JUNEAU - The House of Representatives has given final approval to its energy relief bill and referred it to the Senate as the special session enters its final hours.

Should the Senate concur with the House's offering, the bill will pass and be ready for Gov. Sarah Palin's signature.

The bill provides a $1,200 payout and a newly added provision that assists rural Alaskans with their utility costs through a state-funded program called Power Cost Equalization.

Late Wednesday night, the House gave preliminary approval to a bill without the utility assistance.

Today, House Finance Committee co-chairman Kevin Meyer, an Anchorage Republican, told his colleagues the House was voting for something "that will keep the lights on in rural Alaska."

ADN's Wesley Loy is blogging final-hours events this afternoon and evening. Check his reporting on the Alaska Politics blog.