Energy office seeks $24.5M federal for home‑rebates, proposes a 'Speed Council' to streamline permitting
February 07, 2025 | Appropriations, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Idaho
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The Office of Energy and Mineral Resources (OEMR) briefed the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on a bundle of grant administration requests, program growth tied to federal funds and a governor’s initiative to accelerate permitting for large infrastructure projects.
"OMR's request is for an ongoing appropriation of federal funds for the amount of 24,500,000.0. Of that total, 20,000,000 is entrusting benefits to provide rebates. 4,000,000 is in operational cost for contracting with a third party implementer ... and 502,000 is for personnel costs to increase full time personnel by 4 FTP for limited service to administer and manage that program," Kellen McGurkin, a Legislative Service Office budget analyst, told the committee.
Why it matters: the office is managing growing federal grant rounds for grid resilience and energy-efficiency rebates. How the state designs administrative contracts, eligibility and caps on administrative spending will shape how much funding reaches households, utilities and infrastructure projects.
McGurkin reviewed fund histories: OEMR has relied on a Renewable Energy Resources Fund for certain receipts and on one‑time and federal transfers tied to the federal grid‑resilience program (POREG). He said the office received a $15,000,000 transfer in FY2022 representing a state match for the energy resiliency grants and has reappropriated that money in subsequent years. He also noted that federal appropriations to the office increased the agency’s ongoing base from roughly $1.5 million in FY2021 to about $12.6 million in FY2025 as OEMR ramped up grant activity.
On the Home Energy Rebates program created under the Inflation Reduction Act, McGurkin and Administrator Richard Stover described program components and the proposed funding split: the office seeks federal authorization to use $20 million in trustee and benefit payments for rebates, $4 million for contracting a third‑party implementer (software, eligibility verification) and roughly $502,000 for four limited‑term staff positions to manage the program.
Senators asked about administrative costs: several members compared the 20% administrative cap proposed for rebate implementation to typical managed‑care administrative rates (about 15%). Stover said the federal rules allow 20% for administrative costs and the office would competitively procure a third‑party implementer and could reduce administrative draws if awarded bids were lower.
The governor’s initiative included in the recommended budget would create a Speed Council, led by OEMR and including multiple state agencies, to streamline permitting and create a public dashboard tracking project timelines. The governor’s package requests $311,000 ongoing from the general fund for the council and associated staffing and $170,000 one‑time for dashboard development and start‑up costs.
Stover also discussed longer‑term strategy and supply: he told the committee Idaho’s energy demand is expected to rise substantially over the next 10–20 years (he cited a statewide need increase of 30–50% in that time) and said the office is studying advanced nuclear as part of a diversified generation portfolio. He cited the Idaho National Laboratory’s role and said recycling and storage of spent nuclear fuel remain federal policy domains under active research.
No binding committee vote was taken. The office said personnel requested for the Home Energy Rebates program would be hired as limited‑service positions tied to the duration of federal awards; contracts and grants will include standard language to accommodate wind‑down if federal appropriations are rescinded.
Evidence: LSO analyst Kellen McGurkin’s presentation and Administrator Richard Stover’s testimony to JFAC.
"OMR's request is for an ongoing appropriation of federal funds for the amount of 24,500,000.0. Of that total, 20,000,000 is entrusting benefits to provide rebates. 4,000,000 is in operational cost for contracting with a third party implementer ... and 502,000 is for personnel costs to increase full time personnel by 4 FTP for limited service to administer and manage that program," Kellen McGurkin, a Legislative Service Office budget analyst, told the committee.
Why it matters: the office is managing growing federal grant rounds for grid resilience and energy-efficiency rebates. How the state designs administrative contracts, eligibility and caps on administrative spending will shape how much funding reaches households, utilities and infrastructure projects.
McGurkin reviewed fund histories: OEMR has relied on a Renewable Energy Resources Fund for certain receipts and on one‑time and federal transfers tied to the federal grid‑resilience program (POREG). He said the office received a $15,000,000 transfer in FY2022 representing a state match for the energy resiliency grants and has reappropriated that money in subsequent years. He also noted that federal appropriations to the office increased the agency’s ongoing base from roughly $1.5 million in FY2021 to about $12.6 million in FY2025 as OEMR ramped up grant activity.
On the Home Energy Rebates program created under the Inflation Reduction Act, McGurkin and Administrator Richard Stover described program components and the proposed funding split: the office seeks federal authorization to use $20 million in trustee and benefit payments for rebates, $4 million for contracting a third‑party implementer (software, eligibility verification) and roughly $502,000 for four limited‑term staff positions to manage the program.
Senators asked about administrative costs: several members compared the 20% administrative cap proposed for rebate implementation to typical managed‑care administrative rates (about 15%). Stover said the federal rules allow 20% for administrative costs and the office would competitively procure a third‑party implementer and could reduce administrative draws if awarded bids were lower.
The governor’s initiative included in the recommended budget would create a Speed Council, led by OEMR and including multiple state agencies, to streamline permitting and create a public dashboard tracking project timelines. The governor’s package requests $311,000 ongoing from the general fund for the council and associated staffing and $170,000 one‑time for dashboard development and start‑up costs.
Stover also discussed longer‑term strategy and supply: he told the committee Idaho’s energy demand is expected to rise substantially over the next 10–20 years (he cited a statewide need increase of 30–50% in that time) and said the office is studying advanced nuclear as part of a diversified generation portfolio. He cited the Idaho National Laboratory’s role and said recycling and storage of spent nuclear fuel remain federal policy domains under active research.
No binding committee vote was taken. The office said personnel requested for the Home Energy Rebates program would be hired as limited‑service positions tied to the duration of federal awards; contracts and grants will include standard language to accommodate wind‑down if federal appropriations are rescinded.
Evidence: LSO analyst Kellen McGurkin’s presentation and Administrator Richard Stover’s testimony to JFAC.
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