Public Power Communities to Receive DOE Funding for Clean Energy, Economic Development

The U.S. Department of Energy on March 22 announced the second cohort of communities selected as part of the Communities Local Energy Action Program, a technical assistance initiative.

The 30 selected communities, which include a number of public power communities, will receive a total of $18 million worth of technical assistance “to create tailored community-wide action plans that reduce local air pollution, increase energy resilience, lower utility costs and energy burdens, and create good paying jobs,” DOE said. The program was launched in September 2021 as a pilot initiative.

The 30 selected applicants will work with DOE and its network of technical assistance providers, as well as local coalition partners, including local and tribal governments, community-based organizations, utilities, environmental justice, economic development, and equitable investment organizations to develop roadmaps that utilize clean energy as a tool for economic development.

The second cohort of LEAP communities will pursue areas of interest including, but not limited to:

Clean Energy Planning and Development
Energy Efficient Buildings and Beneficial Electrification Planning and Investment
Clean Transportation Planning and Investment
Carbon Capture and Storage
Critical Minerals Resource Potential from Energy Wastes and By-products
Community Resilience Microgrids
New or Enhanced Manufacturing
Advanced Nuclear Technology and Support for Existing Reactors
Puerto Rico Community Resilience