MADISON (WKOW) -- Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm visited Madison Thursday to tout tax credits for home energy upgrades.Â
"We want people to know that rebates are coming soon to you, if you want to get energy efficient appliances in your home," Granholm said during a press conference on the reason for the visit.
She toured Cynthia Hirsch's home, a century-old craftsman style house two blocks off of Monroe Street.
"We put in new windows this year," Hirsch said when asked why the energy secretary chose her home for the tour. "And I've really seen a difference in our bills, and in our comfort level."
The cost savings from the new windows were stark and immediate.
"Our bills for the last two winters were over $1,000," Hirsch said. "And our bills this winter were somewhere around $725."
Accessing those savings require thousands of dollars of initial costs, a barrier to entry that Granholm said could be lowered by the Inflation Reduction Act.
The measure was passed into federal law in 2022. It is the single largest climate change mitigation measure the US has ever tackled.
Among its many provisions is an energy efficiency tax credit that reimburses homeowners for expenses related to replacing windows, doors, some appliances or getting a home energy audit.
"Especially people who are significantly energy burdened, finding the funds to be able to do this work upfront is difficult," Granholm said.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Gov. Tony Evers and Congressman Mark Pocan joined Granholm on the tour.
"In the city of Madison, we're dedicated to making sure that people can access these rebates," Rhodes-Conway said.
The city has partnered with Wisconsin Conservation Voters, an environmental advocacy organization, to distribute flyers promoting the new tax credits.
"Whether you want to install solar, or whether you want to do the efficiency work in your home, we're here to help," Rhodes-Conway said. "And I'm really excited about what's to come yet this summer."
Following the tour of the home, the leaders sat in the living room for a discussion on communication strategy with environmental activists.
A representative with Wisconsin Conservation Voters said it had completed tens of thousands of door knocks already with plans to visit another 100,000 residences in the near future. The visits to the homes of Wisconsinites are to distribute flyers informing residents about the existence of the tax credits in hopes more take advantage of the federal funding.Â
Hirsch is a Wisconsin Conservation Voters board member. She says the tax credits are a good step but aren't the end of climate action.Â
"I care a lot," Hirsch said. "So no, we'll never stop fighting. We have lots of projects."
