Energy to Communities Program

The Energy to Communities (E2C) program provides communities with expertise and tools to make local energy systems more affordable, reliable, and secure through three unique program offerings: in-depth partnerships, peer-learning cohorts, and expert match.

Researchers examine a projection of a grid in NREL's 2-D Visualization Laboratory

Program Offerings

Quick Guide to E2C

  • Time commitment: Long (3-year partnership)
  • Eligible participants: Community teams composed of local governments, community-based organizations, and utilities
  • Application cycle: Closed. For updates about open opportunities, complete and submit the sign-up form.
  • Who it is for: Communities interested in sustained support through project design and deployment
  • Interaction type: Tailored to individual community
  • Project type: Any energy generation, energy efficiency, or transportation modernization planning project
  • Number of communities supported: Nine.*

*The number of additional communities is subject to Congressional appropriations.

  • Time commitment: Medium (approximately 6 months)
  • Eligible participants: Varies by cohort, but can include city, town, and county governments; Tribes, including Alaska Native Villages, Alaska Native Corporations, and state recognized Tribes; metropolitan and regional planning organizations; electric utilities; and community-based organizations
  • Application cycle: Closed. For updates about open opportunities, complete and submit the sign-up form.
  • Who it is for: Communities looking to learn more about a specific energy topic from both peers and subject matter experts
  • Interaction type: Peer-learning groups and expert guidance
  • Project type: Topics change for each round of cohorts.
  • Expected number of communities supported: Approximately 50–100 per year.*

*Number of communities is subject to Congressional appropriations.

  • Time commitment: Short (40–60 total hours)
  • Eligible participants: City, town, county, and local governments; Tribes, including Alaska Native Villages, Alaska Native Corporations, and state recognized Tribes; metropolitan and regional planning organizations; community-based organizations; nongovernmental organizations; utilities; universities
  • Application cycle: Applications are open and reviewed on a rolling basis
  • Who it is for: Communities facing a local energy challenge but that may lack the capacity to conduct analysis
  • Interaction type: Tailored to individual community
  • Project type: Any projects relating to energy generation, energy efficiency, or transportation electrification
  • Expected number of communities supported: Approximately 200 per year.*

*Number of communities is subject to Congressional appropriations.

E2C connects local governments, Tribes, electric utilities, and community-based organizations with national laboratory experts and customized, cutting-edge analysis to achieve abundant, reliable, affordable, and secure energy systems that reflect local and regional priorities. By bringing together innovative technology, state-of-the-art modeling, and unique abilities to test energy plans, E2C can help close the gap between energy ambitions and real-world action. Communities lie at the heart of E2C, which recognizes that when it comes to energy, each community has different institutional contexts, resources, challenges, opportunities, and ambitions. E2C fosters community-led innovation with tailored support, from goal-setting and project development to technology implementation.

E2C Open Opportunities

Expert Match: Apply any time

E2C is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and managed by NREL with support from Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Sign Up for Updates

To receive email updates about the E2C program, complete and submit the sign-up form.

Contact

If you have questions about the E2C program, please email E2C.

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Last Updated May 8, 2025