Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§17154 Use of funds

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 152— - ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - ENERGY SAVINGS IN GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS › Part Part C— - Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants › § 17154

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Grant money can be used by eligible groups to do work that saves energy and cuts energy use. They can make and carry out an energy plan, hire experts to help set goals and measure progress, and publish yearly reports for the people they serve about goals and results. They can pay for home and business energy audits, give grants or financial incentives for efficiency upgrades and retrofits, and run programs to make buildings and facilities use less energy. They can also fund transportation-saving projects (like flexible work hours, satellite work sites, better zoning, bike and pedestrian paths, and synced traffic signals), improve building codes and inspections, use more efficient energy distribution systems (including district heating/cooling), boost recycling and material conservation, capture methane and other greenhouse gases from landfills, replace street lights and signals with efficient lighting such as LEDs, install on-site renewable electricity (solar, wind, fuel cells, biomass), and create financing or rebate programs. The Secretary may approve other similar activities after talking with the EPA Administrator, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §17154

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

An eligible entity may use a grant received under this part to carry out activities to achieve the purposes of the program, including—
(1)development and implementation of an energy efficiency and conservation strategy under section 17155(b) of this title;
(2)retaining technical consultant services to assist the eligible entity in the development of such a strategy, including—
(A)formulation of energy efficiency, energy conservation, and energy usage goals;
(B)identification of strategies to achieve those goals—
(i)through efforts to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption; and
(ii)by encouraging behavioral changes among the population served by the eligible entity;
(C)development of methods to measure progress in achieving the goals;
(D)development and publication of annual reports to the population served by the eligible entity describing—
(i)the strategies and goals; and
(ii)the progress made in achieving the strategies and goals during the preceding calendar year; and
(E)other services to assist in the implementation of the energy efficiency and conservation strategy;
(3)conducting residential and commercial building energy audits;
(4)establishment of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements;
(5)the provision of grants to nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies for the purpose of performing energy efficiency retrofits;
(6)development and implementation of energy efficiency and conservation programs for buildings and facilities within the jurisdiction of the eligible entity, including—
(A)design and operation of the programs;
(B)identifying the most effective methods for achieving maximum participation and efficiency rates;
(C)public education;
(D)measurement and verification protocols; and
(E)identification of energy efficient technologies;
(7)development and implementation of programs to conserve energy used in transportation, including—
(A)use of flex time by employers;
(B)satellite work centers;
(C)development and promotion of zoning guidelines or requirements that promote energy efficient development;
(D)development of infrastructure, such as bike lanes and pathways and pedestrian walkways;
(E)synchronization of traffic signals; and
(F)other measures that increase energy efficiency and decrease energy consumption;
(8)development and implementation of building codes and inspection services to promote building energy efficiency;
(9)application and implementation of energy distribution technologies that significantly increase energy efficiency, including—
(A)distributed resources; and
(B)district heating and cooling systems;
(10)activities to increase participation and efficiency rates for material conservation programs, including source reduction, recycling, and recycled content procurement programs that lead to increases in energy efficiency;
(11)the purchase and implementation of technologies to reduce, capture, and, to the maximum extent practicable, use methane and other greenhouse gases generated by landfills or similar sources;
(12)replacement of traffic signals and street lighting with energy efficient lighting technologies, including—
(A)light emitting diodes; and
(B)any other technology of equal or greater energy efficiency;
(13)development, implementation, and installation on or in any government building of the eligible entity of onsite renewable energy technology that generates electricity from renewable resources, including—
(A)solar energy;
(B)wind energy;
(C)fuel cells; and
(D)biomass;
(14)programs for financing energy efficiency, renewable energy, and zero-emission transportation (and associated infrastructure), capital investments, projects, and programs, which may include loan programs and performance contracting programs, for leveraging of additional public and private sector funds, and programs that allow rebates, grants, or other incentives for the purchase and installation of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and zero-emission transportation (and associated infrastructure) measures; and
(15)any other appropriate activity, as determined by the Secretary, in consultation with—
(A)the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;
(B)the Secretary of Transportation; and
(C)the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Pars. (14), (15). Pub. L. 117–58 added par. (14) and redesignated former par. (14) as (15).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on the date that is 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as a note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress. Wage Rate RequirementsFor provisions relating to rates of wages to be paid to laborers and mechanics on projects for

Construction

, alteration, or repair work funded under div. D or an amendment by div. D of Pub. L. 117–58, including authority of Secretary of Labor, see section 18851 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 17154

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73