Operation Fuel, the nonprofit that helps Connecticut residents meet their energy bills, is rebranding. It will now be known as Generation Power CT.
The 47-year-old organization says it’s making the change to better reflect the breadth of its services.
“We’ve moved beyond just fuel,” said CEO Perkin Simpson. “Now we’re providing assistance with electricity, water, we’ve done some work with remediation, weatherizations.”
The organization has also adopted a new logo representing different energy sources including sun, water, earth and wind.
Operation Fuel served 6,232 households in Connecticut in the last fiscal year, which it says included 14,352 individuals. It disbursed a total of $2,822,773 in aid.
Simpson says there has been a huge increase in the need for their help as the cost of living has risen. The organization historically has had enough funds to keep its applications open for most of the year. Now it’s limited to two month-long application periods each year before funds run out.
Operation Fuel is funded by private donations, some state funds, and by the option for ratepayers to donate through their electricity bills.
It does not receive federal funds but Simpson says if sources of help for fuel assistance like the LIHEAP program are cut in the new federal budget, he’s expecting a big influx of requests for help.
“What happens to those people in need, where do they go? We’re one of the few alternatives that they have to go to,” he said. “It might increase the level of responsibility that we have to serve more people.”
In fiscal year 2023, LIHEAP provided almost $123 million to 101,181 families in Connecticut. The program has been zeroed out in the budget bill that’s currently going through Congress.
Simpson said as part of its rebrand to Generation Power CT is seeking new partnerships to help serve households in need.
“We are looking for ways to make lasting change,” he said. “We’re talking not just about bills, but we’re talking about people’s lives. These are our neighbors, these are our family, friends.”