The Biden-Harris Administration announced the launch of the Affordable Home Energy ShotTM, a new initiative, from the Department of Energy focused on the research, development, and demonstration of clean energy solutions to decarbonize and to shot webpage deliver energy and cost savings for affordable homes. The Affordable Home Energy Shot™ will drive innovative clean energy solutions in the affordable housing sector that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, make homes more resilient, and save residents money. This effort advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s environmental justice and equity goals, including the Justice40 Initiative, by lowering the cost of energy-efficient retrofits and reducing overall energy costs and carbon intensity of homes across the U.S. The announcement is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s third Investing in America tour, where Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm visits Mercy Housing – Englewood Community Apartments.
Energy Earthshots are the frontiers of the clean energy transition and areas where DOE has set bold goals to meet the biggest remaining research and development (R&D) challenges in next-generation clean energy technologies. The Affordable Home Energy Shot™ is the eighth and final DOE Energy EarthshotTM, setting a bold target to reduce the cost of decarbonizing affordable homes by at least 50%, and decrease residents’ energy costs by at least 20% within a decade.
“The windows, walls, and roofs that protect our families from the elements and keep us healthy and safe are some of the most effective tools we have to lower our utility bills fight climate change and advance environmental justice,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “This Energy Earthshot, The Affordable Home Energy Shot™, will focus the Department’s research and development efforts on the most promising next-generation materials and technologies to make energy efficient home upgrades accessible to all.”
Nearly a third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to America’s 130 million homes and commercial buildings, which use 40% of the nation’s energy and 75% of its electricity. The Affordable Home Energy ShotTM is designed to address the persistent burdens faced by low-income households and communities of color. Nearly 1 in 4 households nationwide experience high energy burdens; as a result, more than 20% fell behind on their energy bills in 2022. These trends disproportionately impact lower income residents who live in older homes that often lack adequate insulation and energy-efficient appliances. Households who report some form of energy insecurity reside in homes that are nearly 20% less efficient.
Targeting cost reductions of individual technologies and retrofit packages, the Affordable Home Energy ShotTM reflects an R&D commitment to ensure communities with the greatest need will benefit from the clean energy transition. By focusing on the unique barriers specific to affordable housing, we can advance technologies that reduce upfront costs, achieve meaningful bill savings, and address the broader needs of underserved communities. In turn, the Affordable Home Energy ShotTM will advance solutions that will go on to benefit families in all types of homes.
Biden-Harris Administration Ongoing Efforts to Slash Home Energy Bills
This long-term R&D effort complements DOE’s existing investments in deploying cost-effective energy efficiency solutions today. There is $13.5 billion available in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act investments for DOE programming to support household energy improvements, The Affordable Homes Energy ShotTM supports R&D to improve home energy efficiency technologies within a decade. Together, these efforts will ensure that many households that have struggled to afford energy efficient retrofits will be able to benefit from these opportunities.
The Affordable Clean Homes Shot TM initiative is supported by several DOE offices, including the Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Innovation, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Building Technologies Office, the Office of State and Community Energy Programs, the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, the Federal Energy Management Program, the Office of Science, the Office of Policy, the Office of Technology Transitions, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy.
To learn more, read the Affordable Home Energy Shot factsheet and visit the initiative’s website.
