Energy Resilient Communities Act

This bill would create a federal grant program at the Department of Energy to help communities plan and build clean energy microgrids. Microgrids use local clean power like solar, wind, geothermal, or hydropower to keep the lights on when the main grid fails, including for homes of people with medical energy needs. Grants can cover planning (like updating building codes, FEMA hazard plans, and design help), community outreach, and construction of the microgrids themselves .

The program puts “environmental justice” communities first—places with many low‑income households, communities of color, or Tribal and Indigenous people that face higher health or environmental harms. It also favors community‑owned projects that cut greenhouse gases and other harmful air pollution, lower energy bills, improve local resilience, and use already‑built or disturbed sites (like rooftops, parking lots, brownfields, farms, or reservoirs) for clean energy .

• What it funds: planning (code upgrades, hazard plans, needs assessments/design), community outreach, and building microgrids for critical community needs and for homes with medical energy needs.
• Who is prioritized: environmental justice communities; community‑owned systems; projects with big cuts in greenhouse gases and other air pollution, lower energy costs, strong resilience benefits, minimal land impacts, involvement of local small businesses or nonprofits in these communities, use of apprentices, prior technical‑assistance grantees, and projects in areas with very poor air quality.
• Cost share: the federal government can cover up to 60% of costs (up to 90% in environmental justice communities).
• Grant cap: up to $10 million for each construction project.
• Funding levels: for each year 2025–2034, $50 million for planning/outreach and $1.5 billion for projects, with at least 10% of project funds aimed at community‑owned systems when possible.
• Worker and materials standards: use iron, steel, and manufactured goods made in the U.S. (with limited waivers), pay prevailing wages, and aim for at least 40% of construction workers to be local or from targeted groups such as veterans, people who were incarcerated, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, people on public assistance, those without a high school diploma, those who left foster care, and registered apprentices .
• Awareness and transparency: DOE must start an outreach program within 90 days of funding and publish yearly public reports showing where money went and the results (jobs, pollution cuts, health benefits, and lower energy costs) .