NEWS
Stimulus
funds have Rendell seeing green
Courier Times
March 24, 2009
The governor took the first step toward grabbing
a share of the funds for Pennsylvania's energy reduction
efforts. While visiting a Bensalem window manufacturer
Monday, Gov. Ed Rendell staked Pennsylvania's claim
to $366 million in federal stimulus funding designed
to grow green businesses and create jobs.
It was essentially a housekeeping item - the signing
of letters acknowledging the state's role in decreasing
energy consumption - but, with a pen's flourish, Rendell
took the first step needed to receive the money. Most
of the green-energy related stimulus funding - about
$253 million - will fund a 2009 federal tax credit
for homeowners who weatherize their homes. The credit
would cover 30 percent of the cost up to $1,500. "There
is a benefit to homeowners who make their homes more
energy-efficient," said Rendell.
The Obama Administration is hoping the tax credit
has a secondary benefit. By offering an incentive
to weatherize, the administration believes the tax
credit will generate more business for companies that
make energy-efficient products. The greater demand
then would allow those companies to grow and hire
more people. Rendell made the announcement at Bensalem's
Accu-Weld because its windows and doors meet standards
the Obama Administration has set for the tax credit.
"Investing in energy conservation and weatherization
is a 'win-win-win' for America," Rendell said.
"It's three wins - a win for the homeowner whose
heating bills go down, a win for the nation because
it drives down our energy use and reliance on fossil
fuels, and it's a win for American companies like
Accu-Weld."
Accu-Weld, which employs about 140 people, sells windows
and doors through a network of dealers and distributors
from its manufacturing facility in the Bridgewater
Industrial Park. Company President John Haddon Jr.
said the stimulus money will allow Accu-Weld to hire
more workers. "The first thing we're going to
do is get everyone back to 40 hours a week,"
said Haddon, who explained the company had cut some
employees' hours due to the economic slowdown. "Then
we'll expand from that. "We've already seen business
pick up." Haddon hopes to see the company double
its workforce in the next few years. "We already
had products of the quality for the president's stimulus
package without having to do anything," he said.
In addition to creating jobs and helping businesses,
Rendell said the nation needs to be more energy efficient.
"There is no source of energy+that will meet
world demand by 2025," he said. "The only
way to stay afloat is to begin the process of being
more energy efficient." Over the din of manufacturing
at the Accu-Weld plant, the governor announced a series
of projects that will help businesses tap federal
stimulus dollars. The five companies involved in the
projects will receive a total of $3.7 million while
investing more than $19 million of their own money.
One of the five projects will take place in Bucks
County. Bridge Business Center LP, a Doylestown development
company, is creating new research and laboratory space
in a group of Bristol Township buildings that Rohm
and Haas formerly occupied.
Rendell announced Monday the developer would receive
$1 million to install an advanced energy system in
a 50,000-square-foot laboratory building. The system
will enable them to recycle waste heat from their
operations and use it to meet their energy needs.
John Anastasi can be reached at 215-949-4170 or janastasi@phillyBurbs.com.
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