DOE weatherization grantees not following the law, IG warns

By Brian Dabbs | 10/30/2024 06:40 AM EDT

A department audit said inadequate oversight of the program is increasing the risk of widespread fraud.

A worker installs a heat pump.

A worker installs a heat pump. iStock

Multiple states are doling out more Department of Energy weatherization assistance than permitted by federal law and are not properly reporting grants, making the DOE program vulnerable to fraud, according to a new federal audit.

Sixteen states and territories also have received DOE funding but have “not weatherized any units,” the department’s inspector general said.

“This lack of performance is a red flag that warrants immediate department attention,” the IG report said.

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The weatherization assistance program (WAP), which was established in 1976, is central to DOE’s plans to improve energy efficiency and cut emissions and costs. It received a $3.2 billion boost in the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. It’s long been targeted by Republicans who say it is inefficient.

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