Funding the Next Generation of Efficient, Electric, Grid-Interactive Communities

U.S. homes and commercial buildings consume roughly two-fifths of the country’s overall energy and three-fourths of all electricity. The Department of Energy’s $65 million funding for “connected communities” projects that was announced last week is focused on all three parts of this equation. It builds on scores of projects across the country combining high efficiency, electrification and distributed energy resources such as rooftop or community solar, battery and thermal energy storage, and electric vehicle charging.