H.R. 1449 — Energy Resilient Communities Act

This section establishes the short title of the Act as the “Energy Resilient Communities Act.”

This section establishes a Department of Energy grant program to support clean energy microgrids for critical community infrastructure and residences of medical baseline customers. As background, a microgrid is a localized energy system that can operate independently from the larger electric grid and can improve resilience during outages. The section authorizes grants for eligible entities to: (1) obtain technical assistance to upgrade building codes and standards for climate resilience, develop a Federal Emergency Management Agency hazard mitigation plan, or assess, design, and address permitting, siting, financing, and technical issues for prospective microgrids; (2) conduct community outreach and collaborative planning; or (3) develop and construct a clean energy microgrid. The section directs the Secretary of Energy to prioritize grants that benefit environmental justice communities. It further prioritizes technical assistance and outreach that would advance community-owned energy systems and prioritizes project grants based on: (1) the greatest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, criteria air pollutants, public health disparities, or energy cost burden; (2) community ownership; (3) the greatest resiliency benefits; (4) minimized land-use impacts through siting on rooftops, parking lots, brownfields, contaminated sites, agricultural lands, reservoirs, or compatible lands; (5) use of small businesses or nonprofits located in environmental justice communities, particularly women-owned or minority-owned entities; (6) applicants that previously received technical assistance grants; (7) projects using registered apprentices; and (8) projects in nonattainment areas classified as Extreme Areas or Severe Areas for one or more criteria air pollutants. The section also requires the Secretary, not later than 90 days after funds are made available, to develop and carry out an educational outreach program to inform eligible entities about the grant program. The Secretary may use third-party contracts for the outreach program and must prioritize women-owned and minority-owned entities for those contracts. The outreach program must prioritize information for entities serving environmental justice communities and promote public understanding of the community benefits of clean energy microgrids for critical community infrastructure. The section limits the Federal share of grant costs to 60 percent, except that the Federal share may cover 100 percent of the cost for technical assistance, outreach, or projects that benefit an environmental justice community.