Energy Efficiency;Who's driving this car?

If you ask this question the short answer is the DOE. If you ask those of us who have been around the block in the car the answer is no one! If you look at the majority of jobs being offered for auditors and installers they are all tied to programs funded or subsidized by the DOE, State and local governments. As budgets continue to tighten I have seen these programs get smaller and smaller. That's the bad news!
The good news I am seeing more companies cross over to going after the general public market place with good success. The issue is no one is doing an audit the same or by the BPI or RESNET book by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, of the last 175 contractors we contacted only 34% saw the value of being certified   and 77% said they have never performed CAZ testing and avoid sealing a house up to tight because of the liability connected to it. Holly Crap! that's what I said too! Here in Texas, most, if not all the programs ran by the utilities use, for the most part, 1 CFM50 per square foot and will not allow them to go below that number. What does all this mean? it means the DOE and EPA are clueless about the backbone of the industry and think cranking out more certifications and workforce guideline is going to get everyone on the same page without first educating and informing the general public. If the public says hey are you certified to provide this service and conduct these safety test on my house? then guess what? it now has value! and CAZ would be a household name.