The Department of Energy kicked off the year by launching the Clean Energy Corps — recruiting talented, committed people from across the country to help implement the historic investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, grow our economy, lower costs for Americans, and create "jobs, jobs, jobs" along the way!

We partnered with the Department of Transportation to announce $5 billion to power a full transition into an all-electric future – thanks to the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We’re continuing to work with the Department of Transportation to make historic investments to double the size of our grid and support EV charging.

The U.S. and International Energy Agency members joined together to help address the market and fuel supply disruptions caused by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Thanks to President Biden’s actions, gas prices have come down. Today they’re at the levels we saw before Russia’s invasion caused a global energy crisis.

The DOE launched an $84 million program to demonstrate enhanced geothermal energy systems. That means we’re going to use the heat beneath our feet to start powering our homes. Our goal is to tap enough clean, reliable, geothermal energy for the equivalent of 129 million American homes and businesses.

From President Biden’s Climate Agenda, DOE announced more than $3 billion to boost domestic battery manufacturing and bolster our supply chains. The Department is also working to support second-life applications for EV batteries which will strengthen our battery supply chain and make recycling more sustainable.

We also announced over $2.3 billion to cut U.S. pollution and combat climate change through carbon storage and management. These efforts will reduce carbon dioxide pollution, address the impacts of climate change, and create good-paying jobs while prioritizing community engagement and environmental justice.

DOE awarded new funds from the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for home energy upgrades to help families repair and weatherize their homes and swap out fossil fuel-powered appliances for more efficient electric ones. These upgrades will increase energy efficiency and lower energy bills! That means more money for groceries, medical needs, and school supplies.

This summer, Congress passed the President’s Inflation Reduction Act and that means historic investment in the technologies that will help us cut carbon pollution, lower energy costs for families, lift up communities in need, and create good-paying union jobs. And on top of that, President Biden also signed into law the CHIPS and Science Act, which authorized $68 billion for the Department of Energy and our National Labs to fund game-changing research and development for our clean energy future.

President Biden announced that $9 billion from his Climate Agenda would be directed to states and Tribes to help them cut their energy costs, upgrade to electric appliances, and make their homes more energy-efficient. And that investment is going to pay off in the long run, because we estimate these consumer rebates will save Americans $1 billion annually.  

Secretary Granholm also hosted leaders and innovators from all across the world in Pittsburgh for the first ever Global Clean Energy Action Forum. It was a fantastic week that showed what could be accomplished for our country and our planet if we come together to tackle the challenges before us.

In the fall, we also announced three new Energy Earthshots. These audacious goals are focused on cutting costs for critical technologies like geothermal systems, offshore wind, and industrial heat process and accelerate clean energy breakthroughs within the decade.  

And if that all wasn’t enough, DOE and the Department of Transportation continued our work to build out America’s electric vehicle infrastructure by approving plans from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico for a national network of rapid EV chargers, so you won’t have to worry about where to charge your EV.

President Biden announced a $2.8 billion investment, spread across 20 American companies in 12 states, to expand domestic manufacturing of batteries. Those companies are partnering with local community groups and unions to help workers find high-paying, good quality jobs – including some that won’t require a college degree.

Secretary Granholm traveled to Puerto Rico to meet with first responders and tour a local fire station that was retrofitted with solar and energy storage after Hurricane Maria. This allowed them to stay online & keep providing emergency services to their community during Hurricane Fiona. The Department of Energy is working side-by-side with Puerto Rican leaders and communities to harden their electric grid and invest in new technologies that will help Puerto Rico achieve its 100% clean energy goals.

In December, Secretary Granholm signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Navajo Nation to ensure the benefits of President Biden’s clean energy agenda are equitable, just, and inclusive of Tribal Nation partners. This includes building capacity for energy programs, enhancing coordination between federal agencies and the Navajo Nation, and providing technical guidance and support.

Capping off the year, the Department of Energy announced a monumental scientific breakthrough: the first-ever fusion ignition, achieved at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This tremendous achievement, decades in the making, has far-reaching implications for our energy and national security future. 

We accomplished so much this year, and the good news is…we’re just getting started.  

Stay tuned for what we have in store for 2023!