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Colorado Allocates $60 Million to Heating Assistance, Weatherization
Colorado Governor Bill Owens signed a bill on February 3 authorizing $20 million in emergency funding for heating assistance. It was the first bill Owens signed in the 2006 legislative session. Owens said, "The elderly, the disabled, the state's poorest families — these are the people who will benefit from these funds."
The funding comes from mineral severance taxes paid to the state by mining companies and oil and natural gas drillers. The bill also authorizes $7 million in each of the next three years coming from these royalties, so the total commitment to the Low-Income Heating Assistance Program (LEAP) is $41. Starting next fall, Colorado utility customers can contribute to the heating assistance program by checking a box on their utility bills.
The bill also includes $19 million in funding for weatherization, which is spread out over a period of four years. This funding augments the federal program to increase permanently the energy efficiency of qualifying low-income homes.
For more information see the governor's February 3 press release.
