All EECBG Program grantees are required to submit an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (EECS) for approval by DOE. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in partnership with DOE, will help communities develop an EECS for their EECBG grant. This will include establishing goals and energy planning basics. TA is available to EECBG grantees for 10-20 hours or more upon request. To sign up email EECS_TA@nrel.gov.

Blueprints are informational resources to provide inspiration for how to wisely spend EECBG grant dollars. The blueprints provide guides to 13 project/program ideas, outline key steps grantees should take, and provide links to key tools and resources to accomplish the projects. Blueprint cohorts will meet regularly to answer questions and share stories.

Visit the EECBG Program blueprint webpage.  

Sign up for a EECBG Blueprint cohort. 

Community Energy Fellows are DOE-sponsored staff that will be based in select communities to help increase the capacity and impact of EECBG Program-funded projects. Fellows will be provided on a competitive basis.

For more information, see our Community Energy Fellows webpage.

Ready to commit to reducing 50% greenhouse gas emissions from your buildings in 10-15 years? Join the Better Climate Challenge! Join in with leading organizations from across the country who have committed to reducing their building portfolio's GHG emissions. Access a plethora of resources and direct support from DOE, NREL, and leaders from across sectors, and make progress around emissions reductions planning for portfolios of buildings. Join the Better Buildings Climate Challenge today! 

The Building Technologies Office works with the Lawrence Berkley National Lab to provide in-depth technical assistance to communities interested in pursuing a place-based building performance standard. 

Sign up here: Building Performance Standards | Building Energy Codes Program

The Building Energy Codes Program (BECP) offers a variety of technical assistance opportunities and resources designed to answer questions about building energy codes.

BECP's team of building energy codes experts are also available to answer specific questions submitted through the web-based Help Desk.

Wastewater treatment facilities provide tremendous opportunities for energy efficiency. DOE’s Better Buildings Program is organizing another round of the Sustainable Wastewater Infrastructure of the Future (SWIFt) Accelerator. This effort will support local governments with wastewater facilities to accelerate a pathway toward sustainable infrastructure. SWIFt Accelerator 2.0 provides customized technical assistance in four critical areas: energy data management, energy efficiency improvements, advanced technology integration, and project financing. Partners receive expert technical and financial training, one-on-one assistance, energy savings resources, data analysis tools, and peer networking opportunities. State, regional, and local agencies and facility partners are welcome to join us and help develop and share replicable solutions with the market. Join the SWIFT Accelerator today!

The Solar Energy Technologies Office program provides a wide variety of support available for states, tribes and local governments. 

Join the National Community Solar Partnership to tap into these resources:

• One-on-one or group session direct support.
• Connect with other Community Solar partners and join one of the many subject-focused, peer-led working groups.
• Attend member events like stakeholder gatherings, webinars, and more.
• Access the resource database for solar toolkits, research papers, and tools for analysis.

Local governments can take some easy steps that dramatically decrease the time to go solar in your community. First, check out a free solar permitting tool called SolarAPP+.  SolarAPP+ can help local governments to process solar permits more efficiently.  SolarAPP+ is a standardized plan review software that can run compliance checks and process building permit approvals for eligible rooftop solar systems, and is available for free!

Next, check out the SolSmart program. SolSmart is a DOE-sponsored technical assistance team that helps local governments and regional organizations accelerate the growth of clean, affordable solar energy in their jurisdictions. This technical assistance offering is free to local nonprofits and governments, with guidance to help them meet their specific solar goals.

After reviewing the program guide and submitting a Solar Statement, communities will receive hands-on technical assistance to implement their solar project. SolSmart also has an extensive Resource Library designed to help keep projects on track with templates, project guides, and more. Join SolSmart today.

The Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X) convenes diverse stakeholders involved in the interconnection of solar energy, wind energy, and energy storage resources to facilitate peer-learning and knowledge exchange and inspire new interconnection ideas and capabilities. 

• This program has 4 components that help connect wind, solar, and energy storage projects through peer-learning and knowledge exchange:
  • i2X Stakeholder Engagement Center
    • Structured working groups bring together stakeholders across sectors and industries to identify barriers and best practices.
  • Data Collection & Analysis
    • Collect data for baseline information to help set metrics, track progress on projects, and analyze results.
  • Interconnection Process Roadmap
    • Use the roadmap to define clear timelines, costs, and to keep your project on track to meet your decarbonization goals.
  • Interconnection Technical Assistance
    • Stakeholders can receive direct support from interconnection experts to implement their projects and achieve their goals.

Learn more about the Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X).

Connect with the Clean Cities coalition in your area. Clean Cities is a DOE-funded program that supports alternative fuel vehicle deployment in communities nationwide.

Get in touch with an expert from the Clean Cities Coalition.

• Data & Information Resources
  • Use data from FuelEconomy.gov and Alternative Fuels Data Center to calculate costs, assess project potential, and set project goals.
• Ask an Expert
  • The Clean Cities Coalition’s Technical Response Service provide answers to questions about alternative fuels, fuel economy improvements, Clean Cities Coalition resources, and more. Contact the Technical Response service to get in touch with an expert.
• Toolkits, Tiger Teams, and More
  • Idlebox
    • Toolkit for projects tackling idle-reduction
  • Workplace Charging Employer Workshop Toolkit
    • Toolkit for employers providing workplace charging educational opportunities
  • Technical Assistance from National Labs: Tiger Teams
    • Get connected to direct support for problem-solving obstacles in your alternative fuel and advanced vehicle projects.
  • Electric School Bus Education Webinars & Handouts
    • Resources for communities looking to learn more about and invest in alternative fuel transportation for schools.
       

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy provides federally recognized Indian tribes, including Alaska Native villages, tribal energy development organizations, and other organized tribal groups and communities, with technical assistance to advance tribal energy projects. 

The Office of Indian Energy, DOE national laboratories, and other partnering organizations provide the technical assistance at no cost. For general information or inquiries, please contact the help desk.
 

Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) Expert Match through NREL provides cities, towns, and tribes in-depth, direct support on any topic related to clean energy. Expert Match is most suitable for communities that could benefit from assistance to inform time-sensitive decisions and identify and understand the range of options for achieving clean energy goals. 

The Expert Match technical assistance timeframe is 40–60 hours over 1–2 months. Sign up for Clean Energy to Communities Expert Match.

Environmental Protection Agency: The Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with DOE, has selected 17 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) that will receive $177 million to help underserved and overburdened communities across the country. 

Each of the technical assistance centers will remove barriers and improve accessibility for communities with environmental justice concerns. The centers will provide training and other assistance to build capacity for navigating federal grant application systems, writing strong grant proposals, and effectively managing grant funding.

In addition, these centers will provide guidance on community engagement, meeting facilitation, and translation and interpretation services for limited English-speaking participants, thus removing barriers and improving accessibility for communities with environmental justice concerns.

Connect with your local TCTAC today!

The State and Local Solution Center is a resource hub for states, local governments, and K-12 school districts. The Solution Center highlights various technical assistance opportunities to help your organization reach its energy efficiency and renewable energy goals.

Check out additional informational resources around energy efficiency and green building workforce development from DOE's Green Building Workforce Development Initiatives.

Here’s a list of relevant funding and technical assistance programs currently available to public sector entities from DOE.

Check out these opportunities that might be especially relevant:

• Communities Sparking Investment in Transformative Energy (C-SITE) is a new $18 million competitive funding opportunity from SCEP that is now open. Small-to-medium-sized local governments (with populations <250,000), tribal entities, energy communities, and disadvantaged communities with transformative energy projects are invited to apply by May 31, 2024.
• Renew America’s schools is now open for its next round of funding. School districts seeking clean energy improvements should apply to participate in this SCEP prize competition no later than June 13, 2024.
• The SOLVE It Prize is a $5 million prize competition from DOE that aims to empower communities to identify and implement innovative clean energy solutions in a way that works for their unique needs and challenges. For Phase 1, competitors will identify a community, a challenge facing that community that can be addressed by a clean technology solution, and a clear plan for engaging with the community. Apply by April 12, 2024.
• Environmental Protection Agency’s $2 Billion Community Change Grants are now open. The grants will fund environmental and climate justice activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges. Apply by Nov. 21, 2024.
• Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) Program will open a request for proposals on April 1, 2024 from communities partnering with their utilities to solve cross-sectoral energy transition challenges. This in-depth partnership opportunity includes $500,000 in subcontracting funding and $3,500,000 of technical assistance from one or more national laboratories. 
• EPA is also providing technical assistance resources to communities, including application support and capacity building through the Community Change Technical Assistance Program, and Community Change Equitable Resilience Technical Assistance Program.