Biden-Harris Administration Awards Nearly $17 Million to 23 State and Local Governments to Support Clean Energy Projects and Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C.—As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced its latest round of award recipients through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. The EECBG Program will distribute $16.9 million to 22 local governments and the state of New York to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and lower overall energy use. Funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and managed by the Department’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP), the EECBG Program is designed to fund a wide range of energy efficiency and decarbonization projects. Communities across the country are investing in projects and programs that save energy, reduce climate pollution, and advance local energy goals.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to increasing access to clean energy and boosting energy resilience through community-led initiatives,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The investments from the EECBG Program are increasing renewable energy capacity, prioritizing environmental justice initiatives, and accelerating the deployment of energy efficiency projects at the local level.”

Today marks the ninth tranche of formula awards granted to EECBG Program eligible entities. Since the first awards were announced in October 2023, the program has awarded nearly $180 million to 233 communities. Through the program, 1,878 local governments, 774 Tribes, 5 territories, the District of Columbia, and all 50 states are eligible to receive formula funds. The program is highly flexible, enabling entities to choose from 14 eligible categories of clean energy projects and programs to address clean energy goals.

Grantees will use EECBG Program funds to support low-income households through energy assessments and efficiency upgrades, to conduct electrification studies for municipal facilities, to purchase electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, to install solar arrays and battery storage systems, to leverage Energy Savings Performance Contracts, and more.

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

• Bayamón, PR will install a roof-mounted solar array on its police headquarters. This effort, which Bayamón calls the “Sustainable Security” project, will also include purchasing a battery storage system to promote community resilience while generating clean energy. This project will provide Bayamón with power during periods of peak electricity demand as well as power outages, track energy production and use, and can be used for renewable energy education efforts in the community. (Award Amount: $213,340)

• Columbus, OH will provide free comprehensive energy audits to nonprofits that provide health and human services to disadvantaged communities. Columbus will partner with the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County to identify the non-profits and auditing contractors. Upon completion of the audits, the non-profits will receive technical assistance to interpret the findings and form implementation strategies to cut energy-related costs. Participation will also help nonprofits comply with the city’s ordinance, which requires benchmarking of large facilities. (Award amount: 778,900)

• Miami, FL will advance the Miami Forever Carbon Neutral Plan by purchasing seven EVs and installing six Level 2 EV chargers for its municipal fleet. The project will also include a workforce development program designed for vehicle mechanics. The program will prepare technicians to service high-voltage EVs and install and maintain residential and commercial EV charging stations. Students will receive an Electric Vehicle Technician Certificate upon program completion. (Award Amount: $477,720)

• Navajo County, AZ will weatherize a county-owned historical building by upgrading 12 window units to energy-efficient models. A comparative building energy assessment before and after the installation will provide real-time energy and cost-saving data, further informing the county’s energy efficiency investments. This project will follow key activities from EECBG Program Blueprint 2A: Energy Efficiency: Energy Audits and Building Upgrades. (Award Amount: $78,750)

• New York, NY will pursue several interconnected activities to advance its net zero emissions goals. Activities include hiring a policy advisor to identify and promote financing mechanisms for decarbonization and resiliency projects. Second, it will identify and reduce carbon emissions in new construction and evaluate the emissions of materials involved in this construction and associated infrastructure (e.g., materials production, transportation, and manufacturing) and recommend strategies to reduce these emissions by 50%. The city will also develop a performance-based building code for new construction as well as hire a third-party contractor to evaluate and verify the city’s GHG accounting methods and data. New York City will develop software for residential building owners to fast-track energy audits, identify incentives, and develop decarbonization plans responsive to market conditions.  (Award amount: $6,875,730)

• Pueblo, CO purchased two solar-powered EV charging stations for public and municipal use. The chargers are transportable, off-grid, equipped with an emergency power panel, and available for use by first responders. Each charger is capable of charging two electric vehicles at any time of day via the system’s battery storage components. This project makes Pueblo more resilient and prepared for emergencies; in the event of a power outage, the EV chargers can also provide backup power for emergency operations. (Award Amount: $161,870)

• Whittier, CA will develop a Municipal Operations Energy Plan and conduct energy-efficiency upgrades in municipal buildings. The Energy Plan will establish a comprehensive energy inventory and formally set city-wide goals for carbon-free energy use and emissions reductions. They will also install a ground source heat pump in a city-owned building and three ventilated transformers in Whittier City Hall. The city’s projects align with the Justice40 Initiative, as 82% of the total award funding will go to projects in disadvantaged communities. (Award Amount: $140,540)

Additional awards include:

• City of Beavercreek, OH ($76,640)
• City of Chelmsford, MA ($76,320)
• City of Diamond Bar, CA ($114,980)
• City of Hempstead, NY ($649,790)
• City of Pittsburgh, PA ($337,960)
• City of Portland, OR ($602,650)
• City of Richmond, VA ($262,500)
• City of Thousand Oaks, CA ($174,360)
• Bexar County, TX ($464,940)
• Camden County, NJ ($244,430)
• El Paso County, CO ($259,440)
• Palm Beach County, FL ($652,450)
• Prince William County, VA ($421,130)
• Travis County, TX ($293,610)
• State of New York ($3,351,520)

View the complete list of projects to date on our website.

This program advances the Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal climate, clean energy, and other covered investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

DOE offers extensive technical assistance to support EECBG Program grantees, including Blueprints and Blueprint Cohorts. Blueprints offer ideas and model projects with step-by-step guides to eligible and high-impact clean energy and energy efficiency projects and programs. Blueprint Cohorts bring together EECBG Program-eligible communities to learn from one another and industry experts on topic areas such as financing, direct pay tax credits, community engagement, and more.

The EECBG Program application deadline for eligible local governments is October 31, 2024, and May 31, 2025, for Tribes. Local governments and Tribes can apply for either traditional grants or vouchers for equipment rebates and/or technical assistance. For more information, visit the EECBG Program website.