State energy conservation program suspended

The Low-Income Home Energy Conservation Act will be suspended for three years and expire five years later under a bill approved 46-0 on final reading April 20.

The act offers grants to public and nonprofit electric utilities providing matching funds to complete energy conservation improvements for Nebraska homeowners whose income is at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. The fund receives revenues of up to 5 percent of state sales taxes collected on electricity bills of participating utilities.

LB385, introduced by Hastings Sen. Dennis Utter at the request of the governor, suspends the program until July 1, 2014, at which point the Legislature will appropriate $250,000 to the fund each biennium. Utilities participating in the program may dedicate up to $50,000 per fiscal year to be matched by the fund.

The bill will terminate the act on July 1, 2019.