Biden Invests $366 Mn To Lower Energy Cost In Remote Communities

Biden Invests $366 Mn To Lower Energy Cost In Remote Communities

US President Joe Biden announced a $366 million investment for 17 projects across 20 states and 30 communities. This investment announcement is part of President Biden’s investing in America agenda, under the US Department of Energy (DOE) to accelerate clean energy deployment in rural and remote areas across the country.

This funding was made possible by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It’s expected to 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 to improve access to reliable, affordable energy.

This announcement underscores the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to building an inclusive and equitable clean energy future that creates safer, more resilient communities. It envisions enhancing Tribal energy sovereignty, strengthens energy security, and delivers new economic opportunities in every pocket of the nation.

“President Biden firmly believes that every community should benefit from the nation’s historic transition to a clean energy future, especially those in rural and remote areas,” told US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “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.”

In line with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative to advance energy and environmental justice, all 17 selected projects are located in or adjacent to disadvantaged communities that are disproportionally overburdened by pollution and historically underserved. 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/or no access to electricity at all. For example, 21% of Navajo Nation homes and 35% of Hopi Indian Tribe homes remain unelectrified, according to a 2023 report by DOE’s Office of Indian Energy. Of the electrified homes within Tribal communities, 31% reported monthly outages. Of the nation’s 350 persistently poor counties, 300 are rural. Low-income residents consistently face an “energy burden”, or percentage of household income spent on energy bills, that is three times higher than other households.

Accelerating Clean Energy Deployment in Rural and Remote Communities

The announced projects are part of DOE’s Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) program, which was 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 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.