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City of Duluth selected for Energy Futures planning award from U.S. Department of Energy

[DULUTH, MN] The City of Duluth has been selected for an award of $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy to study accelerated planning for commercial building and reducing carbon produced in industry. The award is part of a recently announced $27 million assistance to 40 partner teams of states, local governments, and tribes through the Energy Future Grants (EFG) Program.

The City’s application, J40 Community LEAPing Forward: Accelerated Planning for Commercial Building and Industrial Decarbonization (LEAPing), builds upon previous research on how to reduce the largest sector of greenhouse gas emissions in the Duluth community: use of energy in commercial and industrial buildings. The City of Duluth is partnered with the community-based organization Ecolibrium3 (Eco3), whose mission is to inspire and lead change in our community toward an equitable and sustainable future. The project will engage a wide group of stakeholders to develop innovative pathways to address cross-cutting energy opportunities in commercial and industrial decarbonization. The project aims to make energy cheaper and find clean solutions for industries, which could lead to more jobs, more renewable energy, cleaner industries, and less energy poverty.

The City was awarded $500,000 in the first phase for planning, technical assistance, and cohort-based support, and is eligible to compete for approximately $1M in implementation funding in the second phase. The program contributes to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative commitment to support eligible governments to direct 40% of the overall benefits of the EFG Program to flow to disadvantaged communities.

Energy Future Grants provide financial and technical assistance to support multijurisdictional partnership efforts to advance innovative programs that will increase energy affordability, access, and opportunities for communities. EFG fosters collaboration to encourage and create successful clean energy projects benefiting disadvantaged communities. This funding marks the first round of competitive awards granted through the EFG Program since the program was established in 2023.

Learn more about the Energy Futures Grant Program at https://www.energy.gov/scep/energy-future-grants

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