DOE awards $31M to states, local governments for energy efficiency upgrades
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $31 million in grants to 19 state and local governments through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program.
Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and managed by DOE’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP), the grants will be used to advance crucial clean energy and infrastructure upgrades at the state and local levels.
“Nationwide, we are flipping the switch for an equitable clean energy transition: one community at a time,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said. “We are empowering states and their local governments — that know their needs best —to implement ambitious plans to transform their communities and ensure no one is left behind when it comes to energy efficiency upgrades.”
Among the grant winners, the state of Massachusetts received $2,494,680 and will use the money to launch a sub-granting program for local governments to increase their capacity for clean energy planning and decarbonization. Sub-grant recipients may hire an energy manager and pursue decarbonization studies and weatherization retrofits for municipal and school buildings. They may also establish local campaigns to help low-to-moderate income communities access clean energy programs offered by Mass Save as well as new federal incentives.
The city of Ann Arbor, Mich., got $182,360 to renovate the Bryant Community Center into a net-zero resilience hub and living-learning carbon neutrality demonstration site serving a disadvantaged community. The center will receive a full building retrofit, including holistic weatherization, solar panels, battery storage systems, heat pumps, and EV charging stations.
The state of Georgia received $2,989,230 to create a competitive sub-granting program for local governments ineligible for direct EECBG Program funding. Program participants will select an EECBG Program Blueprint of their choice to pursue energy planning, energy audits, energy savings performance contracts, municipal fleet electrification, or community solar adoption. Local governments will be selected using a formula that prioritizes Justice40 and other disadvantaged communities.
Additionally, Puerto Rico was awarded $1,855,570 to establish a campaign to support 45 municipalities ineligible for direct EECBG Program funding to install solar streetlights in downtown areas and perform energy audits in public buildings.
Other awards winners include:
• Arkansas ($1,961,110)
• Illinois ($2,909,890)
• Indiana ($2,448,930)
• Iowa ($2,004,050)
• New Mexico ($1,758,250)
• South Carolina ($2,176,180)
• Texas ($4,848,610)
• West Virginia ($1,809,210)
• Wisconsin ($2,330,720)
• Austin, TX ($855,340)
• Denver, CO ($655,720)
• Edmond, OK ($146,020)
• Orem, UT ($150,350)
• Rock Hill, SC ($133,080)
• Rio Arriba County, NM ($76,350)
These 19 grantees represent the second tranche of funding to be awarded from the EECBG Program. The first tranche of 16 grantees was announced in October. Overall, the EECBG program has more than $430 million in formula grant funding available to more than 2,700 states, territories, local governments, and Tribes from every region of the country.
Formula funding will be awarded and announced on a rolling basis as DOE receives complete applications.
