Renewable Energy for U.S. Territories Act

This bill would create a grant program to help U.S. territories use more clean energy and cut energy waste. The Department of Agriculture would run the program. Approved nonprofit groups could apply for grants to build renewable energy systems, improve efficiency, add energy storage, set up smart grids or microgrids, and train local workers to build and operate these systems. Grant money could not be used for projects that make electricity from fossil fuels or nuclear power. The Department of Energy’s national labs would offer technical help to grantees. The program must launch within 180 days of becoming law, and the agency must report each year on spending, energy saved, challenges, and any recommendations to expand clean energy in the territories .

• Who is affected: Residents of Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands; eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations approved by the Department of Agriculture.
• What changes: New grants for renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, smart grids, microgrids, and workforce training; no funding for fossil fuel or nuclear power projects; technical help from DOE national labs; annual reports on results .
• When: Program starts within 6 months of becoming law; a separate GAO study on clean energy, microgrids, and grid resiliency in the territories is due within 6 months, with $1.5 million authorized for that study; the grant program’s funding is “such sums as necessary” .