Reed Helps Lead Bipartisan Push to Speed Up Distribution of Cost-Saving Residential Weatherization Funding

WASHINGTON, DC - As the Trump Administration's actions and policies continues to increase energy costs on American families and businesses, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is teaming up with Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) on bipartisan legislation addressing residential energy affordability, reliability, and tangible public benefits.

The U.S. Senators say their bill is needed to ensure federal grant funding from the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and State Energy Program (SEP) that has already been approved by Congress is distributed without delay to state agencies and local partners that implement these cost-saving energy initiatives.

The Investing in State Energy Act of 2026 comes as Trump Administration officials at the U.S. Department of Energy delay the distribution of more than $420 million in grant funding from both WAP and SEP despite the rising cost of energy.

Last year, Rhode Island received $1,863,055 for WAP funds and received $496,310 for SEP, but still has not yet received its 2026 allotment.

"Right now, the cost of everything is up, and energy prices are no exception. It's critical that federal funding from these two programs be distributed quickly so that families can make energy efficiency upgrades to lower their utility bills and states can invest in efforts that make energy more reliable and affordable," said Senator Shaheen, the lead sponsor of the bill. "Our bipartisan legislation would ensure that the Department of Energy is making this funding available in a timely manner, delivering much-needed certainty to states and localities and financial relief to American households."

"The Weatherization Assistance Program and the State Energy Program are proven, cost-effective ways to permanently reduce energy usage and lower home energy bills for low-income Mainers," said Senator Collins. "By preventing unnecessary delays in the distribution of these funds, this bipartisan bill would give states the certainty they need to plan effectively and help more families affordably weatherize and heat their homes."

"The Trump Administration is driving up energy prices and throttling back federal aid. These bipartisan programs provide real relief and have a proven track record of success. The Investing in State Energy Act would put a stop to needless delay and get this critical funding out the door to help all fifty states lower energy costs," said Senator Reed.

For every $1 invested by the U.S. Department of Energy, WAP generates $1.72 in energy savings and $2.78 in non-energy benefits, including improved health, according to the non-profit Alliance to Save Energy.

For more than 40 years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and State Energy Program (SEP) have provided technical and financial assistance to states, tribal governments and U.S. territories to encourage the adoption of clean energy and energy efficiency practices and technologies. WAP enables income-eligible families, older adults, veterans and individuals with disabilities to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, freeing up limited resources for other essentials like food and medicine. SEP provides cost-shared resources directly to the states for allocations by the governor-designated State Energy Office to support energy projects, such as energy emergency planning and response, private sector innovation in clean energy and state-driven energy infrastructure modernization.

Specifically, the Investing in State Energy Act would direct the DOE to provide application guidance and publish expected WAP and SEP allocations to states within 60 days of enactment of appropriations for the programs and distribute funding to states and other recipients within 30 days of receiving a completed plan from the applicant.

By requiring the publication of expected WAP and SEP awards, the Investing in State Energy Act will ensure states, tribes and other entities have the information they need in order to effectively plan for expected funding. The ability to conduct such planning encourages local high-impact projects that serve families in need and allows states to continue to make good use of critical resources to meet their energy goals.

The Investing in State Energy Act is endorsed by the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), the Building Performance Association (BPA) and the National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP). In the Senate, the bill is also cosponsored by Chris Coons (D-DE) and Alex Padilla (D-CA).

"Over the past several years, the delays in DOE moving bipartisan appropriated SEP and WAP funds to the states have more than doubled - forestalling energy cost savings and economic benefits to consumers and businesses in every state. We fully support the bipartisan Investing in State Energy Act and efforts to bring a greater sense of urgency on this important issue," said David Terry, President of the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO).

"The Weatherization Assistance Program and State Energy Program are critical to energy affordability, reliability and security," said Steve Skodak, CEO of the Building Performance Association (BPA). "BPA member contractors perform home upgrades for WAP projects across the country, lowering energy bills and improving home health, safety, and comfort. Ensuring the prompt delivery of these funds through the Investing in State Energy Act will benefit both low-income American households and the home performance contractors who serve them."

A member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Reed was a key supporter of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation that made landmark investments in energy efficiency and reducing home energy bills. In the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Reed helped secure $3.5 billion in additional funding for WAP, including $15 million for Rhode Islanders. Reed recently led a bipartisan letter with 18 Senate colleagues urging the Trump Administration to release nearly $360 million for WAP and $66 million SEP.

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