The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is an office within the
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and manages the research and development of nuclear power and nuclear weapons in the United Stat ...
. Formed from other energy agencies after the
1973 energy crisis, EERE is led by the Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (Assistant Secretary), who is appointed by the
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
and confirmed by the
U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
. Kelly Speakes-Backman was appointed Acting Assistant Secretary in January 2021.
Mission
EERE’s mission is to drive the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of innovative technologies, systems, and practices that will (1) help transition Americans to a 100% clean energy economy no later than 2050 and (2) ensure the clean energy economy benefits all Americans.
History
EERE has been established from several previous agencies within the United States Executive branch following the
1973 energy crisis. It has foundations in the former agencies
Federal Energy Administration The Federal Energy Administration (FEA) was a United States government organization created in 1974 to address the 1970s energy crisis, and specifically the 1973 oil crisis.Staff report (May 8, 1974). Energy Crisis Still With Us, Nixon Warns. ''Los ...
, the
Energy Research and Development Administration
The United States Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) was a United States government organization formed from the split of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in 1975. It assumed the functio ...
, the Energy Resource Council, and the
Atomic Energy Commission, all established prior to the establishment of Department of Energy (DOE) in 1977 ().
The 1978
National Energy Act The National Energy Act of 1978 (NEA78) was a legislative response by the U.S. Congress to the 1973 energy crisis. It includes the following statutes:
* Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) ()
* Energy Tax Act ()
* National Energy Cons ...
consolidated several of the former agencies into the DOE and created an office that focused on energy efficiency and renewable fuels. Since 1978, the office has been renamed several times to reflect its changing scope, including the Office of Conservation and Solar Applications (CSA), the Office of Conservation and Solar Energy (CSE), and the Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy (CRE). The current name, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, was adopted in 1993.
Management and organization
The Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy oversees EERE's three technology sectors: renewable energy, sustainable transportation, and energy efficiency. Within these sectors are 11 technology offices and programs that support research, development, and outreach efforts
ERE Organization Chart EERE also includes corporate support functions such as the Office of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and the Office of Operations.
![NREL](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/NREL.jpg)
EERE develops initiatives and programs and provides funding to advance clean energy technologies and integration strategies. EERE oversees the management and operation of the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the US specializes in the research and development of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy systems integration, and sustainable transportation. NREL is a federally funded research and d ...
and provides funding to 12 of the U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratories:
*
Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory is a science and engineering research United States Department of Energy National Labs, national laboratory operated by University of Chicago, UChicago Argonne LLC for the United States Department of Energy. The facil ...
*
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory located in Upton, Long Island, and was formally established in 1947 at the site of Camp Upton, a former U.S. Army base and Japanese internment c ...
*
Idaho National Laboratory
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is one of the national laboratories of the United States Department of Energy and is managed by the Battelle Energy Alliance. While the laboratory does other research, historically it has been involved with nu ...
*
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), commonly referred to as the Berkeley Lab, is a United States Department of Energy National Labs, United States national laboratory that is owned by, and conducts scientific research on behalf of, t ...
*
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is a federal research facility in Livermore, California, United States. The lab was originally established as the University of California Radiation Laboratory, Livermore Branch in 1952 in response ...
*
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, ...
*
National Energy Technology Laboratory
The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is a U.S national laboratory under the Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy. NETL focuses on applied research for the clean production and use of domestic energy resources. NETL perform ...
*
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the US specializes in the research and development of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy systems integration, and sustainable transportation. NREL is a federally funded research and d ...
*
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a U.S. multiprogram science and technology national laboratory sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and administered, managed, and operated by UT–Battelle as a federally funded research and ...
*
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is one of the United States Department of Energy national laboratories, managed by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science. The main campus of the laboratory is in Richland, Washington.
O ...
*
Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), also known as Sandia, is one of three research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Headquartered in Kirtland Air Force Ba ...
*
Savannah River National Laboratory
The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is a multi-program national laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management. SRNL is located at the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Jackson, South Carolina. It ...
EERE technology sectors
Sustainable transportation sector
![Hydrogen scooter ICE- hydride storage](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Hydrogen_scooter_ICE-_hydride_storage.jpg)
The
Vehicle Technologies Office supports the research, development, and deployment of efficient
transportation
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...
technologies such as
plug-in electric vehicles
A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) to store electrical power within its onboard rechargeable battery packs, which then ...
,
batteries, electric drive technologies, advanced combustion engines, lightweight materials, and alternative fuels, including natural gas and propane.
The Bioenergy Technologies Office supports research, development, and deployment projects for advanced
biofuels
Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as oil. According to the United States Energy Information Administration (E ...
.
The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office conducts research, development, and deployment in
hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, an ...
and
fuel cell
A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most batteries in requ ...
technologies.
Renewable energy sector
The Solar Energy Technologies Office, also known as the SunShot Initiative, funds cooperative research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects by private companies, universities, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and national laboratories. It focuses on
photovoltaics
Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially us ...
,
concentrating solar power
Concentrated solar power (CSP, also known as concentrating solar power, concentrated solar thermal) systems generate solar power by using mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight into a receiver. Electricity is generated when ...
, soft costs (the non-hardware costs of solar), commercializing technologies, and integrating solar with the grid.
The Geothermal Technologies Office supports research and development for
geothermal technologies.
The Wind Energy Technologies Office conducts research and development activities in land-based and
offshore wind
Offshore wind power or offshore wind energy is the generation of electricity through wind farms in bodies of water, usually at sea. There are higher wind speeds offshore than on land, so offshore farms generate more electricity per amount of c ...
power and works with national laboratories, universities, laboratories, and industries.
The Water Power Program researches, tests, evaluates, and develops
hydropower
Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, converting the Pot ...
and
hydrokinetic
Tidal power or tidal energy is harnessed by converting energy from tides into useful forms of power, mainly electricity using various methods.
Although not yet widely used, tidal energy has the potential for future electricity generation. Ti ...
energy technologies.
Energy efficiency sector
The Building Technologies Office supports research, development, and deployment activities to reduce energy use in U.S. buildings. The office's long-term objective is to reduce the energy use intensity of homes and commercial buildings by 50% or more.
The
Federal Energy Management Program The United States Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) promotes energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy resources at federal sites, helping agencies save energy, save taxpayer dollars, and demonstrate leadership with responsible, clea ...
seeks methods and technology to reduce energy use and increase the use of renewable energy at federal agencies.
The Advanced Manufacturing Office works with industry, small business, universities, and other stakeholders and supports research into energy-efficient technologies for industries.
The Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office is one of the primary forums for helping state and local governments implement cost-effective and productive energy systems for American homes, communities, businesses, and industries. The program's mission is to enable strategic investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and innovative practices across the U.S. by a wide range of government, community and business stakeholders, in partnership with state and local organizations and community-based nonprofits. WIP is made up of two programs focused on state and local governments and two teams that develop and deliver targeted technical assistance and strategic initiatives to state and local governments.
* The State Energy Program (SEP) provides funding and technical assistance to states, territories, and the District of Columbia to enhance energy security, advance state-led energy initiatives, and maximize the benefits of decreasing energy waste. SEP emphasizes each state's key role as the decision maker and administrator for program activities within the state that are tailored to their unique resources, delivery capacity, and energy goals.
* The
Weatherization Assistance Program
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP, pronounced "lie" "heap") is a United States federal social services program first established in 1981 and funded annually through Congressional appropriations. The mission of LIHEAP is to as ...
(WAP) reduces energy costs for low-income households by increasing the energy efficiency of their homes, while ensuring their health and safety. The program provides funding to states and territories for locally-run weatherization services to approximately 35,000 homes every year. States contract with community action agencies, non-profits, and local governments that use in-house employees and private contractors to deliver services to low-income families. WAP has served more than 7 million families since program inception in 1976.
* The Partnerships and Technical Assistance Team (P&TA) serves as the nexus of state and local governments to catalyze lead-by-example programs by developing tools and solutions to barriers facing state and local governments; convening and creating peer exchanges to showcase public-sector leadership and effective public-private partnerships; and providing information from leading technical experts. P&TA cultivates diverse partnerships and provides technical assistance through initiatives that include the Better Buildings Challenge, Better Communities Alliance, and Better Buildings Accelerators.
* The Strategic and Interagency Initiatives team leads inter-organizational initiatives that provide states and local governments technical assistance to help underserved communities have access to more energy choices. DOE's Clean Energy for Low Income Communities Accelerator and Remote Alaskan Communities Energy Efficiency Competition initiatives demonstrate replicable, scalable models that address barriers to energy efficiency and renewable energy access in low and moderate income communities.
Public outreach
EERE manages the Energy Saver website that promotes energy-efficient technologies for heating, cooling, and weatherizing buildings and lists tips for saving electricity and fuel.
The Office of EERE sponsors several activities aimed at public outreach and engagement in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.
Academic competitions
![Solar_Decathlon_09_aerial_view](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Solar_Decathlon_09_aerial_view.jpg)
The
Solar Decathlon
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon is a collegiate competition, comprising 10 contests, that challenges student teams to design and build highly efficient and innovative buildings powered by renewable energy. The winners will be ...
is a competition held every other year where collegiate teams design, build, and operate solar-powered houses. The competition winner is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. These homes are judged in 10 contests.
In the EcoCAR 3 challenge, 16 university teams redesign a Chevrolet Camaro to reduce its environmental impact without reducing its performance. It is sponsored by DOE and General Motors and managed by Argonne National Laboratory.
The Race to Zero Student Design Competition teaches college students about the building science field by challenging them to design zero energy ready homes.
In the BioenergizeME Infographic Challenge, students in grades 9-12 use technology to research, interpret, apply, and then design an infographic that responds to one of four cross-curricular bioenergy topics.
The Collegiate Wind Competition is a contest where college teams are judged by their ability to design a wind turbine based on market research, develop a business plan to market the product, build and test the turbine against set requirements, and demonstrate knowledge of siting constraints and location challenges for product installation.
In partnership with the Center for Advanced Energy Studies and the Idaho National Laboratory, the Geothermal Technologies Offices hosts a competition for high school and university teams. Teams of two to three members research data, interpret information, and design an infographic that tells a compelling story about the future of geothermal energy.
The Hydrogen Student Design Contest "challenges undergraduate and graduate students worldwide to apply design, engineering, economic, environmental science, business and marketing skills to the hydrogen and fuel cell industries."
Other competitions
In the Georgetown University Energy Prize competition, cities and counties with populations between 5,000 and 250,000 compete for a multi-year $5 million prize for demonstrating energy use reduction over a two-year period.
The Cleantech University Prize provides competitive funding for business development and commercialization training to clean energy entrepreneurs.
The Wave Energy Prize is aims to increase the number of organizations involved in
wave energy
Wave power is the capture of energy of wind waves to do useful work – for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or pumping water. A machine that exploits wave power is a wave energy converter (WEC).
Waves are generated by wind ...
converter technology development. In 2016, 92 registered teams competed not only for the $1.5 million prize, but for opportunities at seed funding and access to testing facilities, experts in the field, and an online "marketplace" that connected teams, investors, and contributors.
The White House, President Barack Obama: ''Prizes Creating "Waves" in the Energy Sector''
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References
External links
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
{{authority control
United States Department of Energy agencies
Energy policy of the United States
Climate change policy in the United States
Renewable energy organizations based in the United States
Electric vehicles in the United States