WASHINGTON, D.C.-As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced its latest round of awards under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. The EECBG Program will distribute $12.62 million to 32 local governments, two states, and one Tribe to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and lower overall energy use. Funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and managed by DOE’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs, the EECBG program makes formula grants to States, territories, the District of Columbia and eligible Tribal and local governments. The program funding is highly flexible: recipients may apply it towards 14 eligible categories of clean energy projects and programs that will help them reduce energy consumption, promote energy efficiency, and advance environmental justice.
“Through the investments from the EECBG Program, the Biden-Harris Administration is equipping local communities with the resources to lead our nation’s clean energy transition.” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “These contributions are not just about cutting emissions – they’re about creating a healthier, more resilient country for all future generations to come.”
This is the eighth tranche of formula awards from the EECBG Program. Since DOE announced the first awards in October 2023, the program has awarded nearly $162 million to 210 communities.
Grantees will use these latest EECBG Program awards to conduct energy assessments and efficiency upgrades for low-income households, install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, purchase alternative fuel vehicles for municipal use, launch solarization campaigns, improve bicycle infrastructure and other activities. This program advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
August also marked another significant milestone for the EECBG Program: it made the first equipment voucher award to the City of Livermore, CA to support the purchase of two solar-powered EV chargers for public use. Recipients of the EECBG Program vouchers may use them to obtain rebates for purchasing and installing eligible equipment or for technical assistance services. The EECBG Program vouchers, which involve shorter applications and reduced reporting requirements, underscore DOE’s commitment to improving access to federal funding for communities nationwide.
To commemorate this milestone, DOE will co-host a ribbon cutting ceremony on August 30, 2024 with the City of Livermore at Livermore Civil Center Library, where one of the EV chargers is installed. As part of DOE’s “Resiliency Month,” the city’s project also demonstrates how DOE investments can advance community climate goals across a multitude of focus areas, such as sustainable transportation and resiliency.