CO Gets Multi-Year Energy Assistance Funds

On February 3, Colorado Governor Bill Owens signed HB-1200 authorizing $20 million for the state’s LIHEAP this year. The measure also ensures that an additional $7 million for each of the next three years will be earmarked toward the program so the state won't have to fast-track energy assistance bills when the .legislature convenes each January.

The bill also authorizes $19 million, also paid out over a period of four years, to be used for low-come energy efficiency programs. The funding will be $4 million this year and next, then increasing to $5 million and $6 million the following two years.

The money comes from a fund set up to collect taxes on oil and natural gas wells. The fund, known as the Mineral and Energy Severance Tax Fund, is expected to ramp up this year from $115 million to about $200 million due to rising costs of the fuels. Owens noted that similar transfers from the severance taxes for energy assistance took place in 2001 and 2005.

The Department of Human Services, the LIHEAP grantee, will be able to increase energy assistance benefits from an average of $300 to $500, and expects will provide assistance to as many as 105,000 families, compared with 96,127 last year.

Source: Newspapers, Governor’s office

Page Last Updated: February 6, 2006