It’s Energy Efficiency Day! Celebrate With Tax Credits
Happy Energy Efficiency Day, Falls Church!
City Council declared Oct. 4 as Energy Efficiency Day and October as Energy Awareness Month. (More on those decrees below.)
To celebrate Energy Efficiency Day, you’re invited to watch a helpful video that reviews new tax credits for home energy efficiency improvements and electrification. Learn about credits for new windows, doors, insulation, energy audits, heat pumps, furnaces, and more. Learn what to expect when you file your federal taxes to claim the credits. This video was created with Falls Church, Virginia, residents in mind, but may be of interest to anyone in Dominion Energy territory in Virginia, Climate Zone 4, and nationally.
The Falls Church Climate Action Network (FCCAN) was invited to City Council’s Sept. 26 meeting to recognize Energy Efficiency Day and Energy Awareness Month.
WHEREAS, the City Council has adopted a resolution reaffirming the Council’s commitment to take action to achieve the regional greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals developed by MWCOG and to continue to advocate for regional, state, and federal support to protect the environment; and
WHEREAS, the vision of environmental sustainability in the City of Falls Church incorporates energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as core values that embody what the City is striving to achieve; and
WHEREAS, the Environment for Everyone chapter of the City’s Comprehensive Plan identifies the reduction of energy use in buildings and transportation as a key action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and
WHEREAS, this summer, Council adopted a Government Operations Energy Action Plan targeting significant reductions in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions; and City staff is currently drafting a roadmap to help our residents and businesses do the same; and
WHEREAS, October is national Energy Awareness Month, an annual national effort to highlight the importance of energy to national prosperity and security, and
WHEREAS, the first Wednesday of October is national Energy Efficiency Day, recognizing that energy efficiency continues to be the cheapest, quickest, and cleanest way to meet energy needs and reduce utility bills for residential, business, and industrial users; and
WHEREAS, energy efficiency and local energy production also support efforts to make the community more resilient to the effects of extreme weather events and climate change; and
WHEREAS, the Environmental Sustainability Council continues its leadership in encouraging energy efficiency and clean energy use in public buildings, businesses, homes and transportation; and
WHEREAS, guidance to make homes and businesses more energy efficient and produce local clean energy is readily available through the United States Department of Energy, the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council, the Energy Efficiency Day website and the City’s webpages;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, David Tarter, Mayor of the City of Falls Church, Virginia, do hereby proclaim October 2023 as ENERGY AWARENESS MONTH and do also hereby proclaim Wednesday October 4th, 2023 as ENERGY EFFICIENCY DAY in the City of Falls Church and encourage staff, residents, businesses and organizations to commit to take actions this month and in the future to conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the City of Falls Church, Virginia to be affixed this 26th day of September, 2023.
David Tarter, Mayor
Watch the remarks from Falls Church City Council and FCCAN Steering Committee Member Jon Ward: