The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), launched two new program offices – the Grid Deployment Office and the Office of State and Community Energy Programs. Together, the offices will drive more than US$ 23 billion in investments to modernize and expand capacity of the nation’s power grid and deploy cheaper, cleaner energy across America. Administered through DOE’s Office of the Under Secretary for Infrastructure, with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the new offices will help generate good-paying jobs, bring economic opportunities to underserved communities and turbo-charge the Department’s ongoing work to achieve the President’s goal of reaching 100% clean electricity by 2035 and a net zero economy by 2050.
“DOE is moving faster than ever to modernize and upgrade America’s energy infrastructure so that more families and communities can take hold of the benefits that clean, affordable and reliable energy sources offer,” said Jennifer M. Granholm, U.S. secretary of energy. “The new offices announced today will help ensure that the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides states, Tribes, and territories with the best practices and proven approaches to drive down energy costs for American households and deliver cleaner air for their communities.”
Grid Deployment Office
The Grid Deployment Office works to improve electricity delivery and reliability and modernize and upgrade the electrical grid and critical electricity-generating facilities. Independent estimates indicate that electricity transmission systems must expand by 60% by 2030, and may need to triple by 2050, to connect more communities to cheaper, cleaner power and meet growing electricity needs. Rebuilding and improving critical infrastructure, like the electric grid, is a cornerstone of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The Grid Deployment Office will invest US$ 17 billion in programs and projects that bring together community and industry stakeholders to identify and address national transmission, distribution, and clean generation needs. In addition, the Grid Deployment Office will manage programs to keep nuclear power plants, which provide the biggest share of the country’s carbon-free electricity, from retiring if they can operate safely and reliably, and to support upgrading and modernizing hydropower facilities.
The following senior experts will lead the Grid Deployment Office:
- Maria Robinson, Director
- Pat Hoffman, Principal Deputy Director
- Whitney Muse, Chief of Staff
Office of State and Community Energy Programs
The Office of State and Community Energy Programs aims to significantly accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies to reduce energy costs for households and businesses while catalyzing local economic development and create high-quality jobs. With nearly US$ 6 billion in grants for states, Tribal nations, territories, local governments, school districts, and nonprofits, DOE is investing in projects that reduce energy costs as well as increase access to clean energy for low-income households, businesses, schools, nonprofits, and communities.
The Office of State and Community Energy Programs is expanding existing core programs within DOE, including the State Energy Program and Weatherization Assistance Program, along with adding newly-funded programs such as the Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant Program, Local Government Energy Program, and Energy Futures Grant Program to further state- and community-led efforts to advance energy efficiency improvements and accelerate renewable energy deployment. This strategic effort to seamlessly align DOE offices will help ensure DOE’s clean energy infrastructure deployment strategy reduces energy costs and effectively implements place-based approaches that spur wide-spread clean energy adoption throughout the nation.
In support of President Biden's Justice40 initiative to deliver 40% of clean energy investment benefits to disadvantaged communities and those that are experiencing the impacts of climate change the most, each office will consistently engage with environmental justice groups, labor, and communities to help shape program development and execution.
The following leadership team will support the Office of State and Community Energy Programs:
- Henry McKoy, Director
- Michael Forrester, Acting Principal Deputy Director
- Annamaria Garcia, Associate Director
- Chris Castro, Chief of Staff
