It was easy to be pessimistic in 2022 that any substantive federal action on climate would occur. However, in the waning months of last year, Congress and the Biden Administration were able to get a significant boost in federal funding and investments across the finish line. Within the Inflation Reduction Act was a directive to provide direct funding to Local Governments, States, Territories, and Tribes through the Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant (EECBG). Many of our ICLEI members have been watching this closely or even remember when EECBG was last funded more than a decade ago. As the direct funds require very little effort to tap into for eligible governments, we wanted to provide a quick rundown of what you need to either receive your direct funds or apply for indirect funding. ( All of these steps can be found on DOE’s main EECBG website)
Step 1. Determine your eligibility – Refer to this Notice of Intent from the DOE to look up your local government, state, or tribe.
Step 2. Depending on your funding status, either prepare your pre-award information sheet in preparation for your application for direct funding or if not eligible for direct funding use those applications to help formulate a project to submit for competitive funding opportunities (as of this post DOE is still developing that process).
- How ICLEI USA can help support Step 2: The application contains many questions related to community goals, strategies, and planning documents. If you have utilized ICLEI’s ClearPath Climate Action Planning tool, you can use charts and graphs within ClearPath as part of your application. In addition, you can also use your Science Based Target and High Impact Actions analysis to identify areas where you will apply your funding. If theses sound unfamiliar, find your ICLEI USA Member Advisor here and reach out directly.
Step 3. Stay connected with ICLEI USA and the Department of Energy to receive updates on funding and other technical support.
- How ICLEI USA can help support Step 2. While the Department of Energy identifies how it will support funding recipients, consider engaging with ICLEI USA on one of our many Fee for Service Opportunities or plan for EECBG support using ICLEI USA Technical Assistance.
As the Department of Energy continues to roll out updates and guidance, ICLEI USA will monitor developments and be ready to assist our members. In this decade of decisiveness, we will need to leverage every opportunity and continue to collaborate across all levels of government to ensure a climate neutral future.