The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected Utah as the recipient of two competitive grants totaling $638,786. The funding from DOE’s State Energy Program will support the work of the Governor’s Office of Energy Development (OED) in advancing energy efficiency, resilience and affordability across the state and western region.
“Utah continues to demonstrate local, regional and national leadership in providing strategic energy policy, planning and development to drive new solutions to market,” said Laura Nelson, the governor’s energy advisor and executive director of OED. “We are proud to be awarded our largest SEP funding to date to realize wise outcomes for the way we utilize energy, which is key to our thriving economy and high quality of life.”
OED’s award for its energy planning proposal, “Exploring Western Regional Transmission Organizations,” received $539,234 for support in creating a multi-state partnership to address the evolving regional markets in the West. The funding will allow OED to work with energy offices in Colorado, Idaho, Montana and other western states to effectively explore regional approaches that can enhance grid resilience, promote reliability, and lead to a more efficient energy system in the West, with consideration for impacts and benefits for individual states and their power customers. The final product of the project will be a strategic plan to be released within two years.
OED’s Energy Wise Communities award of $99,552 will allow OED to work with local communities to design a tailored-made energy efficiency and resiliency plan for long-term savings and associated job creation, including for low and moderate-income housing. Ogden City is set to be Utah’s first Energy Wise Community, with the goal of serving as a model for broader replication in OED’s support to rural and urban communities. The outcomes could additionally serve as a template for best practices for communities across the nation, according to a statement from OED.