Governor to Address Energy Concerns at October Summit
By Tara Fehr
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 – Moving to deal with continuing uncertainty Connecticut residents face in terms of federal assistance for home heating costs, Gov. M. Jodi Rell this week called for an October summit of the state’s leaders and congressional delegation to discuss strategy on the issue.
As state residents approach the cold New England winter months, the amount of federal funding to assist with fuel costs remains uncertain.
Rep. Robert Simmons, R-Conn., and 56 other House members earlier this month asked President Bush to provide more funds for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
In a letter to Bush, they requested an extra $900 million in the Hurricane Katrina relief package for low income heating funds. In a separate letter to the House appropriations committee Simmons and 29 other House members requested a total of $4 billion for low income assistance funds.
Against that backdrop, Rell called for a summit on Oct. 7 to meet with the Connecticut congressional delegation at the state Capitol to work on a plan of action for getting more federal heating fuel funds.
Last year Connecticut spent $47 million in federal assistance funds, but this year’s Gulf Coast hurricanes are expected to spur a rise in energy prices and financial needs, the governor said in a press release. Rell is calling for a minimum $1 billion increase in federal low income heating funds nationwide from last year’s $2 billion.
Local, non-profit energy organizations expect fuel prices to double, which could cause more people to need aid. If residents don’t qualify for federal aid, they can apply for assistance from private, non-profit agencies.
Milton Cook, president of New London Energy Line Inc., said that his organization “picks up the slack” for state programs. Higher energy prices without increased funding will produce an influx of new customers, he said.
“At the rate we have to pay (for heating assistance), it’s going to be double the money in order to give a person, for example, a decent tank of oil – it’s a grave concern,” Cook said.
The organization has limited funds, he said. It receives most of its money through Operation Fuel – a private, non-profit agency that assists poor, working families who do not qualify for federal funding. This is called the Exceptions Program, but the program might not have enough money for this year’s projected energy needs.
“Once they’ve used up all of the funds from the state programs, the exceptions program deal with those clients,” Cook said. “Because of limited funds there might not be an exceptions program this year.”
If Connecticut receives insufficient federal funds, New London Energy Line will lobby the state Senate and House for extra money, Cook said. And, if necessary, the governor will use state funds, such as a built-in budget surplus of $8 million, to use for future energy costs, according to Adam Liegeot, spokesman for the governor.
“The bottom line is that Gov. Rell will make sure the state safety net is preserved,” Liegeot said.
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