Biden-Harris Administration Invests $28 Million To Boost Clean Energy Workforce And Energy Efficiency

The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP), announced its first round of funding under the Energy Auditor Training (EAT) Grant Program. As part of the Investing in America agenda, the program will allocate nearly $28 million to support energy efficiency efforts across the country. Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), EAT will distribute funds to 15 State Energy Offices (SEOs) and the American Samoa Territorial Energy Office (TEO) to strengthen the green building workforce and promote energy-saving solutions for both residential and commercial sectors.

The program aims to equip energy auditors with the skills to identify ways to reduce energy consumption, improve energy efficiency, and offer savings to homes and businesses. This initiative is linked to the broader goals of the BIL and the Inflation Reduction Act, helping move the U.S. towards a more sustainable energy future. U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm highlighted that the growing demand for energy efficiency workers, already over two million strong, is crucial to deploying energy-saving solutions nationwide.

EAT is part of DOE’s efforts to help states and territories invest in energy efficiency and electrification, reducing energy costs and burdens, especially in disadvantaged communities. As part of the Justice40 Initiative, the program seeks to direct 40% of the benefits from federal investments in clean energy to communities that have faced underinvestment and pollution.

Among the commercial sector recipients, the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority will receive nearly $2 million to establish the Southeast Commercial Energy Auditor Collaborative Partnership, in cooperation with several states. Similarly, Hawai’i will use its $900,000 to launch the Hawai’i Energy Auditor Training Program to close gaps in job access and improve economic mobility.

In the residential sector, American Samoa will establish a program to boost the local energy auditor workforce with a $2 million grant. Illinois will also receive $2 million to create a standardized energy auditor training program for multifamily buildings, focusing on career opportunities for workers from disadvantaged communities. The Minnesota Department of Commerce will develop a training program for tribal communities, offering various support services to trainees.

Additional recipients include states like Massachusetts, Nevada, Louisiana, and Oregon, which will use the funds to develop their energy auditor training programs aimed at promoting job quality, energy savings, and supporting the clean energy transition.