Community action for building energy efficiency and emissions reductions is critical to achieving local and state goals, and many communities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are leading the way. With new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), even greater investments in clean energy will be possible. Local governments are eligible to apply for and receive a large portion of the available money, so planning for these applications is key. Roughly 60 percent of BIL funding will be allocated through formulas, and about 40 percent will be made available through competitive grants, loans, and federal programs.

The federal government’s Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator published a document outlining steps for local governments to prepare for the competitive funding. For smaller, rural towns and communities, focusing on capacity building and partnerships will be important to take advantage of these funds. This brief is meant to serve governments and communities that don’t have staff capacity to research, apply for, and manage grant money on their own.

This brief outlines building energy efficiency and electrification actions that NEEP recommends small, rural communities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic pursue, along with the funding opportunities that NEEP believes could be used to support them. The “Federal Grants” section below includes details, eligible recipients, and timelines for specific grants, and concludes with additional resources. This resource focuses on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants and other existing opportunities, and Inflation Reduction Act funds will be covered in a future resource.