MaineHousing's Weatherization for Carbon Credit Project Receives First Validation

AUGUSTA, ME — Maine's ability to sell carbon emission reductions from the weatherization of homes and apartments to generate new revenue and to make additional Maine homes energy efficient has moved a major step closer to reality.

MaineHousing Director Dale McCormick announced that MaineHousing's tool to measure carbon savings that result from weatherization — The Methodology for the Weatherization of Single Family and Multi-family Buildings — has been vetted and approved by First Environment, an independent third party accredited validator that is accepted by the Voluntary Carbon Standard Association and recognized in the carbon market.

Cathy Lee of Lee International is a key member of the carbon team which also includes Jo-Ann Choate of MaineHousing, consultant Lucy Van Hook, and Sandra Greiner and Bamshad Houshyani of the Climate Focus consulting firm. The Ford Foundation and the housing finance agencies of New Jersey and Pennsylvania provided financial support, and the Oakridge National Laboratory and the Harvard University Environmental Law Clinic provided technical support.

In short, MaineHousing soon should be able to sell the carbon savings created by weatherizing homes and apartments, and use the revenue to weatherize more homes.

McCormick explained that before MaineHousing can start selling the carbon emission reductions the methodology must gain approval from a second accredited validator. Once that is achieved, MaineHousing will propose a project (weatherizing homes and apartments in Maine) to the Voluntary Carbon Standard Association. After fuel and carbon dioxide emission reductions have been verified the tons of carbon savings can be sold.

For more information on the project, see full release at MaineHousing.org.