Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Feb. 27 the availability of about $18 million for local and tribal governments to pursue a broad range of clean energy projects.
- Eligible projects could include downtown revitalization efforts that create energy-efficient buildings; municipally owned, utility-scale solar installations on reclaimed industrial land; and microgrids, which can provide energy when not connected to the larger grid, the DOE said.
- The funding opportunity, titled by the DOE as Communities Sparking Investments in Transformative Energy, will help increase access to clean energy, lower energy costs and increase energy sovereignty for communities, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a Feb. 27 news release. Applications are due May 31.
Dive Insight:
This funding opportunity comes amid a wave of federal investments in local clean energy development and other emissions-reduction projects.
Along with its goal to bring localities more clean energy, the funding announced Tuesday aims to spark additional investments in communities to support long-term economic development and revitalization, according to the DOE. The program also aims to build capacity and partnerships for local governments and tribes.
The funding will support projects in disadvantaged communities, small- and medium-sized cities and towns, and what the Biden administration refers to as “energy communities,” which face certain impacts from coal mining or other fossil fuel-based energy production. The definition for these communities factors in traits including the presence of brownfield sites, historic dependency on the coal industry and unemployment rates.
The DOE expects to offer between five and 20 awards that will each range from $900,000 to $3.6 million. The selected communities will also get comprehensive technical assistance and can choose to have a Community Energy Fellow, the DOE said. The community cost-sharing requirement is 5% and can be met through staff time, municipal or tribal budget allocation, philanthropic funds, or other third-party contributions.
The DOE will host informational webinars on the funding opportunity March 7 at 2 p.m. ET and March 21 at 3 p.m. ET.
