By Alexandra Adams, Natural Resources Defense Council

[Last] Tuesday, President Biden signed into law a $1.5 trillion bill, referred to as an “omnibus” spending bill, that funds the government through September and also provides billions in assistance for Ukraine. The omnibus funding bill passed the Senate in a 68-to-31 vote last week, a day after it received strong bipartisan support in the House of Representatives. Here’s why this is so important: Read more here.
Referenced in the article: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden mid-November, 2021.
Department of Energy Program Offices
The following are just several of DOE’s Program Offices. Find links to information about all DOE program offices and funding opportunities at the above link. The descriptions, below, are the Department of Energy’s.
OFFICE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) accelerates development and facilitates deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality.
Funding Opportunities
LOAN PROGRAMS OFFICE
The Department of Energy’s Loan Programs enable DOE to work with private companies and lenders to mitigate the financing risks associated with clean energy projects, and thereby encourage their development on a broader and much-needed scale.
The Loan Programs consist of three separate programs managed by two offices, the Loan Guarantee Program Office (LGP) and the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program Office. LPO originates, guarantees, and monitors loans to support clean energy projects through these programs.
OFFICE OF SCIENCE
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science is the lead federal agency supporting fundamental scientific research for energy and the Nation’s largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences. The Office of Science portfolio has two principal thrusts: direct support of scientific research and direct support of the development, construction, and operation of unique, open-access scientific user facilities. Scroll down to view Funding News.
OFFICE OF INDIAN ENERGY POLICY AND PROGRAMS
The Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs is authorized to fund and implement a variety of programmatic activities that assist American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native villages with energy development, capacity building, energy cost reduction, and electrification of Indian lands and homes. Funding Opportunities
OFFICE OF ELECTRICITY
The Office of Electricity (OE) provides national leadership to ensure that the Nation’s energy delivery system is secure, resilient and reliable. OE works to develop new technologies to improve the infrastructure that brings electricity into our homes, offices, and factories, and the federal and state electricity policies and programs that shape electricity system planning and market operations.
Priority: Building a Better Grid Initiative
COMPREHENSIVE GRID LEGISLATION: THE CHARGE ACT
Senator Markey Introduces Sweeping Legislation To Create 21st Century Electric Grid,
News Release, Office of Senator Edward J. Markey
The CHARGE Act would establish critical electricity infrastructure needed
to improve reliability, lower costs for ratepayers, spur clean energy innovation
Washington (March 17, 2022) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and co-chair of the Senate Climate Task Force, today introduced the Connecting Hard-to-reach Areas with Renewably Generated Energy (CHARGE) Act, comprehensive legislation that would lay the groundwork for America’s clean energy revolution. The legislation positions the United States to proactively plan and build a reliable and resilient energy grid across broad regions of the country, to bridge the gap between the supply of renewable energy and the cities and towns that need energy access.
The CHARGE Act is endorsed by Public Citizen, Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), New Consensus, Grid Strategies, and Digital Climate Action. A copy of the legislation can be found HERE and a one-page summary HERE.
DOE NEWS RELEASE
DOE Releases Action Plan For Photovoltaic Systems End-Of-Life Management, March 18, 2022
The five-year-strategy aims to halve the cost of recycling and reduce the
environmental impact of solar energy modules at end-of-life
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today released an action plan to enable the safe and responsible handling of photovoltaic (PV) end-of-life (EOL) materials. The activities outlined in the plan will reduce the environmental impact of solar energy while supporting the Biden Administration’s goal to decarbonize the electricity grid by 2035.
As solar deployment rapidly increases, more PV components will reach the end of their useful life and enter the waste stream. Although 95% of a PV module is recyclable, the current economics of EOL handling are unfavorable to recycling. The cost to recycle PV modules is significantly higher than the landfill fee. Establishing safe, responsible, and economic EOL practices will support greater deployment of solar energy.
Learn more about DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office here.
Funding Opportunities
USDA NEWS RELEASE
Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) Grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is soliciting applications for grants that will advance equity in rural America by creating new opportunities in distressed communities. The Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) Grant Program offers funding to create and augment high-wage jobs, accelerate the formation of new businesses, support industry clusters, and maximize the use of local productive assets in eligible low-income rural areas. RISE grant funds can be used to:
- Build or support a business incubator facility
- Provide worker training to support new job creation
- Train the existing workforce to build skills for higher-paying jobs
- Develop a base of skilled workers and improve their opportunities to obtain high-wage jobs in new or existing local industries.
Apply by April 19, 2022.
Additional USDA Resources
Featured USDA Energy Programs
From The White House Today: A Proclamation on National Agriculture Day, 2022
On National Agriculture Day, we recognize the invaluable contributions of American farmers, farmworkers, ranchers, fishers, foresters, and other agricultural workers, who have practiced their craft for generations and touch the lives of Americans every day. Their tireless efforts growing crops, raising livestock, and distributing food, fuel, and fiber sustain America and the entire world. They put meals on our plates, clothes on our backs, and roofs over our heads. Along the way, America’s agricultural workers serve as stewards of the land; ensure the safety and health of animals, plants, and people; and strengthen our rural communities with economic opportunities.