(Columbia, SC) Rural Star, the nickname of a proposed national consumer energy efficiency loan program, would create jobs and save energy and money for thousands of South Carolinians if approved by Congress. That was the message today from Mike Couick, CEO of The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. Couick joined House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) and Midlands Technical College President Dr. Sonny White to urge Congressional passage of the bill.
Clyburn is the original sponsor of the Rural Star bill (H.R. 4785, The Rural Energy Savings Program Act). Rep. Henry Brown (R-SC), Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC), Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) are also sponsors in the House. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is a sponsor of a companion bill in the Senate. Clyburn expects the House to take up the bill in the next few weeks. The program would provide $4.9 billion in federal funding for low-interest loans that could help as many as 1.6 million electric cooperative consumers nationwide make energy- and money-saving home improvements.
“We know that so many of the people who live in rural communities throughout South Carolina live in trailer homes, the least efficient structures that I’ve come across,” said Clyburn. “And if we can use this program to retrofit these homes, make them more energy efficient, not only will we be creating thousands of jobs, we will, in fact, be saving businesses and individuals significant sums of money in their monthly energy bills.”
“More than 1,500 good paying jobs would be created in South Carolina in just the first year of the program,” said Couick. “Within three years, that number jumps to 3,500 jobs.” Nationwide, a recent study indicated that the bill would create between 20,000 and 40,000 jobs.
“The energy and money savings potential in South Carolina are just as eye-catching, “said Couick. “Take Linda Butler as an example. In 2009, she was one of the winners of the co-op-sponsored ‘Help My House ’ energy efficiency makeover contest. After we upgraded her home’s energy efficiency, Ms. Butler started saving money immediately. Her power bill dropped from $523 in December of 2008 to just $95 in December of 2009, the first month after her home’s makeover. And in the 11 months since the renovations, she’s saved a total of $2,575.20. That’s pretty incredible.”
The cooperatives in South Carolina hope to create thousands of success stories like Butler’s if the Rural Star bill is approved.
“The effort to get Rural Star passed is a unique, bipartisan approach in South Carolina,” Couick added. “We’re thankful for the efforts of Rep. Clyburn and his South Carolina colleagues to bring this proposal to a vote. This bill offers an opportunity to put more money back in our consumers’ wallets, create jobs and reduce our need to build expensive energy generating facilities. This is a win for everyone.”
