Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $15 Million to Further Bolster Domestic Manufacturing and Support Small- and Medium-Sized Businesses

Funding from the Investing in America Agenda Will Support 57 More Small-and Medium-Sized Manufacturers to Improve Energy Efficiency, Lower Costs, Increase Productivity, and Reduce Industrial Emissions

WASHINGTON, D.C. —  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced an additional $14.8 million investment in the Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (ITAC) Implementation Grants program. This funding would support 57 small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) across the country to implement a wide variety of energy and efficiency projects, including installing onsite solar and heat pumps, improving lighting and heating, and electrifying industrial equipment and fleets. With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered by DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC), the ITAC Implementation Grants program provides grants of up to $300,000 per project to manufacturers to implement recommendations made by DOE and other qualified energy assessments. These grants will help small businesses lower their energy costs, improve efficiency, and reduce harmful emissions, while strengthening our domestic manufacturing sector. 

“The Biden-Harris Administration is bringing energy saving improvements to small businesses across the nation, helping to drive down costs and strengthen the manufacturing backbone of many communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “From investments in onsite solar, to heat pumps, to lighting and ventilation improvements, the ITAC program has been instrumental in setting up manufacturers for success and will continue to be a force in boosting our domestic manufacturing sector on a global scale.”

SMMs represent the vast majority of the nation's manufacturing base. These grants announced today will help SMMs leverage federal support and local expertise to identify cost-effective opportunities to improve energy efficiency, increase competitiveness, and reduce emissions. The 57 selections are expected to abate more than 33,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, equivalent to about 11 small businesses’ annual emissions. The $14.8 million federal investment will leverage an additional $33.2 million from industry to support these projects; 18 of the selected projects are located in disadvantaged communities. This investment supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments in climate, clean energy, and other areas flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

To continue supporting U.S. manufacturers, DOE also announced that the ITAC program is open for additional applications and announced four additional entities to provide and coordinate energy assessments – including one with cybersecurity expertise – further expanding access to the ITAC implementation grants.

For more than four decades, the ITAC program, managed by MESC, has provided more than 21,000 energy assessments at SMMs and typically identify more than $150,000 in potential annual energy savings opportunities for every manufacturer. Since launching the implementation grant program in 2022, 219 businesses across 38 states have been selected to receive a combined total of more than $40 million through the ITAC program to implement energy saving improvements, matched by more than $83 million in industry investment. These improvements are expected to save $21.2 million in annual energy savings and abate about 88,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

Learn more about the grants here.

Selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE to issue an award or provide funding. Before funding is issued, DOE will ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and DOE, its partnership intermediary ENERGYWERX, and the applicants will undergo a negotiation process. DOE may cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason during that time. DOE is working with ENERGYWERX in a collaboration made possible through an innovative Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) set up by the DOE's Office of Technology Transitions. This agreement enables ENERGYWERX to broaden DOE’s engagement with innovative organizations and non-traditional partners, facilitating the rapid development, scaling, and deployment of clean energy solutions.   

SMMs can learn more about the program, the application process here and can register to attend “office hours” on January 7, 2025, from 2:00-3:00 pm EST. 

Learn more about the MESC mission to strengthen and secure manufacturing and energy supply chains needed to modernize the nation’s energy infrastructure and support a clean and equitable energy transition.