U.S. Department of Energy’s Equity Action Plan

The Department of Energy (hereinafter DOE or the Department) is responsible for ensuring the Nation’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. DOE maintains the Nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile, reduces the threat of nuclear proliferation, oversees the Nation’s energy supply, leads the Nation in areas of federally sponsored basic research critical to U.S. innovation and international competitiveness, carries out the environmental clean-up from the Cold War nuclear mission and maintains those sites, and operates 17 National Laboratories. The Department’s mission areas touch upon equity and provide an opportunity to advance justice. From the households grappling with issues of energy burden and energy insecurity, to the universities advancing basic research with Department funds and the business and communitybased organizations that partner with DOE to deliver on its mission, the Department has an extraordinary reach. Executive Order (EO) 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, provides an opportunity for the Department to examine its internal processes and programs to ensure that the agency eliminates barriers to access; transform programs and policies to open even broader pathways for underrepresented groups to access DOE resources; and stand up new programs to better serve communities. EO 13985 provides an opportunity for the Department to continually strive for equity across its mission areas. Moreover, these actions and ongoing efforts will position DOE as a critical partner within an all-of-government approach to tackling the climate crisis. EO 13985—focused on equity within the Department’s functions and programs—dovetails with the Department’s efforts to ensure that 40% of the benefits of its clean energy, energy efficiency, and climate programs flow to underserved communities (the Justice40 Initiative) and provides the blueprint for delivering on the historic Justice40 Initiative. In implementing EO 13985, the Secretary’s Advisor on Equity (SAE) first stood up an Executive Steering Committee comprised of senior leaders from across the DOE complex. The Executive Steering Committee then embarked on a yearlong, comprehensive process to assess the whole of DOE’s activities in the following areas: Procurement, Financial Assistance, Research and Development (R&D), Demonstration and Deployment (D&D); and Stakeholder Engagement. The Executive Steering Committee members led six teams comprised of over 150 DOE staff and managers representing a diverse cross-section of DOE programs and support functions. Each Working Group then provided its top priorities, which were based on an in-depth assessment of barriers to accessing DOE programs. From that list of priorities, the SAE determined the following top five Departmental priority actions to advance equity at DOE: 1) Address broad gaps in data collection to facilitate data-informed decision-making. 2) Increase opportunities for new entrants in DOE acquisition (i.e., procurement and financial assistance). 3) Increase participation by individuals and institutions underrepresented in DOE R&D and other programs supported through financial assistance. 4) Expand strategic Tribal and stakeholder engagement in all DOE business areas. 5) Improve access and equity in DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program.