The U.S. Department of Energy has opened applications for a new round of the Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (ETIPP), which connects local communities with national laboratories and regional organizations to develop practical solutions to energy challenges. The program particularly targets coastal, remote, and island communities in the United States, which face challenges such as aging infrastructure and severe weather conditions.
Local governments, tribes, utilities, and organizations across the country may apply to participate in the program until 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time on November 18, 2026. Before submitting an application, interested entities must contact the ETIPP regional partner serving their area to discuss eligibility.
Technical Support from Planning Through Implementation
There are more than 90 active ETIPP projects in 81 communities, working to assess or plan energy systems or implement technologies and strategies aimed at improving affordability, reliability, and security.
The program connects community representatives with regional organizations and national laboratories capable of providing energy analysis and strategic planning. Regional partners’ expertise includes community communication and engagement, energy education, workforce development, and knowledge of regional funding opportunities and programs. The national laboratories, led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the Rockies (NLR), provide technical assistance based on decades of energy research and development.
ETIPP offers two tracks to meet communities’ needs at different stages of project development:
- Strategic Energy Planning: This track is suitable for communities that are still in the early stages of developing a project. Over a period of four to eight months, participating entities work to identify clear, actionable goals and prepare an initial assessment and baseline for the energy system, along with a tailored action plan defining near-, medium-, and long-term reliability and affordability needs.
- In-Depth Technical Assistance: This track targets communities that have an existing energy plan or a clearly defined project. After 12 to 24 months of work with the national laboratories, these communities receive data and analyses of the technical aspects of their proposed energy solutions.
Tools, Resources, and Limited Funding
The national laboratories have developed tools and resources tailored to support projects, including rural energy best practices, community energy websites, open-source energy system models, options for redesigning heat-recovery systems, analyses of energy generation and storage, economic performance and feasibility assessment models, as well as technical newsletters and reports.
Participating communities may receive funding to help implement their technical solutions, up to $20,000 for the Strategic Energy Planning track and $50,000 for the In-Depth Technical Assistance track.
A Knowledge-Sharing Network
In addition to direct support, the program provides a knowledge-sharing network that brings together the technical resources, tools, and guidance documents used by the laboratories, partners, and participating communities, making them available for use both within and beyond ETIPP.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the Rockies manages the program, which is funded and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation. ETIPP uses a community-driven model that brings together federal agencies, national laboratories, regional organizations, and local stakeholders to provide technical support tailored to each community’s needs.