Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 168 - Arkansas Economic Development Commission › Rule 168.00.15-001 - Weatherization Assistance Program: July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
Mission Statement
The mission of the Arkansas Energy Office, a division of the
			 Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEO), is to promote energy
			 efficiency, clean technology, and sustainable strategies that encourage
			 economic development, energy security and the environmental well-being for all
			 citizens of Arkansas.
The State Goals
The policies contained in this document are meant to enable the
			 state and the subgrantee network to effectively provide weatherization services
			 for the maximum amount of Arkansans as possible by:
* Ensuring that only the most cost effective measures are
			 employed,
* Leveraging all available resources; financial or otherwise,
			 and
* Significantly reducing wait time for Arkansans seeking
			 weatherization services to one year or less.
I.
Overview
I.1
Executive Summary
The Arkansas Weatherization Assistance Program State Plan for
			 Program Year 2015 serves as Arkansas's application to the U.S. Department of
			 Energy (U.S. DOE) for Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) funding. These
			 funds will provide assistance to approximately 170 households across the State.
			 (NOTE: the estimate of 170 households is based on DOE funding only.)
The purpose of the WAP is to install energy conservation measures
			 in the homes of income-eligible persons, especially homes occupied by the
			 elderly, persons with disabilities, families with children, high energy burden
			 and high energy users. Funds are directed toward the most cost-effective energy
			 efficiency measures, as determined by an on-site energy audit of the eligible
			 building. The program helps to reduce national energy consumption, reduces
			 carbon emissions that contribute to climate change, and lessens the impact of
			 higher energy costs for low-income families. The program also improves the
			 health and safety of assisted households.
Arkansas relies on a network of eight (8) subgrantees, six (6) of
			 the subgrantees are Community Action Agencies (CAAs) who deliver weatherization
			 services in their designated service area; the remaining two (2) are non-profit
			 subgrantees; with one delivering services to a designated service area and the
			 other focusing on multi-family developments.
Subgrantees provide energy efficiency weatherization services
			 using their own trained crews and by subcontracting work to qualified
			 contractors. Energy efficiency measures financed through the program can range
			 from air sealing and insulating single-family homes to replacement of heating
			 systems. The program assists all types of housing units, including single and
			 multifamily housing, manufactured housing, and group homes. The state will
			 allocate program funds for the Program Year (PY) 2015 in accordance with this
			 plan.
I.2
Budget
Category
DOE
LIHEAP
2014 Program Year Allocation
$ 1,668,947.00
$
3,981,945.00
Training and Technical
						Assistance
$ 313,211.00
$
0.00
AEO Administration
$ 67,786.80
$ 199,097.00
Subgrantee Administration
$ 67,786.80
$
199,097.00
CPA Audits
$ 10,000.00
$
0.00
Pollution Control Insurance
						(LIHEAP)
$ 0.00
$
17,000.00
Leveraging Plan (LIHEAP)
$ 0.00
$
165,000.00
Liability Insurance
$ 10,000.00
$ 0.00
Multi-Family Projects
						(LIHEAP)
$ 0.00
$
350,000.00
Health & Safety
$ 183,024.36
$
457,763.00
Capital Intensive Measures
						(LIHEAP)
$ 0.00
$
500,000.00
Program Operations
$ 1,017,138.04
$
2,093,988.00
Totals
$
1,668,947.00
$ 3,981,945.00
I.3
Proposed Weatherization Projects
DOE Allocation Subgrantee Network PY2015
Black River Area Development Corporation
$ 102,525.49
Central Arkansas Development Council
$ 180,662.36
Community Action Program for Central Arkansas
$ 63,563.66
Crowley's Ridge Development Council
$ 143,453.47
Crawford-Sebastian Community Development
						Council
$ 233,198.62
Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Economic Opportunities
						Commission
$ 111,455.74
Elevate
$ 182,278.70
Better Community Development, Inc.
LIHEAP
I.4
Summary of Major Changes from the 2014 Program Year
In 2014, the Arkansas Energy Office (AEO) issued a Request for
			 Qualifications (RFQ) for additional service providers to cover the Central
			 Arkansas area; there were two (2) responsive bidders each of whom met the
			 minimum requirements to participate in the WAP. Elevate has been selected. AEO
			 announced Elevate as the successful bidder at a public hearing held on March
			 16, 2015. The public comment period ended on March 27, 2015 and Elevate was
			 installed as the Central Arkansas subgrantee on April 13, 2015. Elevate will
			 cover the following counties: Conway, Lonoke, Perry, Pope, Pulaski and
			 Yell.
In 2014, the AEO also issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
			 for a third-party contractor to conduct Quality Control Inspections (QCI) for
			 the state. Qualifications were accepted, and there was one responsive bidder;
			 however, the bidder withdrew their proposal prior to the review period. AEO
			 will re-issue the RFQ in order to seek additional offerors.
The Quality Control Inspector will verify the work performed
			 against the work plan, specifications and standards, perform building
			 diagnostics, record/report findings and concerns, and specify corrective
			 actions. In order to accomplish these tasks, the Inspector will conduct a
			 methodological audit/inspection of the building, perform safety and diagnostic
			 tests, and observe the retrofit work. These actions would help ensure the
			 completion, appropriateness and quality of the work, thereby providing for
			 safety, comfort, and energy savings of the building occupants.
The Quality Control Inspector will be expected to inspect
			 approximately 100 homes using all diagnostic equipment such as: a blower door,
			 an infrared camera, a duct blaster, a Watts Up meter, a monoxor, and a gas leak
			 detector.
The AEO will implement new program management software, Energy
			 Conservation Online Software, (ECOS) that will allow the program staff to
			 manage the program from application intake to invoice processing. ECOS will
			 replace NEAT and MHEA and will be used to mandate measures to be installed on
			 all homes, site built, manufactured and multifamily.
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