Raleigh's grant is the first in NC
The City of Raleigh has received a $450,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. These funds, dedicated through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will be used to support sustainable energy transition for communities around the country and will accelerate the implementation of Raleigh’s Community Climate Action Plan.
Raleigh is allocating the funds toward three projects to support zero-emissions transportation:
- Electric bicycle incentive program
- A solar-powered electric vehicle charger for public use
- Electric vehicle chargers for the City’s fleet vehicles
Three Raleigh Projects
The pilot phase of the Ral-E-Bike program will be supported by EECBG funds. This project will provide electric bicycle incentive vouchers to Raleigh residents to be used at participating local bike shops. All Raleigh residents will be eligible to apply for a $500 voucher, and those at or below 80 percent of area median income will be eligible to apply for a $1,500 voucher.
The City will also purchase a solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charger for public use. This charger will be placed at public locations around the city to provide fully renewable energy to charge our community’s electric vehicles.
Also, to support the City’s goal of a 100% electric and alternative fuel fleet, the City will install 30 EV chargers for its fleet vehicles. The City’s goal is to transition 2,200 fleet vehicles and equipment to electric in the next 10 years, and these chargers will provide much-needed charging capacity for incoming vehicles.
Block Grant Program Brings Federal Funding to Local Communities
US Energy Secretary, Jennifer M. Granholm announced the awards in January saying, "The federal program continues to bring essential federal funding directly to local communities across the country, helping Americans access energy efficiency upgrades, such as electric vehicle chargers and e-bike rebates, weatherization, affordable solar panels, and more. The President’s ‘Investing in America’ agenda is supporting local governments and tribal nations plan for a clean energy future, deploying energy-efficiency upgrades that save money and build more resilient communities.” Raleigh's is the first EECBG award made in North Carolina of the over $9 million allocated to the State and local governments in NC.
