U.S. DOE Set to Award $150 MM for Energy Upgrades at Federal Facilities

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has selected 67 energy conservation and clean energy projects for federal facilities across 28 states and territories, as well as six international locations, for a total funding of $149.87 million. The DOE said in a media release that the selected projects aim to advance the adoption of cleaner and more cost-effective technologies.

The funds represent the second installment of a total of $250 million under the Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) grant program. The new AFFECT announcement will be bolstered by leveraging nearly $1.6 billion in private capital and Federal funds, corresponding to a total investment of $13.50 for every Federal dollar spent — maximizing value for taxpayers while also helping tackle the climate crisis, the DOE 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”, said Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm.

The DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) will manage the use of funds to upgrade federal buildings with clean energy technologies. This includes installing battery storage systems, microgrids, building automation systems, and integrating renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal power. These upgrades aim to boost energy efficiency and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, bringing federal buildings closer to net-zero emissions.

The 67 projects are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing nearly 20,000 cars from the road, save taxpayers over $40 million annually, and conserve billions of gallons of water.

Among the projects are the repurposing of mining caves for geothermal energy in Montana, expansion of a solar and battery microgrid in California and installation of a ground-source heat pump system in Maryland.

The overwhelming response to the AFFECT grant program, with over $1 billion in funding requests, underscores its significance in advancing clean energy initiatives, the DOE said.

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