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 eight Regional Partner organizations including SSDN. The program provides technical and financial assistance to help island, coastal, and remote communities plan for more reliable, more affordable, and less polluting energy. 

SSDN provides support to eligible communities from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Communities on the South Atlantic Seaboard from northeast Florida to Virginia, including eastern Tennessee, receive support from Regional Partner Groundswell. Interested communities in this area may contact SSDN for an introduction.

The technical assistance focuses on applying innovative technical solutions to challenges such as frequent energy disruptions, high energy costs, or energy infrastructure vulnerability to natural hazards. In addition to technical assistance, selected communities may receive funding up to $20,000 for communities selected for strategic energy planning and up to $50,000 for those engaging with deep-dive technical assistance. 

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, including in-person community and stakeholder outreach, to help assess and prioritize the challenges and best solutions for their 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 ETIPP projects include:

• Working with Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) to create an energy usage analysis for residential and commercial buildings in Key West, FL, then modeling the energy, cost savings, and payback periods for a suite of energy efficiency improvements such as more efficient HVAC systems and cool roofs
• Working with the Pacific Northwest National Lab to analyze potential blue-sky and post-disaster energy loads for a brand new resilience hub being built by St. Vincent’s House in Galveston, TX. This analysis will allow the Lab to assess and propose potential on-site backup power options for the facility.
• Working with Sandia National Lab and LBNL on Strategic Energy Plans for Sanibel and Cedar Key, two island communities on the Florida Gulf coast that face similar exposure to hurricanes, but also have unique energy vulnerabilities, challenges, and priorities.

For more information, please contact Jake Leech at jake@southeastsdn.org.