Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (ETIPP)

The Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (ETIPP) is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy, four National Labs led by the National Lab of the Rockies, and Regional Partner organizations including SSDN. The program provides technical assistance and financial assistance to help island, coastal, and remote communities plan for more reliable, more affordable, and less polluting energy. 

SSDN is one of two Regional Partners for the Gulf Coast, and provides support to eligible communities from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Additional support to Gulf Coast communities comes from STEM NOLA, and to communities on the South Atlantic Seaboard from northeast Florida to Virginia from Regional Partner Groundswell.

The technical assistance focuses on applying renewable and low-carbon energy solutions to energy resilience challenges such as frequent energy disruptions, high energy costs, or energy infrastructure vulnerability to natural hazards. Selected communities may have the opportunity to receive funds (up to $20,000 for communities selected for strategic energy planning and up to $50,000 for those engaging with deep-dive technical assistance) for services rendered to help implement the technical support. 

The program has two “tracks”. For communities drafting a new or updated Strategic Energy Plan (SEP), the program offers four to six months of technical support and assistance with community and stakeholder outreach, to help assess and prioritize the solutions that will work best for the specific community.  For communities who do have an SEP, or are looking for technical assistance with a more specific energy challenge, the program offers 12 to 18 months of assistance for a “deep dive” into a particular project. Examples of previous ETIPP projects include:

• Working with the Makah Tribe in Washington state on a strategic energy plan to support long-term energy sovereignty, as well as improving energy resilience in the face of frequent hours- to days-long power outages.
• Partnering with the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association to plan for hybrid fishing vessels to reduce energy costs for Alaska’s sustainable fishing industry.
• Working with Islesboro, ME, population 600, on recommendations for increasing building electrification and improving on-island energy production, and engaging with the mainland-based electrical utility to improve energy resilience in the community.

In 2025, SSDN worked with the City of Key West to plan for improving building efficiency, encouraging on-site solar, and lowering barriers to electric vehicle ownership. In 2026, we will continue our work with a deep dive into Key West’s SEP - specifically analyzing energy efficiency strategies at the building level for most of the community - as well as beginning new energy planning projects with Sanibel, FL and Cedar Key, FL.

SSDN anticipates performing outreach and recruiting communities to apply for Cohort 6 in early 2026, as well as providing assistance with developing their applications. Eligible applicants include any island, coastal, or remote community that is experiencing energy reliability or cost challenges due to their location.  Applicants may be local governments, Tribes and Tribal organizations, community-based organizations (including nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations), academic institutions, special purpose districts such as school districts and water districts, municipal utilities, or electric co-ops.