Testimony from Operation Fuel Chief Program and Policy Officer, Gannon Long – August 13, 2024
Click here to watch the full testimony on CT-N
Esteemed Co-Chairs, Ranking Members and Members of the Appropriations, Energy & Technology and Human Services Committee:
Operation Fuel appreciates the opportunity to submit written comments regarding the FFY 2025 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) block grant allocation plan. My name is Gannon Long, I’m Chief Program & Policy Officer at Operation Fuel.
Operation Fuel expresses our gratitude to the CT Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Community Action Agencies (CCAs) for their commitment to helping Connecticut residents access this essential aid. We also want to thank Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman and Nora Duncan of AARP, co-chairs of the Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory Board (LIEWAB), for their leadership in developing the Board’s recommendations.
Operation Fuel is here to support the Board’s recommendations and the FY 2025 plan, urging you to vote Yes in support. Additionally, we encourage the Committees and General Assembly to consider allocating additional state funding for energy assistance this year, as soon as possible, so that agencies and residents have time to plan. As energy costs continue climbing and federal funding remains relatively flat, we will continue to see increased demand for assistance every year – and know that federal resources are inadequate to meet the need.
This past year, the CT Energy Assistance Program (CEAP), funded by federal LIHEAP dollars, received requests for help from 119,710 households, with a budget of roughly $84.8M. This year we are expecting a 4.4% funding increase, to a total $88.5 million. However, Operation Fuel’s most recent affordability study1 indicates that over 424,000 state households face unaffordable home energy costs. Just this past February, the legislature allocated an additional $13.5 million to support requests for CEAP assistance. Due to timing, the state expended roughly $8.56 million for this purpose, before the legislature reallocated these funds in May. We do not believe that $88.5 million will be enough to support the basic energy needs for qualifying CT residents, and encourage the General Assembly to act quickly so that families across our state can stay warm this winter.
When CEAP benefits run out, especially when it happens in November, CT families turn to Operation Fuel for emergency assistance. We are grateful to the General Assembly, especially leaders in this space, and to the Governor for providing $1.75 million in ARPA funds that enabled us to keep our winter season open until March 15th this year. However, it is important to note that Operation Fuel has limited funding and can provide only one benefit per year for applicants. Our capacity is not sufficient to close the gap for families struggling to keep their heat and lights on in the winter. While we were once open nearly year-round, today that is not the reality. Our upcoming season is expected to start in early September but probably won’t last more than a month or two. We ask you to continue working on energy affordability challenges in our state to ensure that vulnerable families have a safety net when they need it most.
Operation Fuel respectfully asks the joint committees to approve this block allocation, and to consider adding state supplemental funding into CEAP to help our most vulnerable residents throughout the state.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony. Operation Fuel appreciates your leadership. We are glad to work with each committee.