The Energy Department today announced $5 million in funding to 11 states to advance innovative approaches for local clean energy development that will reduce energy bills for American families and businesses, protect the environment by reducing carbon emissions and increase our nation’s national energy security. In support of the Administration’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, each state will design and deploy innovative programs to advance energy efficiency and renewable energy, ranging from programs targeting specific areas for advancement to more comprehensive plans that consider economic development along with resiliency and energy supply issues.

Several of the projects selected today include multiple states as partners, expanding the impact of the selected proposals. The projects fall under two categories:

• State Energy Planning—The Energy Department will invest approximately $2 million to assist four states—Maine, Tennessee, Virginia and New York—to facilitate stakeholder and interagency discussions concerning the future direction of electric power among other issues. States will support comprehensive energy planning that explores and enhances energy reliability, energy efficiency, integration of distributed renewable energy into the grid, economic development, and environmental policies. States will plan strategically for current and future environmental and economic goals related to the energy sector.
• Opportunities for Innovative Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Practices—The Department will invest approximately $3 million to assist eight states—Alaska, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Tennessee and Vermont—to develop, design, and implement projects that advance evaluation, measurement and verification of energy efficiency programs;  reach underserved communities in rural areas for energy opportunities; assist local governments to overcome barriers to energy efficiency in wastewater treatment facilities; and improve accessibility to Home Energy Score data.

State-led projects will culminate in replicable actions other states and local governments can adopt to overcome barriers to new energy initiatives, and enable them to achieve greater public and private investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Since 2008, the Energy Department’s State Energy Program (SEP) has invested more than $67 million in 36 states—103 awards—through competitive awards to expand the nation’s use of energy efficiency and its renewable energy supply.

Find more detail on the projects announced today here and how these states are building a more sustainable clean energy future.