Clean Air Council took lead role for $4 million of enhancements to the Low-Income Usage Reduction Program in First Energy Settlement

October 25, 2010                                                                    (215) 567-4004 ext.116

 

HARRISBURG, PA - Clean Air Council agreed to a joint petition for settlement with FirstEnergy Corp., West Penn Power Company, and Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Company (collectively “Joint Applicants”) in regard to the proposed merger of FirstEnergy Corp. and Allegheny Energy. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission must approve all mergers of utility companies and can only do so if the merger is deemed to be in the public interest.  

 

“Enhanced funding for energy efficiency and conservation for low income households is vital to ensuring that this merger is truly in the public interest,” said Joseph Otis Minott, Esq., Clean Air Council Executive Director.

 

Under the terms of the settlement, the utility companies have agreed to increase their level of spending for the Low-Income Usage Reduction Program (“LIURP”) by $4 million over a five-year period. Clean Air Council took the lead role in ensuring that all additional LIURP spending would not be recoverable from ratepayers.

 

“The additional LIURP spending outlined in the settlement will have an impact on air quality in Pennsylvania,” said Thurm Brendlinger, Clean Air Energy Program Director. “Through the decreases of emissions from private homes and buildings, as well as generating facilities, the LIURP enhancements will have a positive impact on Pennsylvania’s air quality for years to come.”  

 

The LIURP is a statewide, utility-implemented energy conservation program. LIURP assists low-income residential customers in conserving energy by reducing their energy consumption; assists participating households in reducing their energy bills; decreases the incidence and risk of customer payment delinquencies; and reduces residential demand for electricity and gas and peak demand for electricity.

 

See the following link for more information on the First Energy-Allegheny merger.