The US Department of Energy (DOE) highlights the key steps taken to advance the energy transition in 2024.

According to the DOE, some of its main actions in this area have included financing announcements to make clean energy more accessible to all Americans, investments in scientific research, historic groundbreaking events, and inaugurations.

Employment in the energy sector

In 2024, investments through the DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) helped companies create or preserve nearly 50,000 jobs.

In September, the DOE announced more than $2.8 billion to support affordable clean energy in the Midwest through new nuclear power plants that will create over 2,000 well-paid union jobs.

Additionally, the Industrial Training and Assessment Center (ITAC) Program invested $100 million in workforce development, funding more than 200 projects to ensure the U.S. has the skilled workforce necessary to sustain the recent manufacturing boost.
In May, the DOE announced the first cohort of professors for the innovative Faculty Applied Clean Energy Science Program (FACES) to help professors inspire Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students to pursue careers in clean energy.

Grid investments

The DOE’s Grid Deployment Office (GDO) announced more than $5.4 billion in grants for grid improvements and competitive awards to strengthen and expand the nation’s grid, including in all 50 states, 264 tribes, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia.

The DOE allocated $900 million in funds to revitalize the nuclear sector and add more carbon-free energy to the grid. The DOE is also leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to meet the growing demand for electricity, announcing $30 million in funds to implement AI software solutions to accelerate the interconnection application process and create a resource center for data center owners and operators to secure clean and reliable energy solutions.

National manufacturing

In 2024, MESC allocated more than $12 billion to transform energy supply chains, enabling the construction of over 80 manufacturing facilities across 31 states.

In April, the DOE announced $75 million for the development of a critical minerals supply chain research facility, a project funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strengthen national supply chains and reduce dependence on unreliable foreign sources.

Access to clean energy

Last year, the DOE made significant strides in improving access to affordable clean energy while combating climate change. The DOE announced more than $850 million to support rural and remote communities in the U.S. through the Rural or Remote Energy Improvements Program.

Additionally, the DOE launched the Arctic Energy Ambassadors program to facilitate energy projects in Alaska. It also allocated $190 million to the Renew America’s Schools Program to help school districts across the country implement energy improvements.

Industrial innovation

In October 2024, the DOE announced $518 million to support 23 selected projects that will strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for the permanent and safe storage of carbon pollution.

It also announced nearly $85 million to accelerate the manufacturing of electric heat pumps, helping to reduce energy consumption and harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

Additionally, the DOE announced $850 million for more than 40 projects as part of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP), a joint effort with the EPA, providing a total of $1.36 billion to support methane emissions monitoring and mitigation in the oil and gas sector.

The DOE’s Office of Clean Energy and Demonstrations announced the largest individual effort to decarbonize the U.S. industrial sector in history, investing up to $6 billion in over 30 projects as part of the Industrial Demonstrations Program (IDP) to help accelerate the commercial-scale demonstration of emerging industrial decarbonization technologies, strengthening national manufacturing.

Promoting equity and access to clean energy in vulnerable communities

For the first time, the Office of Loan Programs published comprehensive Community Benefits Plans (CBPs) for projects that have reached financial closure, ensuring that projects create tangible benefits for all, especially for those in communities of color and low-income communities.

Through the $5 million Regional Energy Democracy Initiatives (REDI) program, the DOE’s Office of Energy Justice and Equity (EJE) is providing capacity building and technical assistance to communities in Texas and Louisiana to maximize the benefits derived from the DOE’s clean energy investments.

The Office of Indian Energy made significant investments in tribal communities, announcing $25 million to support the implementation of clean energy technologies on tribal lands and delivering $9 million to Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to promote clean energy projects and advance food sovereignty initiatives on their campuses.

Electric vehicles

Key federal programs supported by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) have stimulated private sector investment to grow the nation’s electric vehicle (EV) charging network to over 205,000 public EV chargers, with nearly 1,000 new public chargers activated each week.

Thanks to the $2.5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Program, 259 public charging ports funded by the federal government are operational this year across 15 states, with projects for 24,800 federally funded charging ports underway across the country.

Technology and research

In 2024, the DOE announced millions of dollars in investments in innovative clean energy technologies, including solar, geothermal, and offshore wind energy.