DOE plans up to $100 million for regional school energy hubs
DOE expects to open applications in November for regional hubs that will help school districts develop and finance energy upgrades.
At a glance
- Program funding
- Up to $100 million in project funding
- Early facility improvements
- Up to $250,000 per participating local education agency
- Application status
- Forthcoming; regional-hub applications expected to open in November 2026
- Submission deadline
- January 15, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern
The U.S. Department of Energy plans to make up to $100 million available for regional hubs that will help public school districts cut facility operating costs, improve building-system reliability and prepare energy projects for financing and implementation.
The Affordability + Strategic Energy Pathways for Schools program, or A+STEPS, is expected to select four to eight regional hubs. DOE says each hub could receive $2 million to $5 million per funding round to train school facility staff, coordinate technical providers and develop investment-grade energy audits and strategic energy plans. Limited early improvements of up to $250,000 per participating local education agency may cover work such as HVAC and controls upgrades, electrical infrastructure, building-envelope retrofits, load studies and monitoring analytics.
The $100 million is the program funding ceiling, not an award to a single district or a total construction budget. DOE said regional engineering firms, commissioning and controls specialists, universities, utilities, finance providers, workforce organizations and nonprofit technical-assistance groups may be among the organizations forming hub coalitions.
Application timeline
Regional-hub applications are expected to open in November 2026, with a January 15, 2027 deadline at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Application instructions were not yet posted when Infraday checked the official pages on October 28. Individual school districts should not submit regional-hub applications; DOE expects a separate local education agency and partner process in spring or summer 2027.
EnergyWerx will manage the opportunity with DOE. Until the application package opens, the announcement is a planning signal rather than an open construction procurement. Firms considering a coalition should verify the final eligibility, regional structure and submission instructions on the official program page.
Primary sources: DOE A+STEPS program page; DOE announcement, October 27, 2026; EnergyWerx regional-hub page.
What happens next
DOE and EnergyWerx expect regional-hub applications to open in November 2026. The announced submission deadline is January 15, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern; the application instructions were not yet posted when checked.
Source for this milestone →Why it matters for the industry
The planned hubs could create regional demand for energy audits, commissioning, controls, facility planning and finance preparation. Individual school districts are not yet eligible to apply, and no construction contract is currently open under this announcement.
Supporting source →Sources & reporting
- DOE A+STEPS opportunity page · October 27, 2026
- DOE program announcement · October 27, 2026
- EnergyWerx regional-hub page · Checked October 28, 2026
Sources checked 2026-10-28.