Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is expanding the definition of "State" under the Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons and amending the financial assistance allocation procedure to reflect the expanded definition. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 amended the Weatherization Assistance Program definition of "State" to include the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the other territories and possessions of the United States. Consistent with the statutory amendment, DOE is amending the regulatory definition of "State," and amending the allocation procedure relied on to calculate the amount of financial assistance received by each State so as to include American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Further, DOE is amending the Weatherization Assistance Program regulations consistent with recent statutory amendments in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.