Communities Local Energy Action Program
Stored: Communities Local Energy Action Program
| Type | Program |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Organization | National Renewable Energy Laboratory |
| Top Organization | Department of Energy |
| Creation Legislation | None |
| Website | Website |
| Purpose | Communities Local Energy Action Program aids low-income areas with clean energy plans, cutting pollution and boosting jobs via lab support. |
| Program Start | March 2022 |
| Initial Funding | $18 million |
| Duration | Ongoing |
| Historic | No |
Communities Local Energy Action Program (Communities LEAP) is a Department of Energy initiative managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to empower low-income, energy-burdened, and historically disadvantaged communities—often tied to fossil fuel legacies—with tailored technical assistance for clean energy planning. The program assists these communities in developing action plans to reduce local air pollution, increase energy resilience, lower utility costs, and create jobs, connecting them with DOE national lab experts to pursue pathways like energy-efficient buildings, renewable energy deployment, and clean transportation tailored to local needs. Launched as a pilot in March 2022 with 24 communities, it expanded to 30 more in 2024, supporting over 50 communities by 2025 with plans to continue aiding equitable energy transitions.
Goals
- Reduce local air pollution and energy costs, targeting measurable decreases in emissions and utility bills.
- Enhance energy resilience and economic opportunities, aiming to create sustainable jobs in at least 50 communities.
- Support community-led clean energy transitions, with success tracked by the adoption of actionable energy plans.
Organization
The Communities Local Energy Action Program is led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory under the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). It collaborates with labs like Argonne, Lawrence Berkeley, and Pacific Northwest, funded through DOE appropriations starting with $18 million in 2022. Governance involves NREL coordinating technical assistance teams, working with community-based organizations, utilities, and local governments to deliver customized support.
The leader of the program holds the title of Communities LEAP Program Manager, with a role typically overseen by NREL leadership like Dr. Johney Green, Associate Lab Director for Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences, as of 2025.
Partners
- Argonne National Laboratory
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- World Resources Institute
History
Communities LEAP began in March 2022 as a pilot to support 24 communities facing environmental justice or fossil fuel transition challenges, driven by DOE’s clean energy deployment goals without specific legislation. It grew from Cohort 1’s success—e.g., Richmond, California’s building electrification plan—to Cohort 2 in March 2024, adding 30 more communities with $18 million in technical assistance. By 2025, it had aided cities like Louisville and tribes like the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, with plans to expand support for Justice40-aligned energy projects.
Funding
The program started with $18 million in 2022 from DOE’s EERE budget for the pilot, followed by another $18 million for Cohort 2 in 2024, totaling over $36 million by 2025. Funding, which began in 2022, has no set end date and continues through annual appropriations, supporting technical assistance rather than direct grants, with lab expertise valued at millions more in in-kind contributions.
Implementation
Communities LEAP operates by pairing communities with lab experts to develop clean energy roadmaps over 12–18 months per cohort, using tools like NREL’s ResStock for energy modeling. Implementation spans Cohort 1 (2022–2023) and Cohort 2 (2024–2025), with strategies including electrification plans (e.g., Richmond, CA) and solar projects (e.g., Miami-Dade, FL), with no fixed end date as it evolves to meet community needs.
Related
- Clean Energy to Communities Program
- Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory
External links
- https://www.energy.gov/communitiesLEAP/communities-leap
- https://www.nrel.gov/state-local-tribal/communities-leap.html