2006 State-by-State Supplements to Energy Assistance and Energy
Efficiency Overview
The LIHEAP Clearinghouse Summary of
Supplements to Energy Assistance and Energy Efficiency is a
continuously updated, state-by-state compilation of the resources
that supplement LIHEAP and low-income energy efficiency programs.
It includes links to enabling legislation or regulatory commission
orders, where available. Resources are grouped into these categories:
- state and local funds
- state public benefit funds
- utility rate-payer funds
- private funds (fuel funds, church,
charitable and community contributions)
- non-regulated bulk fuel vendor contributions
- miscellaneous resources
Note:
The two state categories, State and Local Funds and State Public
Benefits Funds differ as follows: The former are funds from state,
county or city governments, usually from general funds, special
taxes, or tax waivers. Public benefit funds, also called system
benefit funds, or universal service funds, are those created through
state electric or natural gas restructuring legislation or regulation.
Funding comes from a charge assessed on electric and/or gas consumers,
which states refer to as a public goods surcharge, system benefits
charge, societal benefits charge, public benefits fee, universal
service fee, meters charge, etc. These funds are administered or
overseen by a state agency, typically the state LIHEAP/weatherization
agency or the regulatory commission.
Sources of the compilations:
- state LIHEAP leveraging reports. (Filed
at the end of each fiscal year, these reports summarize by dollar
amount and resource category, the non-federal resources states
have obtained to supplement energy assistance and energy efficiency
for low-income households).
- individual utilities
- utility regulatory commission reports
and filings, including resources obtained through utility restructuring
- state government / legislative Web
sites for legislation
Limitations of the data: The reported
totals are estimates based upon the most reliable and recent data
available. However:
- LIHEAP leveraging reports are over
a year old: The most recent reports available were submitted in
November 2006 for FY 2006. FY 2007 totals will be available in
mid-2008.
- Leveraging is voluntary; not all states
participate in the LIHEAP leveraging incentive program.
- Leveraging reports do not always give
a complete statewide picture. Some resources are not reported
through leveraging or are underreported, and some resources, while
addressing low-income households' energy needs, are not countable
because they are not coordinated and integrated with the state
LIHEAP, a requirement under the leveraging program rules. As a
result, the database cites a state's LIHEAP leveraging report
when it is the only information available. Where more complete
totals are available, they are included in place of reported leveraging
totals.
- In some cases, resource totals are
what utilities have committed to spend, the resource is estimated
based on previous years' reported expenditures, or it is
prorated based on a partial year. As a result, year-end totals
may differ from the database estimates.
- It should be noted that because a state has no monetary resources
listed does not mean it has no energy safety net for low-income
households. For example, many states prohibit disconnection of
low-income, elderly or disabled households during extreme cold
or heat. (For a summary of these prohibitions see "Seasonal Termination
Protection Regulations." These and other costs associated
with maintaining services to non-paying customers are often included
in utilities' uncollectible write-offs.
It is advisable to follow links from
the database to the LIHEAP Clearinghouse utility restructuring section
where more complete information is presented on low-income energy
programs under restructuring, which are constantly changing. For
example, each state's programs under restructuring legislation
or regulatory orders are summarized, including programs authorized
but not yet funded.
Page Last Updated: May 16, 2007