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Clean Energy to Communities Program
Stored: Clean Energy to Communities Program
| Type | Program |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Organization | National Renewable Energy Laboratory |
| Top Organization | Department of Energy |
| Creation Legislation | None |
| Website | Website |
| Purpose | The Clean Energy to Communities Program connects communities with national laboratory expertise to design and deploy clean energy systems tailored to local priorities. It aims to accelerate the adoption of reliable, affordable, and equitable clean energy solutions across the United States. |
| Program Start | January 2023 |
| Initial Funding | $50 million |
| Duration | Ongoing |
| Historic | No |
Clean Energy to Communities Program (C2C) is a Department of Energy initiative managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to support local governments, tribes, utilities, and community organizations in achieving their clean energy goals through tailored technical assistance and cutting-edge tools. The program connects these groups with experts from DOE’s national laboratories to design and deploy clean energy systems that prioritize reliability, affordability, and equity, offering three levels of engagement—in-depth partnerships, peer-learning cohorts, and expert match—to bridge the gap between ambition and real-world implementation. Launched in January 2023, C2C has supported over 250 communities by 2025, driving innovations like floating solar in Cohoes, New York, and decarbonization strategies in Nashville, Tennessee.
Goals
- Empower communities to achieve clean energy targets with customized solutions, targeting support for over 200 communities annually.
- Reduce emissions and enhance energy resilience, with metrics like adoption rates of renewable energy projects.
- Promote equity by addressing diverse community needs, aiming for measurable improvements in underserved areas.
Organization
The Clean Energy to Communities Program is led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory under the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). It leverages expertise from five DOE labs—NREL, Argonne, Lawrence Berkeley, Oak Ridge, and Pacific Northwest—funded through EERE appropriations starting at $50 million in 2023. Governance involves a collaborative structure, with NREL managing operations and lab partners delivering technical support across renewable power, grid, mobility, and buildings sectors.
The leader of the program holds the title of C2C Program Manager, with Jenny Sumner of NREL serving in this role as of 2025.
Partners
History
The Clean Energy to Communities Program was launched in January 2023 to address gaps in community-level clean energy expertise, building on DOE’s history of lab-driven innovation without specific legislation. It emerged from a need to support diverse communities—from rural towns to urban centers—in transitioning to clean energy, with early successes including a 2023 pilot aiding Cohoes, New York’s floating solar project. By 2024, C2C had expanded with $10 million for in-depth partnerships in places like Sitka, Alaska, and plans to grow peer-learning cohorts through 2025 and beyond, emphasizing community-led solutions.
Funding
C2C began with $50 million in 2023 from DOE’s EERE budget, with funding starting at launch and continuing through annual appropriations—e.g., $25 million announced in 2024 for six community teams. There’s no set end date, with additional funding like $10 million in 2024 supporting multiyear partnerships, sourced from federal budgets and lab resources to sustain technical assistance and project deployment.
Implementation
The program operates through three tiers: in-depth partnerships (multiyear support with funding), peer-learning cohorts (6-month collaborative groups), and expert match (40–60 hours of short-term assistance). Implementation includes modeling, testing, and deployment support—e.g., NREL’s ARIES platform for virtual energy system testing—rolled out since 2023 with no end date, adapting to community needs like microgrids in Pittsburgh or EV strategies in Cook County, Illinois.
Related
External links
- https://www.energy.gov/eere/clean-energy-communities-program
- https://www.nrel.gov/state-local-tribal/clean-energy-to-communities.html