In 2010, I was a young engineer in the City Lee’s Summit, MO Public Works Department when I learned about the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (or EECBG) program funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) launched by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This was when, the City of Lee’s Summit undertook an innovative effort to reduce traffic congestion, fossil fuel consumption and CO2 emissions using smart traffic signal technology. The $500,000 “Real-Time Adaptive Traffic Control” project was 100% funded by the EECBG program. Fast forward to 2023, I’m now the Principal Deputy Director in DOE’s Office of State and Community Programs which oversees the second iteration of the EECBG program, this time, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (or IIJA or Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, BIL). Below is another full-circle story about EECBG that occurred during my time at DOE.

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Together, the U.S. Department of Energy and communities across Southern California celebrated a full-circle moment when Dr. Reames, former Principal Deputy Director of the Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) and Adam Guzzo, Program Manager, presented Los Angeles County with a check for $1.34 million from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program at the Southern California Regional Energy Network (SoCalREN)      10th Anniversary Leadership Luncheon in September. 

Back in 2009, Los Angeles County received a formula grant from the EECBG Program, which was newly funded from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This initial grant provided Los Angeles County with key seed funding that helped create SoCalREN. SoCalREN has become a robust network and now serves more than 20 million people across 13 counties. SoCalREN works to increase energy savings across Southern California and meet the region’s climate goals. The network provides financial incentives like rebates for energy efficiency upgrades, automated energy improvements in public facilities, energy audits, technical assistance, and project management services to help lower energy costs and carbon emissions for residents, businesses, and local governments. In other words, SoCalREN has become a driver in energy savings for Southern Californians and a vital component in helping the region meet their energy goals.

Now, fourteen years later, the EECBG Program is back, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as part of its historic investment in states, local governments, and tribes across the United States. Los Angeles County will build on their success with SoCalREN by leveraging funding and partnerships from the network and their EECBG Program award of $1.34 million to support communities that face significant energy burdens. 

Los Angeles County will enhance 18 county facilities in disadvantaged communities and develop an Energy Resilience Action Plan Initiative that will assist six underserved communities within the county to develop plans for energy efficiency, resource deployment roadmaps, and resiliency hubs. Perhaps most exciting, Los Angeles County will also complete a net-zero retrofit for a community center serving senior citizens and adult residents with disabilities. The county also will make essential upgrades to public buildings that serve as resiliency centers during climate emergencies in lower-income neighborhoods. These efforts will further the impact of EECBG Program dollars to communities who need it most and ensure that the transition to a clean energy future is just and equitable.

“SoCalREN and Los Angeles County’s continuous work to ensure clean energy is reliable, accessible and affordable is living proof that the EECBG Program is a catalyst for change,” said SCEP Principal Deputy Director Dr. Tony Reames. “And this is just the beginning – more than 2,700 local, tribal, and state governments will leverage EECBG Program funds to make a profound impact in their communities.” 

This exciting investment has brought the EECBG Program and SoCalREN full circle. The work that the EECBG Program funded and Los Angeles County conducted 14 years ago now provides essential funding for SoCalREN and Los Angeles County to plan out their long-term energy efficiency and energy justice goals. These goals include reducing the county’s total greenhouse gas emissions by 25% and having county facilities supplied with 100% renewable power by 2025. They are aiming for all county vehicles to be zero-emission by 2045. By 2050, they expect the county to be completely carbon neutral. Now, they have further funding to achieve those goals.

“SoCalREN is an incredible and inspiring success story for the unique opportunity that the EECBG Program provides to invest in specific goals and needs at the local level,” said EECBG Program Manager, Adam Guzzo. The EECBG Program is delighted to be a part of this impactful work and helping Los Angeles County meet these ambitious goals. Additionally, 125 other communities within SoCalREN are eligible to receive an EECBG Program formula grant this time around and can surely utilize those funds to advance the work and legacy of the network for years to come.

Original Source: https://www.energy.gov/scep/articles/los-angeles-county-receives-134-million-us-department-energy-re-energize-communities