$78 Million to Further Drive Down Energy Costs and Enhance Energy Security in Rural & Remote Communities Across America

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President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda Helps 19 Group-Led Clear Vitality Tasks Throughout 12 States and 13 Tribal Nations to Deploy Cheaper Energy, Help Native Financial Growth, and Construct Up Local weather Resilient Communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As a part of President Biden’s Investing in America agendathe U.S. Division of Vitality (DOE) at this time introduced greater than $78 million for 19 initiatives throughout 12 states and 13 Tribal nations to develop and deploy sustainable clear vitality options and develop entry to dependable and reasonably priced vitality in rural and distant communities throughout the nation. The grant funding—made doable by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation—empowers communities to guide in growing locally-tailored clear vitality initiatives finest fitted to their distinctive wants, serving to to chop vitality prices, improve local weather resiliency, and assist native financial improvement. Right now’s announcement underscores the Biden-Harris Administration’s deep dedication to constructing an inclusive and equitable clear vitality future that creates safer, extra resilient communities, enhances Tribal vitality sovereignty, and helps new good-paying jobs.

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is delivering progress and prosperity to families in every pocket of the nation,” stated U.S. Secretary of Vitality Jennifer M. Granholm. “Through these transformative investments, rural and remote communities from coast to coast are able to map a clean energy future that revitalizes local economies and cuts the pollution that is fueling the climate crisis and driving environmental injustice.”

The chosen grant-funded initiatives introduced at this time assist initiatives with federal funding of $500,000 to $5 million and are a part of the bigger $1 billion Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) program, managed by the DOE Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). The ERA program goals to handle the distinct vitality challenges confronted by rural communities by growing vitality affordability and selling local weather resilience in areas with fewer than 10,000 folks. Rural and distant communities face a singular set of vitality challenges as a result of their smaller populations and isolation from bigger electrical programs, together with greater electrical payments, unreliable vitality provides, and/or no entry to electrical energy in any respect. On the identical time, rural America has nice unused potential for clear vitality era.

To take away boundaries that forestall many rural and distant communities from accessing federal funding, DOE simplified the applying course of for this grant funding alternative, didn’t require price share, provided technical help, and diminished the monetary reporting necessities to ship for rural America.

Almost 97% of the nation’s land mass is taken into account rural, offering open house with entry to a few of the finest wind and photo voltaic assets within the nation. To assist unlock this potential, the chosen initiatives cowl a variety of fresh vitality applied sciences, from photo voltaic, battery vitality storage programs, vitality effectivity upgrades, and microgrids to wind, warmth pumps, grid enhancements, and electrical thermal storage.

• 5 of the initiatives use microgrids to displace the usage of diesel gasoline—decreasing prices, greenhouse gasoline emissions, and the chance of gasoline spills from transporting gasoline throughout delicate ecosystems of Alaska.
• 4 initiatives use distributed vitality assets to assist scale back internet vitality purchases.
• 4 transmission and distribution initiatives assist to enhance vitality reliability and resiliency—growing capability for future renewables and decreasing environmental and well being impacts.
• Three electrification initiatives improve vitality entry utilizing each a solar-as-service mannequin and house owner mannequin.
• Two battery vitality storage programs scale back internet vitality purchases and displace backup diesel, and one warmth pump undertaking displaces the necessity for heating oil.

In step with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative to advance vitality and environmental justice, all 19 chosen initiatives are in or adjoining to deprived communities which are disproportionally overburdened by air pollution, and traditionally underserved. Key impacts from a pattern of those chosen initiatives embrace:

• Offering rooftop solar energy and changing growing older HVAC and lighting programs for as much as 9 Ok-12 public colleges positioned in historic Selma, Alabama to extend vitality effectivity and decrease vitality prices.
• Making a microgrid to supply very important backup energy throughout outages for a well being clinic, youngster improvement heart, and meals distribution heart for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma’s Poteau campus, positioned close to “Tornado Alley.”
• Putting in a battery vitality storage system to extend vitality reliability and supply essential clear backup energy throughout outages brought on by excessive winter climate for 2 native volunteer fireplace departments and a neighborhood main faculty in Victor, Montana.
• Extending 30 miles of underground, electrical distribution strains to extend service capability and resilience, and electrify practically 190 rural, underserved properties for the primary time in Ferry and Okanogan Counties, Washington.

Be taught extra concerning the 19 initiatives chosen for award negotiation here.

As a part of the Division’s dedication to transparency, OCED will maintain a sequence of nationwide and regional digital briefings to supply data on the chosen initiatives, OCED’s strategy to scrub vitality demonstrations, and alternatives for group engagement. Study ERA engagement alternatives and register to attend here.

Choice for award negotiations is just not a dedication by DOE to concern an award or present funding. Earlier than funding is issued, DOE and the selectees will bear a negotiation course of, and DOE might cancel negotiations and rescind the choice for any cause throughout that point. Lead candidates additionally might change through the award negotiations course of.

OCED manages the ERA program, which incorporates the ERA Funding Opportunity Announcement for cooperative agreements and the Energizing Rural Communities Prize. OCED is accumulating suggestions and knowledge from earlier candidates, rural communities, and stakeholders to tell the event of future funding alternatives below the ERA program.

Be taught extra about how OCED is supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government strategy in addressing the local weather disaster and delivering a clear and equitable vitality future for each American.

Information merchandise from U.S. DOE.