The Secretary is authorized in accordance with the provisions of this section to provide grants to State regulatory authorities in an amount not to exceed $250,000 per authority, for purposes of encouraging demand-side management including energy conservation, energy efficiency and load management techniques and for meeting the requirements of paragraphs (7), (8), and (9) of section 2621(d) of title 16 and as a means of meeting gas supply needs and to meet the requirements of paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 3203(b) of title 15. Such grants may be utilized by a State regulatory authority to provide financial assistance to nonprofit subgrantees of the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program in order to facilitate participation by such subgrantees in proceedings of such regulatory authority to examine energy conservation, energy efficiency, or other demand-side management programs.