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Grants From the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation Will Fund Clear Power Infrastructure Initiatives in Communities Starting from Power Audits and Research to EV chargers and Photo voltaic-Plus-Storage
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As a part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Division of Power (DOE) at the moment introduced its newest spherical of award recipients by means of the Power Effectivity and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. The EECBG Program will distribute $16.9 million to 22 native governments and the state of New York to enhance vitality effectivity, scale back greenhouse gasoline emissions, and decrease total vitality use. Funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation and managed by the Division’s Workplace of State and Group Power Packages (SCEP), the EECBG Program is designed to fund a variety of vitality effectivity and decarbonization initiatives. Communities throughout the nation are investing in initiatives and packages that save vitality, scale back local weather air pollution, and advance native vitality targets.
“The Biden–Harris Administration is committed to increasing access to clean energy and boosting energy resilience through community-led initiatives,” stated U.S. Secretary of Power 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.”
As we speak marks the ninth tranche of system awards granted to EECBG Program eligible entities. For the reason that first awards had been introduced in October 2023, this system has awarded practically $180 million to 233 communities. By way of this system, 1,878 native governments, 774 Tribes, 5 territories, the District of Columbia, and all 50 states are eligible to obtain system funds. This system is very versatile, enabling entities to select from 14 eligible classes of fresh vitality initiatives and packages to deal with clear vitality targets.
Grantees will use EECBG Program funds to help low-income households by means of vitality assessments and effectivity upgrades, to conduct electrification research for municipal amenities, to buy electrical automobile (EV) charging stations, to put in photo voltaic arrays and battery storage techniques, to leverage Power Financial savings Efficiency Contracts, and extra.
Study extra about what grantees on this tranche are doing with their funds under and on our web site.
- Bayamón, PR will set up a roof-mounted photo voltaic array on its police headquarters. This effort, which Bayamón calls the “Sustainable Security” challenge, can even embody buying a battery storage system to advertise group resilience whereas producing clear vitality. This challenge will present Bayamón with energy in periods of peak electrical energy demand in addition to energy outages, monitor vitality manufacturing and use, and can be utilized for renewable vitality training efforts in the neighborhood. (Award Quantity: $213,340)
- Columbus, OH will present free complete vitality audits to nonprofits that present well being and human providers to deprived communities. Columbus will companion with the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County to determine the non-profits and auditing contractors. Upon completion of the audits, the non-profits will obtain technical help to interpret the findings and kind implementation methods to chop energy-related prices. Participation can even assist nonprofits adjust to town’s ordinance, which requires benchmarking of enormous amenities. (Award quantity: 778,900)
- Miami, FL will advance the Miami Without end Carbon Impartial Plan by buying seven EVs and putting in six Degree 2 EV chargers for its municipal fleet. The challenge can even embody a workforce improvement program designed for automobile mechanics. This system will put together technicians to service high-voltage EVs and set up and keep residential and business EV charging stations. College students will obtain an Electrical Car Technician Certificates upon program completion. (Award Quantity: $477,720)
- Navajo County, AZ will weatherize a county-owned historic constructing by upgrading 12 window items to energy-efficient fashions. A comparative constructing vitality evaluation earlier than and after the set up will present real-time vitality and cost-saving knowledge, additional informing the county’s vitality effectivity investments. This challenge will comply with key actions from EECBG Program Blueprint 2A: Power Effectivity: Power Audits and Constructing Upgrades. (Award Quantity: $78,750)
- New York, NY will pursue a number of interconnected actions to advance its web zero emissions targets. Actions embody hiring a coverage advisor to determine and promote financing mechanisms for decarbonization and resiliency initiatives. Second, it is going to determine and scale back carbon emissions in new building and consider the emissions of supplies concerned on this building and related infrastructure (e.g., supplies manufacturing, transportation, and manufacturing) and suggest methods to scale back these emissions by 50%. Town can even develop a performance-based constructing code for brand spanking new building in addition to rent a third-party contractor to judge and confirm town’s GHG accounting strategies and knowledge. New York Metropolis will develop software program for residential constructing homeowners to fast-track vitality audits, determine incentives, and develop decarbonization plans aware of market situations. (Award quantity: $6,875,730)
- Pueblo, CO bought two solar-powered EV charging stations for public and municipal use. The chargers are transportable, off-grid, outfitted with an emergency energy panel, and out there to be used by first responders. Every charger is able to charging two electrical autos at any time of day by way of the system’s battery storage elements. This challenge makes Pueblo extra resilient and ready for emergencies; within the occasion of an influence outage, the EV chargers also can present backup energy for emergency operations. (Award Quantity: $161,870)
- Whittier, CA will develop a Municipal Operations Power Plan and conduct energy-efficiency upgrades in municipal buildings. The Power Plan will set up a complete vitality stock and formally set city-wide targets for carbon-free vitality use and emissions reductions. They can even set up a floor supply warmth pump in a city-owned constructing and three ventilated transformers in Whittier Metropolis Corridor. Town’s initiatives align with the Justice40 Initiative, as 82% of the whole award funding will go to initiatives in deprived communities. (Award Quantity: $140,540)
Further awards embody:
- Metropolis of Beavercreek, OH ($76,640)
- Metropolis of Chelmsford, MA ($76,320)
- Metropolis of Diamond Bar, CA ($114,980)
- Metropolis of Hempstead, NY ($649,790)
- Metropolis of Pittsburgh, PA ($337,960)
- Metropolis of Portland, OR ($602,650)
- Metropolis of Richmond, VA ($262,500)
- Metropolis of Thousand Oaks, CA ($174,360)
- Bexar County, TX ($464,940)
- Camden County, NJ ($244,430)
- El Paso County, CO ($259,440)
- Palm Seashore County, FL ($652,450)
- Prince William County, VA ($421,130)
- Travis County, TX ($293,610)
- State of New York ($3,351,520)
View the entire record of initiatives so far on our web site.
This program advances the Justice40 Initiative, which set the aim that 40 % of the general advantages of sure Federal local weather, clear vitality, and different coated investments circulation to deprived communities which can be marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by air pollution.
DOE provides intensive technical help to help EECBG Program grantees, together with Blueprints and Blueprint Cohorts. Blueprints provide concepts and mannequin initiatives with step-by-step guides to eligible and high-impact clear vitality and vitality effectivity initiatives and packages. Blueprint Cohorts deliver collectively EECBG Program-eligible communities to study from each other and trade consultants on subject areas equivalent to financing, direct pay tax credit, group engagement, and extra.
The EECBG Program software deadline for eligible native governments is October 31, 2024, and Might 31, 2025, for Tribes. Native governments and Tribes can apply for both conventional grants or vouchers for gear rebates and/or technical help. For extra data, go to the EECBG Program web site.
Media Inquiries: (202) 586-4940 or DOENews@hq.doe.gov
Learn extra on the vitality.gov/Newsroom
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