Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is designed to assist states, local governments, and Tribes in implementing strategies to reduce energy use and improve energy efficiency. TDEC was allocated a total of $2,484,530 for the EECBG Program.

By combining Tennessee’s EECBG Program with its Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Capitalization Grant Program allocation, TDEC OEP will fund $4.6 million in subgrants to the fiscal year 2025 distressed counties, as defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission. The formula for determining the county allocations took into account a variety of data points, including energy burden, the number of high-need buildings (Title 1 schools and affordable housing properties) on a per capita basis, and the TDEC Ability to Pay Index.

TDEC’s EECBG Program will fund audits of and energy efficiency upgrades to county-owned, commercial buildings with multi-use purposes that support community resilience or that are deemed critical facilities. Examples of eligible buildings include K-12 schools, hospitals, emergency management facilities, and/or community centers, all of which may also function as emergency shelters or staging areas during emergency response and recovery efforts.