The Michigan Public Service Commission on June 28 approved $62 million in low-income energy assistance grants to the state LIHEAP office, the Heat and Warmth Fund, the Salvation Army, the Michigan Community Action Association and five other nonprofits.
The grants are part of the Low-Income and Energy Efficiency Fund (LIEEF), which promotes the efficient use of energy and provides financial assistance for low-income customers, and are for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2011.
The largest grant recipients are as follows:
- Department of Human Services, (the LIHEAP grantee) - $35,000,000 to supplement the energy crisis portion of the State Emergency Relief program that will provide direct assistance with energy bills and shut-off protection for low-income households statewide.
- The Heat and Warmth Fund - $11,375,000 in total; $7,875,000 to provide direct assistance with energy bills and shut-off protection for low-income households throughout the state, and $3,500,000 to provide arrears forgiveness for participants in the Low-Income Energy Affordability Demonstration Project.
- The Salvation Army - $7,875,000 to provide direct assistance with energy bills and shut-off protection for low-income households statewide.
- TrueNorth Community Services (formerly known as Newaygo County Community Services) - $3,000,000 to provide direct assistance with energy bills and shut-off protection for low-income households in several counties.
- Michigan Community Action Agency Association - $2,500,000 to provide direct assistance with energy bills and shut-off protection for low-income households statewide.
- Downriver Community Conference - $1,000,000 to provide direct assistance with energy bills and shut-off protection for low-income households in Wayne and Monroe counties.
Michigan’s Customer Choice and Electricity Reliability Act, 2000 PA 141, authorized the creation of the LIEEF, administered by the Commission via grants to qualifying organizations. The purpose of the fund is to provide shut-off and other protection for low-income customers and to promote energy efficiency by all customer classes.
Source: Michigan PSC
