More weatherization dollars up for grabs - The Business Review (Albany):

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U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Stevenj Chu said Thursday in Columbus that the departmentr approvedthe state’s plan to spend $106 or 40 percent, of the $266 million in weatherization fundinh that Washington will send to Ohio. The state in Aprilp got approval to release 10 percent of the fund s and expects to release the last half after the Energy Departmen treviews Ohio’s progress in allocating the money. Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland said the stimulusd money will allow the statd to improve the energy efficiency of morethan 32,000 houses ownexd by low-income families. The state typically receives $51 million from the federal government forsuch initiatives.
Some $5 billionn of Congress’ $787 billion stimulus packager will go toward homeweatherization efforts, and is seen as one of the firstr areas where the money will result in job Agencies such as the Mid-Ohioo Regional Planning Commission, Ground Level Solutionss Inc. and Impact Community Action Agency in Columbus havetold they’ved added employees and expect to hire more to meet the surgs in stimulus-funded weatherization projects. The moneyh will go toward helping low-incomre families improve the energy efficiency of their homes by adding sealing air leaks and modernizing heatinfg andcooling equipment.
The upgrades will be offerexd to families making up to 200 percentt of the federalpovertyt level, or $44,100 a year for a family of Eligible families can apply with area weatherizatiomn companies, which are listee with the state Department of Development at