Three cities in neighboring states among 22 selected for DOE’s new “Communities Local Energy Action Program”
Three cities in neighboring states are among 22 selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) inaugural “Communities Local Energy Action Program” (Communities LEAP), a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to help energy-overburdened communities take direct control of their clean energy future.
The three are North Birmingham, AL; Columbia, SC; and Louisville, KY.
As described in this announcement, the 22 communities will receive support from DOE to create community-wide action plans that reduce local air pollution, increase energy resilience, lower utility costs and energy burdens, and provide long-term jobs and economic opportunities. DOE’s pilot “Communities LEAP” is designed to assist community-led transitions to a clean energy economy and to build a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable future.
By providing targeted technical assistance, “Communities LEAP” will open the door for communities to access significant, additional DOE and other federal government programs including those that are part of the $1.3 trillion “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” that Congress passed and the President signed into law in late 2021.
