DOE Awards over $40M in Funding to State Commissions
Contact: Rob Thormeyer, 202-898-9382, rthormeyer@naruc.org
WASHINGTON—National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners President Frederick Butler of New Jersey issued the following statement of thanks after Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced the award of more than $40 million in funds to State public service commissions:
"On behalf of NARUC and my State public service commissioner colleagues across the country, I would like to thank Secretary Chu and the Energy Department for making these funds available. State regulators play a central role in ensuring that our nation has the 21st century energy infrastructure it requires. These funds will bolster our ability to hire and retain the experts we need to effectively help create the next generation of our electricity system, including greater energy efficiency, cleaner energy, and a smarter transmission grid."
Background: The funding is being made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and will be disbursed to the State public utility regulatory agencies in all 48 States and the District of Columbia. The amount of money available to each State will range from $763,577 to $1,686,869, depending on population.
DOE specified that the funding can be used to: 1) Increase the capacity of State Public Utility Commissions to manage a significant increase in dockets and other regulatory actions resulting from ARRA electricity-related activities; 2) Facilitate timely consideration by State utility commissions of ARRA electricity-related investments; and 3) Create jobs.
Electricity-related ARRA activities include, but are not necessarily limited to, energy efficiency, electricity-based renewable energy, energy storage, smart grid, electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, demand-response equipment, coal with carbon capture and storage, and transmission.
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NARUC is a non-profit organization founded in 1889 whose members include the governmental agencies that are engaged in the regulation of utilities and carriers in the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. NARUC’s member agencies regulate telecommunications, energy, and water utilities. NARUC represents the interests of State public utility commissions before the three branches of the Federal government.
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