This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WABE and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.
Georgia is launching two new pilot programs offering rebates for home energy efficiency, the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority announced Wednesday. They’re funded by $220 million from the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration’s landmark climate legislation.
Experts consider energy efficiency a key element of reducing both power bills and greenhouse gas emissions in the face of rising demand for electricity.
“Energy efficiency is almost always the cheapest way to essentially generate a new megawatt,” said Jenette Gayer, the director of environmental advocacy organization Environment Georgia. “Making sure that we are not systematically wasting energy is maybe the most important metric.”
For individual consumers, improving energy efficiency reduces energy bills because they can avoid waste, like paying for heating or air conditioning that leaks out of poorly insulated walls and windows. The energy inefficiency of many older homes is a key reason many Georgians face a high energy burden, meaning they spend a large portion of their income on energy bills.
