US DOE invests US$22 million in utility-scale renewables to improve siting and permitting

March 26, 2024
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
solar-plus-storage project in Massachusetts
The DOE aims to run a second round of the R-STEP programme with up to US$12 million in funding from the IRA. Image: US Department of Energy

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has invested up to US$22 million to the improve planning, siting and permitting of large-scale renewable projects.

Part of the investment will go through the Renewable Energy Siting through Technical Engagement and Planning (R-STEP) programme, with US$10 million provided to six state-based projects in Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, North and South Carolina and Wisconsin. The DOE aims to run a second round of the programme, with up to US$12 million in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The R-STEP programme aims to help communities better plan and engage in the development of utility-scale renewable energy and energy storage projects.

US Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, said: “Often, the biggest barrier to deploying that clean generation is siting and permitting. The Biden-Harris administration is helping provide local leaders with the resources needed to deploy more clean energy to their residents in a way that is tailored to their unique needs.”

DOE renewables funding round-up

This is the latest of a series of funding announcements from the DOE in the past few weeks, which includes US$475 million for five clean energy projects – including three solar PV plants – at current or former mine sites across the US.

Two of the projects are located in the Appalachian region, which has historically relied on coal production for its local economy. Last year, PV Tech Premium looked at how the IRA could help redevelop closed-down US coal assets to host solar PV projects.

Moreover, the DOE has invested US$44 million towards tackling interconnection and grid issues, with 11 projects receiving US$34 million for to support the growth of electricity grids fed by solar and wind energy. The initiatives aim to enable grid planners, grid operators and utilities to optimally connect and manage renewable energy and battery storage resources on the electric grid, resulting in a reduction of extreme weather-related outages.

The remaining US$10 million will be for the Solar and Wind Interconnection for Future Transmission (SWIFTR) funding opportunity, which will develop tools to help clear the backlog of clean energy projects in interconnection queues.

Research from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in April 2023 highlighted that nearly 2TW of renewables and storage capacity were in interconnection queues in the US at the end of 2022, of which almost 1TW was for solar PV alone.

The latest issue of our journal, PV Tech Power 37, looked at the work the US federal government has undertaken to address the interconnection challenge. Premium subscribers can access our latest edition of PV Tech Power and previous editions here.

16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2027 and beyond.

Read Next

October 29, 2025
NextEra Energy Resources added 3GW of new renewable energy generation and storage capacity to its portfolio in the third quarter of 2025.
October 29, 2025
US solar manufacturer Corning has brought online its wafer production at its Michigan plant, during the third quarter of 2025.
October 27, 2025
Engie has signed additional PPAs with Meta, expanding their partnership to more than 1.3GW across four solar projects in Texas.
October 27, 2025
Waaree Energies has secured four solar module supply contracts totalling 692MW – three for projects in India and one in the US through its subsidiary.
October 27, 2025
US solar technology company Swift Solar has deployed perovskite solar technology as part of a Department of Defence cyber warfare exercise in the state of Virginia.
October 23, 2025
US solar manufacturer T1 Energy sold approximately 725MW of solar modules in Q3 2025, as it continues to expand US manufacturing capabilities.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
November 12, 2025
10am PST / 1pm EST
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany