RICHMOND, VA (Rocktown Now) — Governor Abigail Spanberger has announced the release of more than $67 million in available Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) funds that were previously withheld that would help families across Virginia lower their monthly energy bills by making their homes safer and more energy efficient. 

“Investing in energy efficiency is one of the most effective and impactful ways to lower monthly energy costs for Virginians,” said Governor Abigail Spanberger. “These services lower high energy costs for families, improve indoor health and safety, and support long-term housing stability across the state.”

The Commonwealth’s Weatherization Deferral Repair (WDR) program supports repairs to Virginians’ homes — fixing leaking roofs, repairing structural issues, making electrical and plumbing repairs, and addressing mold, moisture issues, or water damage. The funding will support critical repairs to more than 1,000 homes in the Commonwealth. Receiving $15 million through the RGGI, the program also helps Virginians access additional energy efficiency savings through the federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) by making their homes “weatherization-ready” and providing access to new insulation, air sealing, energy efficient light bulbs, and carbon monoxide detectors. 

The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) manages both the WDR program and the WAP through a statewide network of 15 weatherization providers. DHCD uses RGGI proceeds it receives for two programs: the WDR and the Affordable and Special Needs Housing program, which received $52 million in previously withheld RGGI funding to incorporate enhanced energy-efficiency standards into the construction, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse of affordable housing. 

In rejoining RGGI, Governor Spanberger and the General Assembly established new bill credits for residential customers and small businesses that will directly offset the cost of RGGI for families and small businesses in the near-term. This enables communities to continue to benefit from investments from RGGI proceeds — expected to be in the hundreds of millions for Virginia over the next two years — without additional cost. Across the RGGI program, the $5.7 billion in auction proceeds invested in energy efficiency and clean energy programs to date are projected to yield $22.6 billion in total bill savings for consumers.

Virginians can apply for funding to support home weatherization repairs and upgrades through their local weatherization subgrantee, and can click here to find the provider for their area. Click here for additional information about the WDR.