WASHINGTON, DC—Senator Susan Collins is joining colleagues in requesting that the Department of Energy preserve the regional office structure that allows them to respond effectively and efficiently to regional issues. The Department of Energy had proposed eliminating six regional offices, including the Boston office, which serves New England. The Boston office helps the Maine state energy office implement the Weatherization Assistance Program and the State Energy Program. In a letter to the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, the Senators point out that energy problems vary by region, making it difficult for staff at a central location to respond to local issues with localized answers. "At a time when families, small businesses, truckers, and others throughout New England are struggling to make ends meet in the face of record gasoline and heating oil prices, it makes no sense for the Department of Energy to plan to close their only energy office specifically serving New England," Senator Collins said. "The Department of Energy''s Boston Office helps address regional energy needs that are best addressed within the region, rather than from a Department of Energy office in the Midwest. For example, the DOE Boston Office assists the Maine State Energy Office in implementing the Weatherization Assistance Program, which improves energy efficiency and reduces home heating bills for low income families."
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