“Energy Ready” Suite of Programs Announced to Support Local Governments in Accessing and Managing Clean Energy Economic Growth

September 23, 2024-The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) today announced the launch of Energy Ready, a suite of U.S. Department of Energy-funded programs providing free technical assistance to support local governments in navigating the expansion of clean energy technologies in their areas. Energy Ready includes programs for solar energy, electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging infrastructure, and distributed wind energy.

Energy Ready integrates a collection of new and existing designation programs for local governments, including SolSmart, Charging Smart, and the forthcoming Distributed Wind Smart. Each program awards designations (Bronze, Silver, Gold) to communities for implementing specific criteria to reduce unintended barriers to clean energy development. This is particularly timely as cities and towns around the country await unprecedented local clean energy investment through the distribution of Inflation Reduction Act funds starting this year.

"Hundreds of communities across the country have saved time and money thanks to the successful SolSmart program," said Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at DOE. "DOE is excited to support the expansion of this model to EV charging and distributed wind, making it easier for communities to adopt the technologies that are right for them. By reducing barriers to deployment, Energy Ready will help more Americans cut energy costs and increase efficiencies and energy independence."

SolSmart, the longest-running program in the Energy Ready suite, launched in 2016. It offers expert technical assistance at no cost to help local governments adopt nationally recognized best practices to advance solar energy adoption. Participating communities receive hands-on support tailored to their local jurisdiction, and can choose from a variety of solar-related actions to meet their designation requirements. This personalized approach ensures that the program aligns with each community's needs and priorities. To date, SolSmart has helped over 530 communities of all shapes and sizes-such as El Paso, Texas; Iowa City, Iowa; and Olympia, Washington-save time and money by reducing red tape that prevents residents and businesses from accessing solar energy. Independent research found that SolSmart-designated communities saw, on average, 17% more solar installations per month than non-designated communities.

Building upon SolSmart's successes, Charging Smart launched in early 2024, using the same model to support local governments in facilitating the equitable expansion of EVs and EV charging infrastructure. It initially launched in a pilot phase in select states and is currently expanding nationally. A third program, Distributed Wind Smart, will provide these services for distributed wind energy (as distinguished from larger, utility-scale wind energy). This designation program will be launched in early 2025.

Energy Ready brings all of these programs together under one umbrella, enabling communities to access national expertise and best practices about all three programs on one website and more easily hear about related services for other technologies. Additionally, outreach and communications across the three programs are now integrated under Energy Ready, providing local governments with a more streamlined experience and an easy, improved process for meeting diverse community goals (e.g., economic growth, resilience, and environmental goals) through multiple energy technologies.

The criteria in the Energy Ready suite of programs represent nationally recognized best practices to streamline and improve local policies, allowing municipalities to save time and money and unlock local economic growth, resilience, and other benefits associated with renewable energy. Achieving these designations brings communities recognition for their innovations and connects them to a national network of communities taking steps to manage clean energy technologies strategically.

"We know that local governments are thinking about their energy plans and strategies in a comprehensive and integrated way, so we are excited to be able to offer tools, trainings, and technical assistance that reflect this integration," said Tad McGalliard, Managing Director, Research, Development, and Technical Assistance at ICMA. "Through Energy Ready, we'll be able to offer more holistic support-for example, providing recommendations that span across technologies."

"Access to technical assistance across technologies is pivotal in helping local jurisdictions address rapidly changing technologies. Energy Ready provides a way for communities to gain knowledge quickly within an integrated structure across solar, wind, and electric vehicles," said Toyah Callahan, Vice President of Local Initiatives at IREC. "These efficiencies come at an important time, as communities prepare to access never-before-seen levels of investment for local clean energy projects, as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act."

Visit energy-ready.org to learn more about the Energy Ready suite of programs or sign up for no-cost technical assistance.

Media Contact: Gwendolyn Brown, IREC Vice President of Communications, [email protected], 650-423-1090