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Department of Energy:

Successes of the Recovery Act

Through the Recovery Act, the Administration is investing more than $90 billion in government 

investments and tax incentives to lay the foundation for the clean energy economy of the future. These 

Recovery Act investments are putting Americans back to work making our homes and businesses more 

energy efficient, increasing the use of clean and renewable electricity, cutting our dependence on oil, and 

modernizing the electric grid. As these clean energy projects continue over the coming months, we’ll 

continue to see jobs added in local communities, further fueling our economic recovery.

Of the $90 billion, the Department of Energy (DOE) received $35.2 billion ($32.7 in contracts and 

grants; $2.5 in 1705 credit subsidy) to support nearly $80 billion in clean energy projects that are 

developing infrastructure and technology to address the nation’s energy issues and position the U.S. for 

leadership in long-term, clean energy industries. 

DOE has consistently been supporting between 40,000-50,000 direct jobs each quarter since 

Summer 2010. Last quarter alone (Oct-Dec 2011), DOE supported nearly 41,000 direct jobs, the 

second largest of any federal agency. 

As of February 16, 2012, Department of Energy has outlaid $22.3 billion, supporting over 15,000 clean 

energy projects across the country. Over the last twelve months, DOE has averaged monthly outlays of 

nearly $900 million in line with our target with our target run rate of $800 million to $1 billion per month. 

The Pillars of the Recovery Act

DOE invested its Recovery Act funds into several key areas to ensure America’s long-term 

competitiveness:

Increasing energy efficiency;

Restructuring the transportation system;

Doubling renewable generation;

Investing in smart grid infrastructure;

Expanding innovative research; and 

Cleaning up our nation’s legacy nuclear waste

Below are a series of examples for the types of projects supported under each pillar:

Energy Efficiency - Homes Weatherized

The Recovery Act’s weatherization program has helped more than 650,000 low-income families 

nationwide (through December 2011), exceeding the original target of 600,000 homes over the life of the 

Recovery Act. These retrofits improve the energy efficiency of their homes and help them save money on 

their energy bills. Families save an average of $4371a year on their energy bills as a result of the 

weatherization program. 

o Last quarter (Oct-Dec 2011) alone, over 13,000 employees were working as part of the 

weatherization program. Many of these workers are former construction workers or contractors 

that were hit hard by the downturn in the housing market.

 

1 Eisenberg, Joel F., Weatherization Assistance Program Technical Memorandum Background Data and Statistics ORNL/TM-2010/66, Oak 

Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, March, 2010.
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Transportation- Electric Drive Vehicles

As a result of our Recovery Act investments, an advanced vehicle industry is beginning to take root in 

America. Two years ago, American businesses had just 2 percent of the market for the advanced batteries 

that will power the vehicles of the future. By 2015, the United States will have the capacity to produce 

batteries and components to support one million plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles per year, thanks to 

strategic Recovery Act investments and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan program.

Our $2.8 billion investment in electric vehicles is being matched at least dollar-for-dollar with private 

sector funds. Here are some figures to show the scope and impact of these investments.

 

70 private companies and researchers in over 30 states have received grants to help build the 

American advanced battery and electric vehicle manufacturing industry from the ground up.

Thirty new advanced battery and electric vehicle component plants are opening across the 

country as a result of these investments.

Before the Recovery Act, a 100 mile range electric vehicle battery cost $33,000. Because of the 

high-volume manufacturing the Recovery Act is spurring, those batteries will cost about $16,000

by the end of 2013 and $10,000 by the end of 2015.

Before the Recovery Act, there were less than 500 electric vehicle charging stations in the U.S.

Because of the Recovery Act, there are over 5,000 charges deployed today and there will be over 

18,000 by 2012.

Renewable Energy

The renewable energy industry that was being battered by tight credit markets is bouncing back and 

growing again. Because of the Recovery Act’s $90 billion investment in clean energy, the 

Administration is on-track to meet its target of doubling U.S. renewable energy generation by 2012.

By partnering with private industry, the Department of Treasury and the Department of Energy 

have already funded over 20,000 projects nationwide through tax cuts or cash assistance for 

clean energy manufacturing and production.

These projects have enough capacity to power more than one million homes; that is enough 

clean energy to power the homes of everyone living in Boston, Seattle, Atlanta, Kansas City, and 

Cincinnati combined. Factories are whirring to life to manufacture the parts these projects 

require.

Our Loan Program has played a key role in helping to meet our goal of doubling renewable energy 

generation in America. The DOE Loan Programs have used Recovery Act funds to finance:

The world’s largest photovoltaic solar plant (Agua Caliente)

Two of the world’s largest solar thermal projects that will double the amount of solar thermal 

power in the U.S. (Abengoa Solar Inc. and BrightSource Energy, Inc.)

The world’s largest wind farm to date (Caithness Shepherds Flat in Oregon)

Supported nearly 3,800 jobs last quarter alone (Oct-Dec 2011)
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Modernizing the Grid- Smart Grid:

The more than $4 billion in Recovery Act smart grid investments are helping to modernize our grid and to 

build a more stable, secure nationwide electrical system that facilitates access to renewable energy 

sources and allows consumers to better manage their energy use.

o Recovery Act seed money for smart grid projects in 49 states and two territories is helping build a 

more stable, secure nationwide electrical grid. From an initial federal investment of over $4 

billion, smart grid award recipients are providing an additional $5.6 billion in private sector costshare for a total investment of nearly $10 billion. This investment in Smart grid technologies and 

training will help improve the efficiency and reliability of the electrical system by providing 

operators with better information and control over the flow of electricity, support the broader 

integration of renewable energy sources onto the grid, empower consumers to reduce their energy 

use and save money, and train workers to deploy and utilize these new technologies.

o Already, more than 10.3 million smart meters have been installed in homes and businesses 

nationwide to help consumers better manage and reduce their energy use and lower their 

utility bills– and we’re on-track to deploy 15.5 million total smart meters through the 

Recovery Act.

Innovative Research - ARPA-E:

ARPA-E is devoted exclusively to funding high-risk, high payoff, game-changing research and 

development projects to meet the nation’s long-term energy challenges. ARPA-E is funding projects that

industry by itself is not likely to undertake because of technical and financial uncertainty. These projects 

will play a critical role in ensuring the U.S. wins the global race to develop and deploy the next 

generation of advanced clean energy technologies.

• ARPA-E’s original funding supported six programs: vehicle batteries, carbon capture, advanced 

fuels, grid scale storage, building efficiency, and power electronics

• In the one year since the first round of 37 ARPA-E projects were funded (totaling $151 

million), they have attracted over $200 million in follow-on funding from private sector 

investors and corporations.

Cold War Legacy Clean-up

The Department of Energy is also charged with cleaning up the legacy of our nation’s nuclear weapons 

program. Our Office of Environmental Management (EM) received $6 billion in the Recovery Act to 

accelerate cleanup work at 17 sites, reducing the lifecycle costs to taxpayers and helping to protect the 

environment and the public. The EM projects were among the first to start, and nearly 90 percent of their 

funds have been spent to date. Many of the original projects came in under budget, allowing the program 

to reallocate approximately $300 million to conduct additional cleanup work.

The $6 billion investment was expected to reduce the nation’s total nuclear waste footprint by more 

than 40% (372 sq mi) and dispose of nearly 8,000 cubic meters of transuranic waste. DOE actually 

exceed this goal, reducing the footprint by 69%, or 641 square miles to date. EM estimates the $6 

billion investment has reduced its environmental liability for this portion of EM’s scope by $13 billion.