Event Description

Home energy upgrades can reduce utility bills, make homes more comfortable and healthier, and cut emissions from greenhouse gases and other pollutants. But only about 0.2% of low-income households in the United States receive much-needed weatherization services each year. At that rate, it would take 500 years to weatherize all low-income households! Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity (R2E2) aims to solve that problem by bringing energy upgrades to people living in affordable housing.

To kick off the effort, ACEEE is hosting a summit on January 19 and 20 for states, localities, and community-based organizations to learn about how they can bring the benefits of energy upgrades to their communities. The free, two-half-day virtual summit will feature sessions on leveraging federal funding and community-centered approaches to scaling up holistic retrofits in affordable housing. Speakers will discuss how thoughtful collaboration can lead to home upgrades that save money, improve health, create local jobs, and lead to more equitable outcomes. In addition, the summit’s keynote speaker, Delmar Gillus, chief operating officer of Elevate, will discuss equitable access to energy efficiency and electrification for marginalized communities to ensure they benefit from investments in the clean energy economy.  The summit is free, and community-based organizations are eligible to receive stipends for their participation.

With the unprecedented federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, the bipartisan infrastructure law, and other federal sources, we have a one-time opportunity to invest in communities that have been left behind. R2E2 will work with communities to ensure we invest federal and other dollars to provide multiple benefits to communities facing the compounding crises of housing affordability, energy insecurity, and climate change. The opportunity before us is too great to pass up!