CEPC in the Press: Protecting LIHEAP and Addressing Summer Cooling Needs

LIHEAP is under threat, and CEPC is fighting to protect it.

CEPC, along with our partner organization, the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), has been working to protect the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) since the Trump administration began targeting the program during his second term in office.

On April 1, the entire LIHEAP staff at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was fired. With limited staff to oversee LIHEAP and disburse funds, LIHEAP is facing unprecedented uncertainty. States are being expected to run their programs with no federal training or guidance and delays in funding that make it difficult to plan for the program. The true victims are the low-income families who will be unable to pay their utility bills this summer, leaving vulnerable populations in danger of extreme heat exposure.

The President’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026 plans to eliminate LIHEAP entirely. The loss of LIHEAP would be a devastating blow to low-income families facing the effects of climate change, higher-than-ever utility prices, and a rapidly-dwindling social safety net.

Read more about how CEPC and NEADA have been fighting to protect LIHEAP and restore assistance to the millions of vulnerable families in need who rely on LIHEAP every year:

HHS Firings & Trump Budget Eliminating LIHEAP

Extreme Heat in Summer 2025 and the Need for Affordable Cooling

For press inquiries, contact:

Mark Wolfe: mwolfe@energyprograms.org
Cassandra Lovejoy: clovejoy@energyprograms.org