The funding consists of a number of grants that may go to 9 states, 27 native governments, and one tribe.
Clear vitality initiatives throughout the nation are about to obtain a $26.9 million enhance from the Biden Administration as a part of the most recent spherical of grants from a renewable vitality program.
In accordance with a Might 1 press launch from the Division of Power, the funding consists of a number of grants that may go to 9 states, 27 native governments, and one tribe.
All the funding is offered via the Power Effectivity and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG), which goals to help state, native, and tribal governments with initiatives to decrease fossil gas emissions and vitality use.
United States Secretary of Power Jennifer Granholm claims the EECBG grants will assist decrease energy and transition prices for communities throughout the nation.
“Power environment friendly upgrades are a surefire solution to deliver down prices and shore up resiliency for communities throughout the nation,” she mentioned.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is equipping native governments with funds to rework clear vitality plans into actual actions that ship advantages in each nook of the nation.”
The latest grants are the fifth batch to be awarded beneath the EECBG program because the preliminary awards have been introduced in October 2023. Total, Ms. Granholm says the EECBG will present over $430 million in components grant funding to greater than 2,700 entities together with states, territories, native governments, and tribes.
The grants cowl 14 eligible classes of unpolluted vitality initiatives and applications, reminiscent of EV charging infrastructure, growing e-bike incentive applications, and conducting municipal constructing vitality audits. Ms. Granholm says this system goals to assist deprived communities which might be usually energy-burdened or left behind within the clear vitality transition.
The applying deadline for eligible native governments, together with Puerto Rican municipalities, has been prolonged to Oct 31. The applying deadline for tribes was prolonged to Might 31, 2025.
In February, the Biden administration introduced greater than $350 million for rural renewable vitality initiatives.
Ms. Granholm mentioned on the time, the funding went to 17 initiatives in 20 states and 30 tribal nations.
Danger of Electrical energy Shortfalls
A report from the North American Electrical Reliability Corp has classed a lot of the nation at excessive or elevated threat of electrical energy capability shortfalls over the following decade as effectively.
In accordance with the 2023 report, vitality dangers are projected in areas the place the longer term useful resource combine might fail to ship the required provide of electrical energy beneath energy-constrained circumstances. The report says wind, photo voltaic, and different variable vitality useful resource (VER) turbines are depending on the climate, and poor circumstances might additionally prohibit the supply of conventional fuels.
“For instance, subfreezing temperatures can create energy-limiting circumstances by disrupting the pure fuel gas provides to turbines, resulting in fuel-related derates or outages and doubtlessly inadequate electrical energy provide,” the report mentioned.
“Durations of low wind are one other instance of doubtless energy-constrained circumstances if the useful resource combine will not be sufficiently balanced with dispatchable sources to stop electrical energy shortfalls.”