Michigan Legislature Provides $22 Million

The Michigan legislature passed and on May 3 Governor Jennifer Granholm signed SB 404, which provides supplemental appropriations for the current fiscal year, including $22 million for low-income energy assistance. 

The funding comes from surcharges on Detroit Edison and Consumers Energy customers that go into the Low Income and Energy Efficiency fund (LIEE). The bill allocated the funds to the Department of Human Services (DHS), the LIHEAP grantee, to support its energy assistance programs

Usually the LIEE funds are administered by the Michigan Public Service Commission and are awarded to state agencies and nonprofits through a Request for Proposals process. Because the Michigan LIHEAP ran out of crisis assistance funds early this year, in mid-April, the legislation directed that the funds go directly to the LIHEAP office. As a result, DHS reinstated its crisis program as of last week and expects the money to last at least through July.

Between Oct. 1 and March 31, the state had served 313,000 households, and spent all of its $48 million in state and federal crisis assistance funding. Its crisis program usually operates year round.

Source: Michigan legislature, DHS

Page Last Updated: May 15, 2007