As a remnant of the western wholesale power market meltdown of 2000-2001, Bellevue, WA-based Puget Sound Energy (PSE) on Monday said its low-income weatherization funding will double next year, thanks to funds it will receive from the Washington state Attorney General’s Office from a 2005 settlement with Enron Corp. PSE will get more than $2.1 million from the Enron case.

As a result, the utility’s 2010 budget for weatherizing the homes of qualified low-income households will top $5 million ($5.35 million) with the Enron dollars being added to $3.25 million already budgeted by the utility. PSE’s program provides insulation, duct sealing and weather stripping.

Washington state settled with then-Chapter 11 bankruptcy-mired Enron over the latter’s manipulation of wholesale power markets, and a total of $6 million is being distributed to utilities in the state as a result. This money will go to helping reduce heating expenses in low-income homes.

PSE’s program is administered by 11 community service agencies, offering weatherization improvements that can help lower energy bills for low-income households. Last year PSE provided weatherization to 738 households, saving more than 1 million kWh and 20,188 natural gas therms. The number of households served by the utility program will increase by more than 20%, or more than 200 homes, next year, a utility spokesperson said.

Added monies will allow PSE to “make extensive repairs to mechanical ventilation, floors, roofs and electrical wiring that are often necessary before installing weatherization items like insulation, duct sealing and weather stripping,” said PSE’s Carl Shirley, vice president for energy efficiency services.

The monies allow PSE to offer more than they have been able to under the existing budgeting, Shirley said.

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