DOE Partners With 25 New Coastal, Remote, and Island Communities to Advance Local Energy Resilience Goals

Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP) will engage communities in energy planning, natural disaster preparedness, and analysis of renewable technologies, including solar, wind, battery storage, and heat pumps.

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Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) welcomed 25 new coastal, remote, and island communities to the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP) as the technical assistance program's fourth cohort. These types of geographically isolated communities face unique energy challenges, including issues with accessing reliable and affordable power and increasing energy resilience. ETIPP helps communities assess and advance the clean energy solutions that best meet their needs, with support from experts at DOE's national labs and a network of regional partner organizations.

"DOE is committed to closing the gap between clean energy ambitions and real-world deployment in communities across America where tailored solutions are needed to overcome barriers," said Jeff Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "ETIPP provides communities with the tools and resources they need to realize an equitable, cleaner, and more resilient energy future, no matter their location or unique challenges."

This marks ETIPP's largest cohort to date, nearly double the total number of communities that have participated in the program since it launched in 2020. It's also the most geographically diverse cohort, thanks to expanded partnerships with regional partner organizations and dedicated funding to support their capacity building engagements with communities in their regions. Community projects include electric transportation, solar power interconnection, wind energy potential, wildfire preparedness, home heat pumps and weatherization retrofits, and microgrids and battery storage, among other solutions. Read more about the fourth cohort of ETIPP communities and their projects.

The newest ETIPP communities include:

Alaska Region

• Galena, Alaska
• Juneau, Alaska
• Kotlik, Alaska
• Native Village of Kotzebue, Alaska
• Native Village of Scammon Bay, Alaska
• Organized Village of Saxman, Alaska

Great Lakes Region

• Gary, Indiana

Gulf Coast Region

• Key West, Florida

Hawaii and Pacific Territories Region

• Kahikinui, Hawaii
• Upcountry Maui, Hawaii
• Waianae, Hawaii

Northeastern Seaboard Region

• Brooklin, Maine
• Chebeague Island, Maine
• Cranberry Isles, Maine
• Fishers Island, New York
• Passamaquoddy Tribe at the Pleasant Point Reservation, Maine
• Washington County, Maine

Pacific Northwest Region

• Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon
• Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho
• Port Orford, Oregon
• Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Washington

Caribbean Territories Region

• La Margarita, Salinas, Puerto Rico
• Comunidad Toro Negro, Ciales, Puerto Rico
• Playa de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico

Southeastern Seaboard Region

• Tangier, Virginia

Twenty-five communities across the U.S. and its territories have been selected for the fourth ETIPP cohort, the largest cohort in the program's history.

For the first time in the program's history, the fourth cohort of 25 communities will each receive $50,000 in direct funding to support capacity for engagement on their ETIPP project. Another new feature is the introduction of distinct technical assistance tracks designed to better support communities whether they are in the early stages of energy planning or joining ETIPP with an existing energy plan or well-defined project.

With both tracks, ETIPP communities work with researchers at four national laboratories-Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories-to find solutions tailored to local energy challenges. In addition, regional partners organizations-including Groundswell, the Island Institute, the Renewable Energy Alaska Project, the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network, and Spark Northwest-build bridges between local residents and national laboratory experts through deep knowledge of local energy ecosystems and cultural nuances.

ETIPP is funded by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Visit the ETIPP website to learn more about the program.