U.S. Department of Energy grants $366 million for cost-saving clean energy infrastructure

U.S. Department of Energy today announced more than $366 million to develop clean energy infrastructure in rural and remote areas across the country.

The fund will be used in 17 projects across 20 states and 30 Tribal Nations and communities. It aims to build microgrids for community health centers or construction of new hydroelectric facilities on Tribal lands.

This new investment is part of DOE’s Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) program managed by the DOE Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED).

Specific parts of the projects consist of clean energy technologies, solar, battery storage systems, microgrids, heat pumps, biomass, and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

12 of these projects will go to Tribal communities to install solar and battery energy storage systems and provide electricity for 300 homes. Te Hydroelectric Dam and Water Source Project in Chignik Bay Alaska aims to renovate a 70+ year-old leaking dam. Also adding a 2.1 MWh hydroelectric facility on the same site.

24 sites across Red Cliff band tribal lands and Bayfield County in Wisconsin will get new 23 microgrid systems.

(Source – DOE)