The US Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $149.87 million to support 67 clean energy projects across Federal facilities in 28 states, six US territories, and six international locations as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda. The DOE Clean energy federal program backs this funding initiative.
The funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aims to reduce pollution, improve energy efficiency, and create jobs.
This marks the second and final round of the Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) grant program.
The program is integral to the Administration’s objective of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from Federal buildings by 2045.
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Maximising Taxpayer Value and Climate Impact
The current investment in the AFFECT program leverages nearly $1.6 billion in private and federal funding to ensure optimal effectiveness, making DOE Clean energy federal initiatives highly impactful.
The projects focus on saving taxpayer dollars while decreasing the Federal Government’s carbon footprint by promoting energy-efficient technologies and resilient infrastructure.
Jennifer M. Granholm, the US Secretary of Energy said, “It is imperative that Federal facilities are able to operate in the face of increasingly intense extreme weather events, and the Biden-Harris Administration is leading by example through its support of energy resiliency and building efficiency measures.”
She added, “Today’s announcement will empower Federal facilities across the United States to upgrade critical infrastructure with cutting-edge, cost-effective technologies they need to improve reliability while saving taxpayers money.” This supports the broader DOE Clean energy federal strategy.
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Energy Savings and Sustainability Goals
The selected projects showcase innovative technologies aligned with Federal goals, particularly emphasizing DOE Clean energy federal objectives.
For instance, a courthouse in Montana plans to use groundwater for geothermal heating, a laboratory in California is expanding its microgrid to 9.4 megawatts of solar power, and the Coast Guard facility in Maryland will shift from fossil fuels to a ground-source heat pump.
Additionally, five projects will directly reduce emissions through retrofitting, and a military fort in South Texas will implement water-saving technologies.
Phase 2 of AFFECT funding has selected 67 projects that will significantly contribute to energy and environmental goals under the DOE Clean energy federal agenda.
These projects expect to conserve energy equivalent to powering 35,701 homes and save over 1 billion gallons of water annually.
It will generate carbon pollution-free electricity equivalent to 494 million miles in electric vehicles, totaling 176,383 MWh annually.
Twenty projects in disadvantaged areas will foster economic growth and job creation while supporting union jobs and domestic manufacturing.
The AFFECT program’s outreach to local communities, especially in disadvantaged areas, emphasizes its commitment to inclusive and sustainable development, aligning with DOE Clean energy federal policies.
Launched in 2023 with Phase 1, the AFFECT program saw unprecedented interest, with funding requests exceeding $1 billion.