Office of Energy and Mineral Resources seeks federal appropriations for home-energy rebates, proposes Speed Council to streamline permitting

Kellen McGurkin, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, and Richard Stover, administrator of the Governor’s Office of Energy and Mineral Resources, briefed JFAC on multiple agency topics including federal grant administration, the Home Energy Rebate program and a proposed Speed Council to streamline permitting for large projects.

McGurkin told the committee that OEMR’s appropriations have increased in recent years largely because the office administers federal grant programs that require state match and project oversight. He summarized a prior $15 million general fund transfer the office received as a state match for energy resiliency grant programs and described ongoing federal awards for POREG grants that support grid resilience projects. McGurkin said the agency’s FY2026 request…