US DOE Earmarks $366MM for Clean Energy Deployment in Remote Areas

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has set aside $366 million to aid 17 projects across 20 states and 30 tribal nations and communities to accelerate clean energy deployment in rural and remote areas across the country.

The DOE said in a media release the funding, provided for by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will support a variety of community-driven energy projects in rural and remote regions, such as building microgrids for community health centers to ensure electricity for critical life-saving equipment or constructing a new hydroelectric facility on tribal lands.

“Thanks to the President’s Investing in America agenda, DOE is helping revitalize communities across America—ensuring thriving businesses, reliable access to clean energy, and exciting new economic opportunities, now and for generations to come”, Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in a statement.

The DOE said rural and remote communities face a unique set of energy challenges due to their smaller populations and isolation from larger electrical systems, including higher electric bills, unreliable energy supplies and no access to electricity at all.

A 2023 report by the DOE’s Office of Indian Energy shows that 21 percent of Navajo Nation homes and 35 percent of Hopi Indian Tribe homes remain unelectrified. Of the electrified homes in tribal communities, 31 percent reported monthly outages, the DOE said.

Of the nation’s 350 persistently poor counties, 300 are rural, it noted.

The 17 projects are part of DOE’s Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) program, which is managed by the DOE Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). The ERA program leverages DOE’s expertise in resilient energy solutions while recognizing the unique environmental, cultural, and economic landscapes of rural and remote communities, the department said. 

The DOE said that the selected projects cover a range of clean energy technologies, from solar, battery storage systems, and microgrids to hydropower, heat pumps, biomass, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

At least 12 projects will support tribal communities, such as the Navajo and Hopi nations, who plan to install solar and battery energy storage systems to provide electricity for 300 homes.

Another project expects its proposed tribal clean energy projects to save each Taos Pueblo household in its service area $700 per year, highlighting the cost-savings benefits that come with the transition to a clean energy future, the DOE said.

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