The board voted to issue $575 to every household in response to locked in high energy costs
NOME—The Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (NSEDC) Board of Directors voted yesterday to issue a $575 energy subsidy to every household in its 15 member communities. Board member Don Stiles, representing Nome, made the motion, which passed unanimously. “Communities throughout the region are stuck with high energy costs while the rest of the country is benefiting from low prices in fuel,” Stiles said after the meeting. “Our energy subsidies are an effective way to ease the burden of high utility bills, benefiting every resident in our member communities.”
Previous $500 energy subsidies were issued by the NSEDC Board of Directors in 2008, 2012 and 2014, which saved households in NSEDC’s 15 member communities a total of $3.8 million. With roughly 2,700 households in the region, NSEDC is expected to pay out more than $1.5 million, in 2015, to local electric utilities. Those living off the electrical grid will be given the opportunity for a $575 fuel credit to the fuel vendor in their community. As in the past, the 2015 initiative is an isolated contribution and the energy subsidy is not a continuing program. “People have really appreciated our past subsidies and I’m glad the board supported the motion,” Board member Harvey Sookaiyak said. “We are literally locked in with our high fuel price from last summer and this initiative will help residents focus on priorities outside their utility bill.”
The NSEDC Community Benefits department will issue the 2015 electric subsidy as they have in the past and households will sign up directly with NSEDC and see their savings in their monthly electric bills. NSEDC staff will begin facilitating the sign up process with a goal to have the payments made in April.
For more information on NSEDC’s 2015 Energy Subsidy, contact Community Benefits Director Paul Ivanoff III in Unalakleet at 1 (800) 385-3190.
Member community residents: If you missed the dates NSEDC staff was in your community, forms are available from your community liaison. Nome residents: forms are available at the NJUS billing office. DEADLINE: Wednesday, March 25th, 2015
