The City of Chattanooga has been awarded $2,900,000 as part of the over $31 million the U.S. Department of Energy will provide in federal funding to 12 local governments and tribes representing small to medium sized jurisdictions, disadvantaged communities and energy communities as part of the Local Government Energy Program’s Communities Sparking Investment in Transformative Energy (C-SITE) funding opportunity.
The city plans to create a community resilience hub by renovating and expanding a closed school to provide employment services, including roof insulation, high performance windows, LED lighting and an efficient chiller.
Officials said, "These investments will help communities to reach their clean energy goals, attract additional investments and provide meaningful community benefits.
Selected projects vary in size and technology type, including solar arrays, microgrids, Zero Energy Ready Homes, resilience hubs, electric vehicles and micromobility programs, and building energy efficiency projects."
The selected communities are:
• Chattanooga;
• Greenville, Fl.;
• Highland Park, Mi.;
• Hennepin County, Mn.;
• Hopi Utilities Corporation, Az.;
• Kotzebue, Ak.;
• Milwaukee, Wi.;
• New Orleans, La.;
• Orick Community Service District, Ca.;
• Raton, NM;
• Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Mn.; and
• Region Five Development Commission, Mn.
"In addition to grant funding, these communities will receive customized technical assistance to support project implementation. Selectees will be eligible to receive a Community Energy Fellow, a DOE-sponsored clean energy professional that will be hosted in their community for up to 18 months to build capacity and improve project outcomes," officials said.
For more information visit the Local Government Energy Program website or email LGEP@hq.doe.gov.