In celebration of Earth Day, Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) applauded the announcement of $25 million in Recovery Act funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Retrofit Ramp-Up initiative, for the “Two Techs and a Truck” retrofit program in Boulder County.

“Increasing energy efficiency is the easiest way for individuals to personally make a difference in the global fight against climate change,” said Polis. “These funds will create a “one-stop-shop” for residents to retrofit their homes and businesses, helping families save money on their energy bills. I am thrilled to see recovery funds supporting this pioneering and innovative program that will help make wide-scale energy efficiency a reality in Boulder County and across our state.”

A long-time supporter of Boulder County’s retrofit initiatives, Polis submitted at $1.1 million appropriations request for the City of Boulder’s Comprehensive Energy Efficiency Retrofit program earlier this year. In Congress, Polis is Vice Chairman of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), nicknamed the “Green Dogs,” a focused, action-based caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives that has played an important role in the creation of climate change legislation.

The $25 million will allow Boulder County in partnership with the city of Denver, Garfield County, the Governor’s Energy Office, Xcel Energy and others to launch the Colorado Retrofit Ramp-Up Program that will stimulate economic growth and investment in Colorado through large-scale retrofits in neighborhoods and commercial districts in urban, suburban, and rural areas across the state. Delivery of retrofits will be coordinated through a “Two Techs and a Truck” program, providing on-site outreach, audit and implementation services to businesses and residential homeowners and tenants, including efficiency testing and systems installation.

The Retrofit Ramp-Up projects, which are part of the overall $80 billion Recovery Act investment in clean energy and energy-efficiency, complement the Obama Administration’s ‘Recovery through Retrofit’ initiative, which lays the groundwork for a self-sustaining and robust home energy efficiency industry. The awards are the competitive portion of DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, which was funded for the first time under the Recovery Act to help state, local, and tribal communities make strategic investments in improving energy efficiency, reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions.