DOE awards $27M for communities to plan a clean-energy future – GWC Mag

The U.S. Department of Energy announced on April 4 that state, local and tribal governments will receive a total of $27 million to plan innovative clean energy programs, according to a news release. 

The Energy Future Grants, which include financial and technical assistance, are divided between 31 local governments, 7 states and two tribes. The grant recipients will work with partner organizations including community benefit groups, nonprofits, universities and small businesses as well as other government and tribal entities.

The program will allow communities to “devise their own projects to solve challenges, create new jobs, and make their clean energy goals a reality,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in a statement.

Selected groups will focus on projects that range from developing solar in disadvantaged communities to deploying clean energy microgrids. For example, Harris County, Texas, which includes Houston and surrounding communities, will use $500,000 in grant funding to identify communities and facilities to act as hubs for resiliency and clean energy development, according to a news release. Also with $500,000, Los Angeles County will create an electric vehicle infrastructure workforce training and placement program, focusing on attracting workers from high-need communities and communities of color. 

Technical assistance from DOE will include in-person and virtual training as well as sessions for grantees to learn from clean energy experts and other local, state and tribal governments pursuing similar projects, according to a news release. 

This is the first round of awards distributed through the program, which was established in 2023. In the second phase, the selected governments will be eligible to compete for approximately $1 million each to implement their plans, and DOE says it will provide more information on that in spring 2025.