The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today launched a new up to $50 million program to help communities across the country transition to clean energy systems that are reliable, affordable, equitable, and reflective of local priorities. The Clean Energy to Communities program (C2C) will connect local governments, electric utilities, community-based groups, and others with the innovative modeling and testing tools developed at DOE’s world-class national laboratories to transform their clean energy goals and ambitions into reality. 

WHO: 

Community teams composed of local governments, community-based organizations, and utilities
Varies by cohort. Can include:

• Tribal, city, town, and county governments; metropolitan and regional planning organizations
• Electric utilities
• Community-based organizations
• City, town, county, and tribal governments; metropolitan and regional planning organizations; community-based organizations; nongovernmental organizations; utilities; universities

WHAT:

Any renewable energy, energy efficiency, or transportation electrification planning project; Specific; evolving topics; Any projects relating to renewable energy, energy efficiency, or transportation electrification

HOW:

C2C provides integrated technical support to communities across renewable power, grid, mobility, and buildings sectors. The program seeks to provide the type and amount of support communities require to meet their unique interests and needs in transitioning to a clean energy economy. For C2C’s in-depth partnerships, this includes funding to support program participation.

C2C offers three levels of technical assistance:

• In-depth technical partnerships: Multi-year partnerships that provide cross-sector modeling, analysis, and validation, paired with direct funding to help four to five selected teams of local governments, electric utilities, and community-based organizations each their goals and/or overcome specific challenges.
• Peer-learning cohorts: Small groups of local governments, electric utilities, or community-based organizations that meet regularly for approximately six months to learn from each other and lab experts in a collaborative environment to develop program proposals, action plans, strategies, and/or best practices on a pre-determined clean energy topic. Cohorts will include approximately 100 communities in total.
• Expert match: Short-term assistance (40-60 hours) with one or more technical experts to help address near-term clean energy questions or challenges for up to 200 communities.

FIND OUT MORE:

Clean Energy to Community Program (C2C)

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