energy efficiency actions to improve competitiveness;
- led energy savings performance contracts for public facility energy retrofits; and
- supported STEM energy education at K-12 schools.
The Alliance will continue to track all the action in Congress as funding for a number of efficiency-related provisions could hang in the balance based on forthcoming negotiations.
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ABOUT THE ALLIANCE TO SAVE ENERGY
The Alliance to Save Energy is a leading nonprofit, bipartisan coalition of manufacturers, utilities, technology companies, environmental advocates, and governmental leaders who are committed to advancing the role of energy efficiency in U.S. energy policy, and valuing its contribution to energy affordability, grid reliability, emissions reductions, and energy security.
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