EPA Engagement with Energy Communities
The Interagency Working Group on Coal & Power Plant Communities & Economic Revitalization (or Energy Communities IWG) was created in 2021, recognizing and honoring the historic role coal mining and power plant workers played in economic growth, while providing new federal leadership for the identification and delivery of federal resources to help diversify and revitalize the economies of these communities. In this context, energy communities are places where a significant percentage of jobs and tax revenue come from the extraction, processing, transport, and energy production of fossil fuels. As the nation’s energy production and use patterns change and move toward cleaner, less expensive sources, many of these communities seek to diversify their economies.
EPA is an active member of the Energy Communities IWG and is committed to the mission of ensuring energy communities have both the transportation, water, information and other infrastructure they need, and the targeted place-based investments needed to transition to a more sustainable, resilient economy. EPA provides innovative ideas, strategic guidance and staff capacity to the Energy Communities IWG in its work to support energy communities across the country.
Learn more about the Energy Communities IWG.
On this page:
- Rapid Response Teams
- Energy Communities’ Stated Priorities
- EPA Financial Assistance to Energy Communities
- EPA Technical Assistance to Energy Communities
- EPA Resources for Energy Communities
- Impact in Energy Communities
Rapid Response Teams
EPA has long-standing methods for providing in-kind technical assistance to communities interested in supporting economic growth opportunities that diversify their economies and support improved environmental outcomes. Through direct assistance and the relationships built with partners on the ground, EPA’s participation in the Energy Communities IWG supports energy communities as they make progress on their energy transition goals.
EPA’s approach to coordinating resources from across federal, state and local government to proactively address community needs helped catalyze the Energy Communities IWG’s Rapid Response Teams. RRTs work with energy community members to identify economic transformation and revitalization goals, figure out ways to pursue those goals, and make the connections between programs across the federal government and up and down levels of state and local government. RRTs aim to understand the needs of energy communities and work to tackle barriers to meeting those needs.
Beginning in fall 2021, EPA – through the Energy Communities IWG – began meeting twice monthly with state officials in the Wyoming Governor’s office, the University of Wyoming, Wyoming Business Council, local officials (including the counties of Lincoln, Converse, Sweetwater, and Campbell), labor organizations, environmental organizations, electric co-ops and others. This group formed the first RRT and demonstrated how the Energy Communities IWG could support Wyoming by employing listening and learning as the foundation for exploring solutions to barriers for economic growth and identifying programs to support expanding the energy sector.
This Rapid Response Team model has since been expanded to other coal-impacted areas of the country that have identified a need to support potential pathways for economic growth and the community-based infrastructure to needed to support their further development.
Current RRTs include:
- Eastern Kentucky.
- Four Corners.
- Illinois Basin.
- Ohio.
- Pennsylvania.
- West Virginia.
- Wyoming.
Future RRT stakeholder engagement will include Montana and Virginia.
Energy Communities' Stated Priorities
Many energy communities see improving energy and basic infrastructure as a top priority along with workforce training and housing improvements as identified within the IWG reports.
- 2023 Report: Revitalizing Energy Communities: Two Year Report to the President
- 2024 Report: Advancing Economic Diversification in America’s Energy Communities: Energy Communities IWG Progress Report
Energy communities, particularly those with environmental justice concerns, often need support, capacity-building and tools to develop more diversified economies.
The top energy community identified needs are:
- Basic infrastructure (water, sewer, broadband).
- New drivers of economic diversification.
- Repurposing fossil assets and environmental remediation.
- Clean energy development.
- Displaced worker benefits and workforce development.
- Affordable and attainable housing.
EPA Financial Assistance to Energy Communities
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act have allowed for EPA to direct billions of dollars in funding to community-based projects and technical assistance across the U.S. to increase the supply of low-carbon and renewable energy generation, while enabling environmental regeneration and economic revitalization. Investments from BIL and IRA are providing critical opportunities for energy communities to redevelop and revitalize.
In addition, EPA has many annual financial assistance programs that can help communities address vital needs.
- Find current EPA funding opportunities.
- Find other federal funding opportunities that could assist energy communities.
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
The Inflation Reduction Act authorized EPA to create and implement Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a historic $27 billion investment to combat the climate crisis by mobilizing financing and private capital for greenhouse gas- and air pollution-reducing projects in communities across the country. Together, GGRF’s National Clean Investment Fund, Clean Communities Investment Accelerator and Solar for All programs will finance clean technology deployment nationally, finance clean technology deployment in low-income and disadvantaged communities while simultaneously building the capacity of community lenders that serve those communities, and spur adoption of clean distributed solar energy that lowers energy bills for millions of Americans in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Clean School Bus Program
The Clean School Bus program provides $5 billion over five years (FY 2022-2026) to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models. Under the program's multiple grant and rebate funding opportunities to date, the EPA has awarded almost $2 billion to fund approximately 5,000 school bus replacements at over 600 schools. The Clean School Bus Rebate program offers rebates to replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models.
Resources for Drinking Water
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided more than $50 billion for additional investment in drinking water, wastewater, water reuse, conveyance and water storage infrastructure, including dedicated funding to replace lead service lines and address PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).
Improvements to water infrastructure are a frequently stated need for energy communities as they look to revitalize their economies. EPA’s BIL funded drinking water programs have provided billions of dollars in assistance to states and communities.
Climate Pollution Reduction Grants
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program provides $5 billion in grants to states, local governments, Tribes, and territories to develop and implement ambitious plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution. Authorized under Section 60114 of the IRA, this two-phase program provides $250 million for noncompetitive planning grants, and approximately $4.6 billion for competitive implementation grants.
- Climate Pollution Reduction Planning Grants: Many states, local governments, Tribes, and territories that are home to energy communities received CPRG planning grants and are competing to receive funding from the implementation grants.
- Climate Pollution Reduction Implementation Grants: EPA announced 25 selected applications for over $4.3 billion in grants to implement community-driven solutions to the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice, and accelerate America’s clean energy transition. The selected applications will fund state, local, and Tribal entities located in 30 states, including the following energy communities.
Community Change Grants
EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice and Community Change Grants program announced a notice of funding opportunity for approximately $2 billion dollars in IRA funds in environmental and climate justice activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges.
Clean Ports Program
Ports can be a significant source of diesel pollution, and those living near ports that bear the brunt of this pollution are often people of color and low-income families. The Clean Ports Program provides $3 billion in funding for zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure as well as climate and air quality planning at U.S. ports. This will ensure that our nation’s ports, a critical part of our infrastructure and supply chain, address public health and environmental impacts on surrounding communities.
Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfield sites. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002, as amended by the Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development Act of 2018, was passed to help states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfield sites. Under this law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through five competitive grant programs: Multipurpose Grants, Assessment Grants, Revolving Loan Fund Grants, Cleanup Grants, and Job Training Grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism.
Standing Grants Programs
Every year, EPA awards more than $4 billion in funding for grants and other assistance agreements. From small non-profit organizations to large state governments, EPA works to help many visionary organizations achieve their environmental goals. With countless success stories over the years, EPA grants remain an important tool to protect human health and the environment. Learn more about grants at EPA.
EPA Technical Assistance to Energy Communities
Energy Communities Technical Assistance Program
In 2025, EPA seeks to to provide technical assistance to three energy communities to support them in their goals toward energy transition and economic diversification, including power plant/mine land reuse and redevelopment, community revitalization, and workforce transition. Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest in which the specifically outline their community, partnerships and plans, including any information on existing energy infrastructure and associated economic development strategies. Find information about how to apply: Request for Letters of Interest for Energy Community Technical Assistance (pdf) .
In May 2024, EPA announced two communities to receive technical assistance as part of the Energy Communities Technical Assistance Pilot program. The program supports community-driven goals toward energy transition, including coal mine and power plant reuse and redevelopment, community revitalization and workforce transition for eligible communities in Energy Communities IWG Rapid Response Team regions. This assistance provides selected communities with planning support that centers around a two-day community workshop, where a team of experts will help community members develop an implementable action plan that promotes environmental and economic revitalization. After the workshop, the community continues to use their experience to consult with EPA and a team of consultants as they develop a playbook that can assist other communities across the country with similar energy transition goals.
Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program
EPA's Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program provides technical assistance with the goal to build a partnership between EPA and local communities to pursue development strategies that expand upon existing Brownfields (contaminated properties) clean-up efforts and advance clean air, clean water, equitable development and other local goals.
Water Technical Assistance Programs
Existing EPA WaterTA initiatives are available for utilities, municipalities, and Tribes to receive direct WaterTA to maintain regulatory compliance, improve resiliency, and build utility technical, managerial, and financial capacity. Learn about initiatives and resources and to request assistance.
- H2O Community Solution Teams: This program support communities to assess water infrastructure needs and make progress in accessing federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding.
- Closing America's Wastewater Access Gap: The program expands on the services provided in the Closing America's Wastewater Access Gap pilot initiative to provide technical assistance to approximately 150 underserved and disadvantaged communities with decentralized wastewater needs (or no wastewater infrastructure at all).
- Request no-cost assistance by completing the WaterTA request form. Communities – including homeowners and utilities – and all states, Tribes, and territories can complete the request form.
- Communities will be selected on a rolling basis; there is no deadline to apply. For questions, email [email protected].
Community Change Equitable Resilience Technical Assistance
In November 2023, EPA launched the Community Change Equitable Resilience Technical Assistance program. Offered in conjunction with the Community Change Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity, this technical assistance provided free design and project development assistance, community engagement and partnership development workshops that support climate resilience and environmental justice activities in disaster-prone areas.
Recreation Economy for Rural Communities
Recognizing that outdoor recreation is a large and growing sector of the economy nationwide, the Recreation Economy for Rural Communities program was formed in 2019 to provide planning assistance to small towns and rural communities to help them boost their outdoor recreation economy and revitalize their main streets. The program is a partnership between EPA's Office of Community Revitalization, USDA Forest Service, Northern Border Regional Commission, Appalachian Regional Commission and Denali Commission.
Local Foods, Local Places
The Local Foods, Local Places planning assistance program helps cities and town across the country engage with stakeholders to develop local food systems, preserve open space and farmland, revitalize Main Streets and downtowns, boost economic opportunities for farmers and businesses, and improve access to local and healthy foods, especially among disadvantaged populations.
EPA Resources for Energy Communities
- Local Foods, Local Places Toolkit: Communities can find a toolkit and case studies to guide them through the process of convening their own LFLP workshop.
- EPA’s Land Revitalization Program: The Land Revitalization Program can help communities identify possibilities for reusing a contaminated, or potentially contaminated site. Site reuse planning typically creates exciting opportunities within the redevelopment process.
- Revitalization-Ready: A Guide for Revitalizing Land in Your Community: This step-by-step guide shares the process for identifying reuse possibilities for contaminated sites. The Revitalization-Ready Guide builds from the PREPARED Workbook.
- The Anatomy of Brownfields Redevelopment: This guide explains how the brownfields cleanup and reuse process from the real estate development perspective.
- Setting the Stage for Leveraging Resources for Brownfields Revitalization: This guide assists communities in finding and attracting sufficient funding for brownfields redevelopment projects.
- Creating a Brownfields Investment Package: This guide explains how to compile relevant site information into a highly visual communications and marketing document.
- Clean Energy Financing Toolkit for Decisionmakers: This toolkit provides profiles of about a dozen types of clean energy financing programs that state and local governments are pursuing to catalyze investment in clean energy, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable transportation, and efficient electrification. This introductory information is intended to help decisionmakers understand the basics of a range of financing programs across multiple sectors, view examples from state and local jurisdictions, and access additional resources to learn more.
- Climate Resilience and Adaptation Funding Toolbox: CRAFT was created to support technical assistance providers working with states, Tribes, communities, nongovernmental organizations, academia, businesses and others looking to make sure their investments are resilient to climate-related impacts. The materials contained in CRAFT can help potential funding applicants learn about and secure financial support for climate-smart investments, particularly communities that are just getting started and have historically been unable to access federal dollars. These resources may also help to reduce the administrative burden on EPA’s funding applicants and recipients as they develop, apply for and implement their projects.
Impact in Energy Communities
Below is a non-comprehensive set of examples of how EPA funding is helping energy communities. The table can by filtered by program.