Voluntary State, Regional, and Local Electricity Distribution Planning

Federal Agency

Sub-Department

N/A

Purpose

To provide assistance to States, regional organizations, and electric utilities to facilitate the development of State, regional, and local electricity distribution plans by (1) conducting a resource assessment and analysis of future demand and distribution requirements; (2) developing open-source tools for State, regional, and local planning and operations.

Applicant and/or Project Eligibility Requirements

Eligible entities include states, regional reliability entities, and other distribution asset owners and operators.

Decarbonization Considerations

No funding is associated with this effort. Upon request, eligible entities may receive technical assistance from the DOE on electricity planning. Such assistance may be valuable to plan for increased renewable energy resources and integration of distributed generation assets and electric vehicles and associated charging infrastructure.

Equity Considerations

See the "Equity Design Considerations for Federal Funding" for general considerations and additional sector-based resources: https://cityrenewables.org/resources/equity-design-considerations-for-federal-funding/

Helpful Tips

This assistance is by request of the Secretary of Energy. Communities and eligible entities should consult with senior local leadership, Congressional delegations, and/or their governor to make the case and generate support for such a request.

Other Notes

$175 million annually for FY 21-25 is authorized to be appropriated for this and 4 other sections. Program expires 2025.