Clean Energy and Air Quality

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Clean Energy and Air Quality Integration Initiative works with state and local governments to include renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in their air-quality programs. You can read about initiative projects and find links to DOE-published fact sheets at the following page.

• July 2008 Webcast: High Demand Days
• Projects in the States

The purpose of the initiative, which is managed by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), is to encourage and understand technical aspects of including renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies in local, state, and federal air-quality policies. EERE believes that energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies can be effective in complying with air-quality rules and reduce the regulatory burden on industry.

The vision is to demonstrate the benefits of moving away from command-and-control requirements and toward voluntary, cost-effective renewable energy and energy efficiency measures that can be used to comply with Clean Air Act requirements.

Through the Clean Energy and Air Quality Integration Initiative, EERE seeks to encourage collaboration between energy and environmental professionals in the states. EERE also strengthens federal collaboration with energy and environmental advocacy groups across the country through this project. Specifically, the initiative has:

• Awarded $500,000 through a national competitive solicitation (begun in Fiscal Year 2007) to states that develop energy projects that help meet their air-quality goals and can be replicated in other states
  
  
• Sponsored economic analyses by national experts linking the benefits of clean energy projects with air quality goals; publish case studies; inform states about policy options; hold workshops and Webcasts; and distribute written materials
  
  
• Explored applying the current expertise regarding compliance with the Clean Air Act to the wider arena of carbon dioxide emissions.