Named over a year ago by Mayor Pam Iorio in the wake of a long delayed franchise agreement with Tampa Electric, a Task Force charged with working with the local utility company on ways to conserve energy, use renewable energy and make climate change initiatives met this afternoon to discuss their recommendations.
Among those recommendations were:
Expand TECO and Peoples Gas Low Income Weatherization Programs to include the cost of ceiling insulation and duct work repair for qualified customers.
The City and TECO should establish a dedicated funding source to support aggressive, community outreach programs for low income residents that will result in a minimum 10% market penetration increase per year for five years.
Devise and implement a targeted marketing strategy to encourage more landlords and property owners to make energy efficient improvements using TECO and City of Tampa rebates and grants. The City of Tampa should review with the Tampa Housing Authority and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development the feasibility of requiring Section 8 rental housing to have standard weatherization and ceiling attic insulation improvements as a condition for entering a HAP contract.
This article appears in Mar 24-30, 2010.