More Than $26 Million to 37 State, Local, & Tribal Governments to Support Clean Energy Projects – CleanTechnica

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President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda Helping Upgrade Public Infrastructure in Communities Across the Country to Deploy Even More Cleaner, Cheaper Power, Build Up Energy Resilience

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In support of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) yesterday announced more than $26.9 million to nine states, 27 local governments and one Tribe for the next round of formula grants through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, funded by the President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and managed by DOE’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP). Funds will be deployed to advance crucial clean energy and infrastructure upgrades by state governments, local governments, and Tribes to reduce energy use, curb fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency. Together with other DOE initiatives, this program will support communities in the nation’s clean energy transition and in meeting the President’s goal of a net-zero economy by 2050.

“Energy efficient upgrades are a surefire way to bring down costs and shore up resiliency for communities across the nation,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. “President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is equipping local governments with funds to transform clean energy plans into real actions that deliver benefits in every corner of the country.”

This is the fifth tranche of formula awards granted to EECBG Program eligible entities since the initial awards were announced in October 2023. The program provides over $430 million in formula grant funding to more than 2,700 states, territories, local governments, and Tribes. Entities have the option to choose activities from 14 eligible categories of clean energy projects and programs that fulfill their clean energy objectives. The program also advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative by assisting eligible governments to direct 40% of overall benefits from EECBG Program-funded programs and to disadvantaged communities that are often energy-burdened or left behind in the clean energy transition.

The awards announced this month include governments that will use EECBG Program funds to install EV charging infrastructure, develop e-bike incentive programs, conduct municipal building energy audits, provide efficiency retrofits and upgrades for low-income communities, and more.

Learn about what grantees in this tranche are doing with their funds on our website and below:

Buncombe County, NC will purchase and install battery storage systems at two county facilities with existing solar systems: the Public Safety Training Center and the Health and Human Services Building. The latter provides essential public services to disadvantaged households in their community. Combining the existing on-site solar generation with battery storage will increase the county’s resiliency to climate change by ensuring that public aid programs can continue during blackouts resulting from severe weather events. The project will follow EECBG Program Blueprint 3A: Solar and Storage. (Award amount: $80,700) 

Chicago, IL will undertake five activities that advance the city’s Climate Action Plan and bring the benefits of the clean energy transition to disadvantaged communities. With the support of community-based organizations, the city will develop a strategic plan to reduce energy burdens, launch a building electrification campaign to connect residents with funding sources (e.g., DOE Home Energy Rebates), and perform energy audits and retrofits on city facilities. The city will also replace gas-powered vehicles in its municipal fleet with electric vehicles (EVs) and establish a pilot program to install public EV chargers in disadvantaged communities, emphasizing access for multifamily housing residents. (Award amount: $2,207,610)

Colorado will sub-grant 60 percent of its allocation to small and rural local governments to build capacity for clean energy project implementation. The remaining 40 percent will be used to establish a subgranting program for teams of cities, counties, and community-based organizations collaborating on regional sustainability projects. This cohort model replicates an existing successful program in the state and will encourage place-based approaches to sustainability. (Award amount: $2,075,410)

Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians, CA will contribute funds towards creating a strategic energy plan to join the local public utility power grid and increase renewable energy generation in the community. Currently, the tribe relies on propane generators as its primary power source. By making a plan to connect to the public utility grid and install renewable energy systems, the Tribe will take a critical step towards reducing energy costs and local emissions and bolstering energy resilience. (Award amount: $10,000)

Houston, TX will pursue four main projects to further the city’s Climate Action Plan: 1) conduct energy audits and retrofits on municipal buildings, 2) establish a revolving loan fund to finance sustainability projects, 3) update energy codes and increase compliance, and 4) install solar panels and battery storage at a community-serving municipal facility in a disadvantaged community. The solar and battery storage project will contribute to a city network of climate resilience hubs to increase energy resilience and coordinate resource distribution during extreme weather events. (Award amount: $2,006,020)

Kentucky will establish a subgranting program for local governments to implement clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives. The program will prioritize solar energy storage, building retrofits, and recycling projects. It will emphasize investments that increase climate resilience in disaster-prone areas across the state. Further priority will be given to projects that reduce energy burdens and provide long-term benefits to disadvantaged communities, particularly those historically reliant on coal mining. (Award amount: $2,237,940)

King County, WA will launch a building electrification campaign with two main programs to promote clean energy retrofits for residential and small business building owners: the Switch is On Campaign and the Building Decarbonization Accelerator. The Switch Is On Campaign will sponsor outreach events on the benefits of electrified appliances, heat pump water heaters, and heat pump systems for heating and cooling. The county will also create a website to help homeowners leverage existing incentives and choose contractors. The Building Decarbonization Accelerator will bring city and county leaders together to develop and implement a county-wide Building Electrification Strategy, including assessing current building stock and energy burdens. At least 40 percent of investments resulting from the strategy will be deployed in climate justice communities. (Award amount: $474,460)

Other awards announced today include:

• City of Bowie, MD ($117,040)
• City of Chicopee, MA ($116,600)
• City of Columbia, TN ($76,480)
• City of Concord, NC ($153,940)
• City of Fairbanks, AK ($76,260)
• Hennepin County, MN ($282,750)
• Howard County, MD ($326,870)
• Kansas City, MO ($477,390)
• City of Long Beach, CA ($423,290)
• Loudoun County, VA ($350,900)
• City of Orange, CA ($189,950)
• City of Port Arthur, TX ($118,760)
• Village of Romeoville, IL ($76,390)
• City of San Jose, CA ($834,110)
• San Juan County, NM ($77,580)
• City of Santa Monica, CA ($157,730)
• City of Santa Rosa, CA (210,570)
• City of Tacoma, WA ($246,170)
• City of Temple, TX ($140,420)
• City of Tuscaloosa, AL ($158,340)
• City of Westminster, CO ($159,970)
• City of Wilmington, DE ($135,280)
• City of Winston-Salem, NC ($274,010)
• State of Delaware ($1,615,060)
• State of Hawaii ($1,639,120)
• State of Missouri ($2,360,230)
• State of Nevada ($1,767,140)
• State of Oklahoma ($2,065,790)
• State of Vermont ($1,594,420)
• State of Wyoming ($1,617,080)

View the complete list of EECBG Program-funded projects to date on our website.

The application deadline for eligible local governments, including Puerto Rican municipios has been extended to October 31, 2024. The application deadline for Tribes was previously extended to May 31, 2025.

Local governments and Tribes have the option to apply for either traditional grants or vouchers for equipment rebates or technical assistance. DOE provides application support and assistance to communities interested in applying for a grant or voucher. For more information, visit the Application Hub.

Formula awards are announced on a monthly basis. For more information on eligibility, how to apply, and available technical assistance, see the EECBG Program Website.