The next round of SEP’s Direct TA for State Governments Opens July 1st
Learn More and Request TA Here
SEP Background
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) State Energy Program (SEP) provides funding and technical assistance to states, territories, and the District of Columbia to enhance energy security, advance state-led energy initiatives, and increase energy affordability.
SEO Engagement Opportunities
To stay connected with State Energy Offices (SEOs), SEP is initiating two complementary engagement opportunities: Monthly Office Hours and Quarterly Roundups. The goal for these engagement efforts is to create a consistent space to share SEP administrative reminders and updates, provide trainings on technical matters, and facilitate collaboration through regular feedback and idea exchange.
SEP is hosting monthly office hours to present Technical Assistance (TA) information, engage in direct Q&A with subject matter experts, and host a general discussion on SEP matters.
SEP is hosting office hours on the third week of each month starting December 2023. The first hour will focus on a specific technical topic, based on what needs states have expressed during past and ongoing engagement. A subject matter expert will deliver a brief presentation on the day’s topic and answer questions. The remainder of the day’s session will be open to states to ask any other questions or provide general feedback to SEP staff.
SEP is leading quarterly meetings to share upcoming administration deadlines, present administrative information, engage in direct Q&A with subject matter experts, and host a general discussion.
These meetings will be hosted quarterly (March, June, September and December) on the second Thursday of that month. SEP will share information on hot topics and reminders for upcoming events. This will be followed by a presentation from a subject matter expert on a topic and/or a state sharing best practices. Topics will be administrative and regulatory in nature and in response to state feedback.
Quarterly Roundups and Office Hours Schedule
State Energy Offices will receive an invitation via email for upcoming sessions. Please contact us at StateEnergyProgram@hq.doe.gov with any questions or suggested topics. Find the current schedule of upcoming engagements and topics below:
| Date and Time | Event | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| April 19th 12:00 – 2:00 PM ET | SEP Office Hours | Reporting: RLF QPR and RLF Supplemental |
| May 17th 12:00 – 2:00 PM ET | SEP Office Hours | Davis-Bacon Act Compliance: LCP Tracker Overview for States |
| June 13th 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET | Quarterly RoundUp | National Environmental Policy Act |
| June 21st 12:00 – 2:00 PM ET | SEP Office Hours | SEP Annual Technical Assistance Offerings |
Past Events and Materials
| Date | Topic | Resources |
|---|---|---|
| March 15th, 2024 | Previewing Federal in Perpetuity Close Out for RLF and Financing Programs | Office Hours Presentation Recording Presentation Slide Deck |
| March 14th, 2024 | Reporting: SEP Annual, SEP-BIL, and BIL Supplemental | Quarterly RoundUp Slide Deck |
| March 7th, 2024 | SEP PY2024 ALRD Webinar | Presentation Slide Deck |
| February 16th, 2024 | SEP BIL TA Implementation Plan | Office Hours Presentation Recording Presentation Slide Deck |
| January 19th, 2024 | SLOPE & LEAD Demo and Use Case Example | Intro Presentation Slide Deck |
| January 10th, 2024 | SEP Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Supplemental Annual Data Report - Training | Training Recording |
| December 15th, 2023 | Onsite Energy Systems at Critical Facilities Technology Action Group -- REopt for Resilience Online Course | REopt Energy Integration & Optimization Home | NREL Office Hours Presentation Recording |
| December 14th, 2023 | Buy America, Build America | SEP Quarterly Round up Slides |
| October 10th, 2023 | Get to Know DOE’s Office of Inspector General | Presentation Recording |
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Technical Assistance
Congress appropriated $500 million for the State Energy Program through Section 40109 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The U.S. DOE is allocating this funding to the states, as outlined in BIL, in FY22 - 26; however, the funding is available until expended. DOE has made $425 million available to the states as of August 26, 2022, using the FY21 SEP formula as directed by legislation.
DOE will use the remaining $75 million over 5+ years for the benefit of all the states and SEP as follows: $45 million for program direction, oversight, and management, which includes federal staffing to implement the financial assistance program over 5+ years; and $30 million for use in collaboration with states to design and deliver high-impact TA over 5+ years.
DOE invited all SEOs to participate in a series of workshops designed to inform and advise on the development of the SEP BIL technical assistance program. SEO feedback will serve as the critical foundation for a SEP BIL technical assistance strategy and implementation plan.
A summary report of the workshops and their findings is included here:
Workshops Summary Report
Below, find pre-brief materials and findings grouped by each session, as well as general resources distributed for these workshops:
Workshop Materials
Workshop Series Overview
Workshop 1: Broad Scope Technical Assistance - 9/7/23
Workshop 1 Pre-brief
Workshop 1 Key Findings
Workshop 2: Engagements & Convenings - 9/14/23
Workshop 2 Pre-brief
Workshop 2 Key Findings
Workshop 3: Specialized Tools & Resources - 9/21/23
Workshop 3 Pre-brief
Workshop 3 Key Findings
Workshop 4: General Discussion - 9/28/23
Workshop 4 Pre-brief
Workshop 4 Key Findings
SEP BIL Technical Assistance Implementation Plan
View the plan here.
BIL TA Implementation Plan
In collaboration with State Energy Offices and NASEO, SEP released the BIL Technical Assistance Implementation Plan in March 2024. The plan outlines an overarching strategy for delivering TA to states over the next 5+ years using BIL Section 40109 funds. The execution of the Implementation Plan will be an iterative process, and we encourage states to regularly share ideas, feedback, and questions.
The plan is shaped by feedback received during September 2023 Workshops, ongoing Office Hours, and other feedback shared by states. After consolidating this feedback, SEP identified four key strategies to address the most pressing needs of states, with specific projects outlined under each in the Implementation Plan:
- Direct Technical Assistance with Subject Matter Experts
- Educational Repositories and Guidebooks for DOE TA Resources
- Trainings and Other Engagements
- Peer Exchange Opportunities and Cohorts
Direct BIL Technical Assistance for State Energy Offices
SEP is launching a new Direct TA opportunity for State Energy Offices utilizing BIL funds. TA requests will be accepted, reviewed, and delivered in quarterly rounds beginning on April 1st, 2024. Visit SEP’s Direct TA webpage to request TA and find more information on the timeline, TA topics offered, and to submit your request.
Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund TA
For information about TA opportunities for the BIL 40502 Revolving Loan Fund program and to access the RLF Resource Library please visit Revolving Loan Fund Technical Assistance Resources.
Historical TA Efforts
For more than a decade, DOE has designed and implemented high-impact TA initiatives in collaboration with states, local governments, and communities. These initiatives deliver significant value to not only our public sector partners and stakeholders, but to the broader public. Our initiatives create tools and resources that benefit all states and communities across the country.
SEP has managed several programs to provide funding and technical assistance to states, territories, and the District of Columbia to enhance energy security, advance state-led energy initiatives, and increase energy affordability. Find information on these past TA efforts below.
Competitive Awards in Action
Learn how SEP Competitive Award recipients accomplished their goals and see the best practice guidelines they wrote to share with their peers.
Office of State and Community Energy Programs
In the past, SEP has dedicated a portion of its funding each year to provide competitively awarded financial assistance that helps states meet their energy goals and explore opportunities for regional collaboration and partnerships. In a typical year, states may apply for funding under specific Areas of Interest with the flexibility to choose topics or approaches to achieving their energy goals within the Areas of Interest. During Fiscal Years 2014 – 2017, SEP Competitive Awards up to $5 million were awarded to applicants seeking to maximize the impact of formula grant work related to energy efficiency and/or renewable energy adoption under specific Areas of Interest.
Learn More
State Energy Program Competitive Award Selections
State Energy Program Competitive Award Generated Resources
Office of State and Community Energy Programs
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) partners with state and local facilities to assess energy-saving technologies in real-world settings. This process is known as field validation, an essential stepin the research and development process. The Public Sector Technology Field Validation Project Map provides case studies of current and completed validation projects across the United States.View the map below to explore various energy-saving technologies in real-world settings.
State and Local Partnership Opportunity
The Office of State and Community Energy Programs, Building Technologies Office, Federal Energy Management Program, and the Advanced Manufacturing Office are collaborating on near-term technology field validation efforts.
We are actively seeking state and local government partners.For more information, contactGregory Dierkers.
Partnership Opportunity Goals
DOE’s goal is to partner with state and local governments to identify host building sites in which to:
- Install and validate DOE-supported energy efficiency technologies, and
- Provide technical assistance (e.g., modeling, data collection, installation) to energy staff and building managers to support new fields tests that will inform broader adoption of successfully validated technologies.
Resources
DOE's Field Validation Program for Commercial Buildings: A Guide for State and Local Governments
DOE Selects Seven State and Local Governments to Establish “Proving Grounds” for Advanced Building Technologies
