I wonder if Oregon is in fact showing any leadership in rational funding of residential weatherization. It seems there already is a national movement in PACE, Property Assessed Clean Energy program. I heard that this week, in an interview of Bill McKibben, noting it is working in Vermont, and in California's Sonoma County.
An excellent review is presented by Minnesota state government.
Here is the California plan. 3179 projects delivered. Only through contractors who have bought into a BPI false ticket of credibility. The BPI contractor starts out with the lie he will guide actions with a blower door. Work may be aggregated to under-performing subcontractors.
Vermonters think they are doing better. Vermont delivery is through the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. VEIC operates Efficiency Vermont, much like Energy Trust of Oregon is now operating Clean Energy Works Oregon. Picking a tab that matters to me, Insulation and Air Sealing, I find a dead end. Where is PACE?
Oregon aimed to do right in its HB2626 of 2009. Now that is shriveled and dysfunctional in delivery through Clean Energy Works Oregon. 1200 homes served in a couple of years in monster dollops of $5,000 to $20,000. More than a cautious person is willing to take on as debt. Violating a golden rule that a loan is paid off in, say fifteen years, by resulting savings. Not really a big part of the weatherization needed and delivered. Poor people and renters disregarded. Good contractors like me excluded from the delivery, where I declare a lie the notion that that weatherization can be guided by blower door testing, and must be aggregated under home performance contractors, HPwES. The nearest I've gotten to CEWO as a work asset, was where a greedy contractor on the take was willing to let me install a needed attic ladder for his job, as a subcontractor. He no doubt would have pocketed more than my potential profit, as his due for buying a BPI diploma.
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Look at the Fiddler Crab. So attractive was the large claw to females of the species that the male ended up dragging around this enormous useless appendage that actually gives it an evolutionary disadvantage against other species.
SO it goes with Energy Subsidies. Some subsidies are glamorous and attractive. Every time the Oregon Governor and legislature jacked up Solar Subsidies, they got positive publicity and the populous said "Huzzah! Huzzah!"
So the subsidies became so large that a company could make a profit just by applying for them - without ever producing a watt of solar power. And so, companies formed for the sole purpose of exploiting Oregon's generosity. And the State gave away so many millions it busted its budget.
Improving attic insulation and providing good insulation where there is none is not glamorous. People turn away. It's got no vim or zip or Celebrity Q. So it doesn't get as much money.
Oregon is still paying companies to install Solar power to brew beer instead of helping people improve the efficiency of their homes. Which would give them more money to spend. Which would help the local economy.
What we need is less glamor.
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