This data is aligned to eligibility criteria outlined in the United States Department of Energy (DOE) 2023 Communities LEAP (Local Energy Action Program). Please visit the LEAP website (https://www.energy.gov/communitiesLEAP/communities-leap) to learn more about LEAP and gain additional contextual information for how these data may be used. The data provided approximates how the eligibility criteria apply at the census tract level across the United States (U.S.).

The feature class provides information pertaining to each of the five criteria outlined (average energy burden, percent low income, coal community, overburdened and underserved on the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CJEST), and energy communities) for all census tracts within the 50 U.S. States, the District of Columbia (D.C.), and Puerto Rico. For detailed spreadsheet, visit EDX site. The tabs within the excel file provide a file description, a summary data table (a simplified, easy to use presentation of the five eligibilities criteria), metadata (description, source, and other pertinent details for all variables provided), and a full, detailed data table.

Please note that while these data are provided at the census tract level, census tracts do not necessarily have the same physical boundaries as a community but were used as they provide the closest proxy based on publicly available information collected using an empirically robust method. U.S. territories are not listed but are eligible to apply to Communities LEAP. As stated in the Opportunity Announcement, applying communities should describe how they meet the eligibility criteria in their application even if these data do not specifically show that they are eligible.