Energy Department defends use of stimulus dollars

But Rogers said on DOE’s blog that even the commitment of funding creates jobs from the get-go. Here’s the rest of his post:

Focusing on the amount that has been “paid out” or “reimbursed” misses the impact that these funds have had in creating jobs from the moment projects were selected for funding. When you hire a contractor to remodel your house, people are hired and materials are purchased at the beginning of a project. The economic stimulus activity starts then, not when the work is done and the contractor has been paid for it.

The Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant program, for example, has already resulted in 4,000 innovative projects around the country, benefiting local communities. Not only are carpenters, electricians and others already hard at work, but families will be saving hundreds of dollars a year on their utility bills while also saving energy. This is precisely what the Recovery Act was meant to do — put people to work now while making a down payment on a clean energy future.