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Equity and Access at the Center of SCEP

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) continues its commitment to engage with and provide funding and resources to an important segment of the population: American Indian and Native communities. Historic funding for clean energy initiatives have been set aside for Tribal nations, and SCEP is working to meaningfully engage on important issues facing Tribal communities. We are excited to continue the momentum started a few years ago with the unprecedented investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)--two funding mechanisms that pulled the lever for clean energy investments throughout this county.

In this Issue

July 12, 2024 - States Can Now Apply for Up to $40 Million in Competitive Grants for the Training for Residential Energy Contractors Program
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm Announced $27 Million in Financial and Technical Assistance Awarded to 40 Partner Teams of States, Local Governments, and Tribes Through the Energy Future Grants Program
DOE Awards First State Funding and Announces Progress on Historic $8.8 Billion Home Energy Rebate Programs to Lower Utility Bills
Don’t Forget to Apply for SCEP’s Communities Sparking Investment in Transformative Energy (C-SITE) Funding Opportunity

Happy Earth Month from DOE

Here at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), every day and all year round, we’re focused on fighting?climate change and mitigating its harmful effects on the environment, our natural resources, and communities.

This Earth Month, we’re sharing how DOE is?investing to meet climate goals, how you can help in this fight while?saving money ?on energy bills, how our?National Laboratories ?are leading cutting-edge research, and lastly,?classroom activities ?that students across the country can enjoy. Learn more here .

What’s New At SCEP

July 12, 2024 - States Can Now Apply for Up to $40 Million in Competitive Grants for the Training for Residential Energy Contractors Program

States can now apply for up to $40 million in competitive grants for the Training for Residential Energy Contractors Program (TREC) to reduce the cost of training, testing, and certifying residential energy efficiency and electrification contractors. Also referred to as the State-Based Home Energy Efficiency Contractor Training Grants Program, TREC will award states with funds to develop and implement workforce training programs for residential efficiency and electrification projects to help implement the $8.8 billion Home Energy Rebates Programs and help Americans save money on their energy bills. This funding will train small contractor firms and deploy innovative and equitable workforce development programs to make homes healthier and more energy efficient.

A required Letter of Intent is due May 9, 2024; the full application is due July 12, 2024. Visit the Training for Residential Energy Contractors webpage to stay up-to-date on program announcements.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm Announced $27 Million in Financial and Technical Assistance Awarded to 40 Partner Teams of States, Local Governments, and Tribes Through the Energy Future Grants Program

In support of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and the historic Justice40 Initiative, SCEP announced $27 million in financial and technical assistance awarded to 40 partner teams of states, local governments, and Tribes through the Energy Future Grants (EFG) Program . U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm made the announcement during a visit and tour of Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA.? EFG provides financial and technical assistance to support multijurisdictional partnership efforts to advance innovative clean energy programs that will enhance energy affordability, access, and opportunities for communities. EFG fosters out-of-the-box thinking and collaboration to help develop solutions to encourage and facilitate successful clean energy projects benefiting disadvantaged communities.

Read more about the 31 Local Governments, 7 States, and 2 Tribes receiving funding through the EFG Program.

SCEP Awards First State Funding and Announces Progress on Historic $8.8 Billion Home Energy Rebate Programs to Lower Utility Bills

SCEP announced it has approved New York’s funding application for the Inflation Reduction Act’s Home Energy Rebates and awarded the state an initial $158 million to implement its rebate program to help families save money on energy-efficient electric appliances. This is the first state to have its application approved and to receive funding under this program.

DOE also announced that 11 other states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington—have submitted funding applications for the Home Energy Rebate programs. Collectively, the rebate programs, created by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, provide $8.8 billion for states, territories, and Tribes to lower energy costs and increase efficiency in American homes by making it cheaper to install measures such as heat pumps, electrical panels, and insulation—saving consumers up to $1 billion annually in energy costs and supporting an estimated 50,000 U.S. jobs in residential construction, manufacturing, and other sectors.

Don’t Forget to Apply for SCEP’s Communities Sparking Investment in Transformative Energy (C-SITE) Funding Opportunity

The Communities Sparking Investment in Transformative Energy (C-SITE)?Funding Opportunity Announcement provides approximately $18 million in financial awards and technical assistance to advance community identified energy priorities. Funded projects may span a variety of technology areas including, but not limited to: building efficiency and/or electrification, electric transportation, energy infrastructure upgrades, microgrid development and deployment, renewable energy, resilience hubs, and workforce development. C-SITE awards will deliver long-term local economic development and community revitalization opportunities and direct benefits to workers and residents, such as workforce agreements, reduced energy costs, and improved air quality. Awarded communities will receive comprehensive technical assistance (TA) from experts to help facilitate the development and implementation of projects or programs.

Full applications are due by May 31, 2024. For more information on the application process, visit the Local Government Energy Program website or email [email protected] .

SCEP Announces More Than $26.9 Million to 37 State, Local and Tribal Governments to Support Clean Energy Projects

SCEP announced its fifth round of award recipients through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program . This program, funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021) and managed SCEP, will distribute $26.9 million to nine states, 27 local governments, and one Tribe to reduce energy use, curb fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency. 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.?

Read more to learn about what grantees in this tranche are doing with their funds.

Sign Up Now for a Virtual Training this Summer on the Foundations of Energy Efficiency Financing

Join DOE and Berkeley Lab this summer for a 6-part webinar training series titled Energy Efficiency Finance Foundations. Designed for public-sector energy professionals, sustainability and facility managers, and finance officials seeking to deploy energy efficiency upgrades with the aid of financing, this series will support participants in navigating "finance speak," knowing what questions to ask, and strengthening public-sector knowledge of energy efficiency financing tools to successfully prepare for building energy upgrades.

Starting on June 20th, the series will span 6 weeks with each training module lasting about an hour. Modules will cover funding and financing structures, how to engage with stakeholders, and more. This series is size limited, so register now to guarantee your spot in this new cohort!

SCEP’s Renew America’s Schools Prize to Host Webinar on Financing School Facility Retrofits

With applications now open for the 2024?Renew America’s Schools Prize , SCEP will be hosting several webinars to support interested schools. Sign up for?Office Hours?on?Wednesday, May 29 at 2 p.m. ET to learn more about applying for the 2024 Renew America's Schools Prize.

Register for “Beyond Grants: Federal Funding for School Facilities" on?May 7 from 1-2 p.m. ET to learn about non-competitive tax credits for schools.

Submissions for the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize are due on HeroX by Thursday, June 13.

Just Released: The State Energy Program’s BIL TA Implementation Plan

DOE’s State Energy Program (SEP) just released the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Technical Assistance Implementation Plan (BIL TA Implementation Plan), developed in collaboration with State Energy Offices and National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO). The plan outlines an overarching strategy for delivering TA to states over the next 5+ years using BIL Section 40109 funds. The execution of the BIL TA Implementation Plan will be an iterative process, and states are encouraged to continue to regularly share ideas, feedback, and questions.

SEP identified and are offering four key strategies to address the most pressing needs of states, with specific projects outlined under each in the BIL TA Implementation Plan: Direct Technical Assistance with Subject Matter Experts; Educational Repositories and Guidebooks for DOE TA Resources; Trainings and Other Engagements; and Peer Exchange Opportunities and Cohorts.

Register Now: Maximizing Municipal Energy Strategies with ESPC

Municipalities face many facility improvement, energy, and sustainability needs and goals, but all of these priorities can be effectively tackled together. On Wednesday, May 8 at 2 p.m. ET join us for a conversation with Lindsay Hawes, Energy Program Manager for the City of San Diego, to learn how the City is implementing a new energy savings performance contracting (ESPC) strategy aimed to do just that.

Tune in as Lindsay shares how she is using ESPC to address the modernization needs and support the decarbonization efforts of her municipal government. Attendees will also learn how eProject eXpress (ePX) makes it easy for project owners and energy service companies to manage project documents, track data, and report on project achievements. All municipal stakeholders, including leadership, sustainability, finance, legal, facility staff, and ESPC Campaign partners are welcome to attend! Register now .

Trending Across DOE & Other Federal Energy Programs

May 3, 2024 – Supercharge Your Career with DOE’s Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship

Calling recent graduates and energy professionals to apply for DOE’s Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship ! Paid fellows will spend up to two years at public utility commissions, state energy offices, and other critical energy organizations, supporting projects that will help decarbonize power systems and bolster energy resilience. We encourage candidates with a demonstrated interest in clean energy solutions and those with diverse backgrounds to apply by May 3.

June 13, 2024 – DOE Announces $22 Million to Improve Siting and Permitting for Large-Scale Renewable Energy and Energy Storage

DOE announced $12 million available from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to improve planning, siting, and permitting processes for large-scale renewable energy facilities, including wind energy. The Renewable Energy Siting through Technical Engagement and Planning (R-STEP) program works with state-based entities to develop and expand statewide initiatives that provide expertise, trainings, and technical resources to local governments and communities as they plan for and evaluate large-scale renewable energy and energy storage projects. This second solicitation follows the recent announcement of the first six state collaboratives to receive a total of $10 million under the R-STEP program.?Join us for informational webinars on May 2 from 3-4 p.m. ET and May 22 from 3-4 p.m. ET .

June 14, 2024 – Apply Today for the Next Round of Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) In-Depth Partnerships

Communities can submit proposals for up to $500,000 in funding and $3,500,000 in technical assistance from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for over three years to develop secure, reliable, resilient, equitable, and affordable clean energy systems. Register for an informational webinar on April 18 to learn more and submit your proposal by June 14 . This RFP is open to communities of all types, and applying teams must consist of a local government, an electric utility, and at least one community-based organization.

June 17, 2024 – DOE Extends Deadline for Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants Program

DOE issued an amendment to the Administrative and Legal Requirements Document (ALRD) for the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants Program , extending the deadline for States, Indian Tribes, and Territories to apply for grants and request allocations to June 17, 2024. This program is designed to strengthen and modernize America’s power grid against wildfires, extreme weather, and other natural disasters that are exacerbated by climate change.

July 10, 2024 – Call for Communities to Join the Energy Transitions Initiatives Partnership Project

The U.S. Department of Energy invites remote and island communities aiming to address their energy resilience challenges to apply to the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP). Communities will create and pursue energy resilience projects defined by their local priorities and goals, using technical assistance from strategic energy analysts at DOE national laboratories and regional partner organizations. Applications are open through July 10. Visit the ETIPP application page to learn more.

July 16, 2024 – Biden-Harris Administration Invests $54 Million to Expand Clean Transportation Across American Communities

The Biden-Harris Administration announced a $54 million Communities Taking Charge Accelerator funding opportunity through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to enhance electric mobility in communities without access to home charging infrastructure and to transition all types of fleets to electric vehicles. It also focuses on developing managed charging solutions to optimize grid efficiency and integrate renewable energy to promote sustainability, economic growth, and community health. Visit the?Communities Taking Charge Accelerator ?page on DriveElectric.gov to read more about the?FY2024 Communities Taking Charge Accelerator funding opportunity . Applicants must submit a concept paper by May 20, 2024, and full applications are due July 16, 2024.

DOE Announces $17.5 Million to Support Cost-Effective Waste-to-Energy Solutions for Local Communities

DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office and Vehicle Technologies Office have announced $17.5M in funding to communities to develop cost-effective waste-to-energy solutions to manage and recover clean energy sources from their waste streams. This funding will not only help communities create synergies between managing their waste streams and local transportation energy needs, but will play a critical role in achieving the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of an equitable, clean energy future of net-zero emissions, economy-wide by 2050.

DOE Releases First Ever Federal Blueprint to Decarbonize America’s Building Sector

Did you know that buildings account for more than one third of domestic climate pollution? That’s why DOE has just released the first ever government blueprint to remove greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the building sector! Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050: A National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector ?projects that we can reduce building sector GHG emissions by 90%, saving U.S. consumers more than $100 billion in total annual energy costs and avoiding $17 billion in annual health costs.

DOE Releases First-Ever Roadmap to Accelerate Connecting More Clean Energy Projects to the Nation’s Electric Grid

DOE released a new roadmap outlining solutions to speed up the interconnection of clean energy onto the nation’s transmission grid and clear the existing backlog of solar, wind, and battery projects seeking to be built. The Transmission Interconnection Roadmap, developed by DOE’s Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X), serves as a guide for transmission providers, interconnection customers, state agencies, federal regulators, transmission owners, load serving entities (LSEs), equipment manufacturers, consumer advocates, equity and energy justice communities, advocacy groups, consultants, and the research community, which includes DOE. Register for a webinar on May 8 at 1 p.m. ET to learn more about the targets and solutions in the roadmap.