NREL’s State, Local, and Tribal Program is working to achieve solutions to our world’s
energy challenges every day – meeting communities where they are and infusing relevant data,
knowledge, and actions to support informed decision making.
Leveraging NREL’s research and community-based experience, and with support from
the U.S. Department of Energy, we develop resources that are available to all 56,000 governments
within the United States –enabling them to assess and transform their energy system,
to meet local needs and goals, improve resilience, and do so in a way that is affordable for people.
Since 2009, NREL has already supported more than 1,000 of those governments, on their
clean energy journey-- leveraging focused data and tools, in-depth analysis, and direct
technical assistance.
“I don’t think a lot of people realize that part of NREL's mission is to also deliver
the knowledge to integrate clean energy systems and technologies and that’s what
we do on the technical assistance side of the house.”
With a community-first approach, NREL and partners provide direct technical assistance
and support, deploying the lab’s suite of tools and knowledge to implement new projects
and processes that help achieve energy goals.
For example, In Kingston, New York, we used data and analysis to help the city achieve
their commitment to a 100% equitable clean energy transition by 2050.
And around the country, home energy professionals are using NREL and industry-developed guidelines
and standards to ensure homes and buildings are energy-efficient, safe, and healthy for occupants.
NREL also works with tribal communities, schools, and U.S. territories offering clean energy
solutions through analytical decision support, strategies, and advanced energy systems design.
NREL experts are thinkers and collaborative problem solvers, using in-depth analysis to
bridge technological and human systems.
Using scientific data and information, we are developing ways to improve our future.
Asking questions like- “How can we take a traditional electric grid, and make it more
reliable and resilient to natural disasters and outages?”
NREL analysts work with community leaders to identify and tailor known and emerging
strategies, to develop new processes, and achieve local goals.
To accomplish all of this, we use NREL’s suite of data-rich tools, developed with broad
support from the U.S. Department of Energy.
These tools are easily accessible and available to jurisdictions who want to move toward a
clean energy future.
To name just a few…the State and Local Planning for Energy, or SLOPE, Platform helps
decision-makers understand their clean energy potential and decide which clean energy option
is best for their area…while The Indian Energy Atlas provides geospatially resolved
data for tribes looking understand their clean energy options.
The Engage Tool provides insight through modeling and supports clean energy transition goals
in Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
The Low-Income Energy Affordability Data, or LEAD Tool, informs communities about their
low-income housing energy characteristics.
“I think it’s important that we have tools out there, like the LEAD Tool, so that people
have the information they need to make data-driven decisions.
So it’s not just that they have decided area A get this low-income energy program
and area B doesn’t.
It’s that they have the data so that they can actually affect those who are most marginalized
and bring their energy costs down.”
NREL’s State, Local, and Tribal Program has prioritized the American people by supporting
investments in our energy future—ultimately helping people save money on energy bills,
provide increased reliability in electricity, increased mobility, and providing disaster
resilience and recovery options.
“It’s exciting to be at a point where our technologies, experience, partnerships,
and tools are really poised to support a larger number of state, local, and tribal governments
take data-informed steps toward their brighter future.
In addition to supporting those on-the-ground needs, scaling up the efforts with a community-focused
approach enables us to inform and support national and economic priorities as well.”
NREL is working out the remaining challenges to clean energy technologies that truly benefits
people -- integrating lessons into our energy systems for a better, more resilient tomorrow.
Learn more, at nrel.gov/state-local-tribal or email stat@nrel.gov to connect with our
team directly to determine the best pathway to your clean energy future.