Congresswoman Kathy Castor toured a "weatherized" St. Petersburg home today to view energy-efficient improvements and jobs being spread throughout the community by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Due to its success over the past year, the Pinellas County Urban League won another $1.5 million to expand its weatherization initiative, create jobs and save local residents on electric bills.

“The Pinellas County Urban League is creating new jobs through these energy-efficient home improvements and putting money back into the pocketbooks of residents at the same time,” Castor said today at the home of Beatrice Williams in South St. Petersburg.

The Williams house has been equipped with energy-efficient appliances, including a refrigerator and air conditioner. The home also has energy-efficient windows. These upgrades will result in lower energy bills for the homeowner.

“It’s beautiful because I am saving on the water bill too,” Williams said. “I am very, very happy with the work they did with me.”

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Pinellas County Urban League received about $2.5 million to weatherize homes. To date, the urban league has completed more than 240 homes, leading to the creation of about 30 jobs. That includes electricians, carpenters, heating-air conditioning workers, among others.

Last week, the Obama Administration awarded the Pinellas County Urban League an additional $1.5 million to keep the work going, Castor said. The Pinellas County Urban League, she said, has been recognized as having one of the best weatherization initiatives in the state.

“Not only are we saving them money in energy costs, we are increasing values of homes and we are creating jobs,” said Gregory Johnson, president and chief executive of the Pinellas County Urban League.

Joining Castor at the Williams house was Don Odom, an inspector who was hired by the urban league as a result of the Recovery Act money. He had been stringing together part-time jobs for the past several years and said he felt fortunate to have a full-time position in his field.

“I was very excited to hear about the opportunity to work with the Pinellas Urban League with the ARRA funds,” Odom said.

Nationwide, the Recovery Act Weatherization Assistance Program supported more than 13,000 jobs in the second quarter of 2010. That includes more than 200 jobs in Florida.