N.M. Congressional Democrats Announce Over $22 Million In Infrastructure Funding To Lower Home Energy Costs For New Mexico Families
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) and Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) announced that New Mexico will receive over $22 million made available through the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) thanks to the Infrastructure Law.
New Mexico Congressional Democrats fought to expand WAP funding in the Infrastructure Law to help New Mexicans retrofit their homes, making them healthier, while lowering utility bills.
“When New Mexico homes use less energy, New Mexico families save more money,” said Heinrich, member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.“I’m proud to see the Infrastructure Law deliver investments that provide New Mexicans the opportunity to upgrade and weatherproof their homes that will result in lower monthly energy costs.”
Heinrich, founder and Co-Chair of the Electrification Caucus, continued,“With Democrats in control of both Congress and White House, we have a prime opportunity to create more dollar-saving opportunities that will help even more New Mexicans electrify their homes. That’s why I’m leading the charge on the Zero-Emissions Homes Act to provide upfront, point-of-sale rebates for the purchase and installation of electric appliances and equipment, like heat pumps. We are already making the clean energy transition more accessible to all Americans, implementing this rebate system will make it more affordable.”
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making a difference in New Mexico – helping lower costs for New Mexicans and making our homes more energy efficient. This investment in the Weatherization Assistance Program will support jobs and opportunities and provide support for thousands of households across the country,” said Luján.
“I’m proud that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes historic investments in the Weatherization Assistance Program, which will help New Mexicans across the state and help to address climate change,” said Stansbury. “By reducing energy costs for New Mexico families and increasing energy efficiency, this funding will help improve homes, save families an average of $283 or more a year, and support good paying jobs—all while saving energy and helping build a more resilient future.”
"Investing in energy efficiency and weatherization is a win for everyone. This program will reduce utility costs for our low-income families and ensure the health and safety of their homes. Let's build on these investments and continue to deliver for our communities,"said Leger Fernández.
WAP is the U.S. Department of Energy’s largest residential retrofit funding program. The program is designed to address the “whole home” including installing insulation, updating heating and cooling systems, upgrading electrical appliances, and taking other common-sense actions that will make homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer with less energy usage.
The Infrastructure Law expands the reach of WAP to help more state, local, and Tribal governments reduce household energy use - saving consumers money, reducing emissions, and improving the health and safety of homes in communities that are disproportionally impacted by high energy costs.
In addition to creating more energy-efficient homes, weatherization investments make homes more resilient to climate change, help create good-paying jobs, reduce energy costs, and support cleaner air and public health.
For more information about this effort, visit the WAP by clicking here.
