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The Minnesota Department of Commerce seeks to work with and facilitate connections with local and Tribal governments, utilities, businesses, communities and other entities interested in energy-related partnerships. The opportunities outlined below are funded by the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and other federal programs.
State Competitiveness Fund Survey
Governor Walz signed the State Competitiveness Fund (SCF) into law on April 18, 2023, authorizing $115 million of state funds to be used to increase the competitiveness of Minnesota projects seeking federal grant funding.? An eligible use of the SCF funding is coverage of some of the required cost-share for Minnesota entities seeking federal grant funding. Details on how to officially request funding from the SCF will be released later in 2023. To assist Commerce in assessing demand for, and development of the new program, please take this short survey to make Commerce aware of projects on which you intend to seek SCF funding and the anticipated amount of that funding request. ???
Click here to access the survey
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MN Department of Transportation 2023 EV Charging Survey
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is handling the build out of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure on some roads across the state, using federal funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Minnesota Department of Commerce is aware that Electric Vehicles, and the infrastructure needed to support EV expansion, are topics of high interest to readers of this newsletter; the following items are included here on behalf of MnDOT:
The Minnesota Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Plan identified potential locations for EV chargers along I-94 and I-35. MnDOT will use federal funds from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (NEVI) to install EV chargers there first. As thought is given to the next round of charging stations to be funded through the NEVI program, MnDOT is asking for your input through a new survey. This survey also asks questions about the benefits of EV chargers. Your responses will help MnDOT collect the right type of information to evaluate the success of investments in EV chargers.?
Take the survey?now through May 31, 2023.
Fast Charging Station Interested Partner List
MnDOT is maintaining an Interested Partner List for organizations and businesses interested in applying for NEVI funds to install fast chargers.? The Interested Partner List is maintained on the?Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan webpage and provides a way for these entities to find each other.?Complete this?short form to be added to the list.?MnDOT will not actively connect organizations to each other; the information submitted will be shared on the EV Infrastructure Plan webpage in an Excel spreadsheet format and will be updated the 15th?of each month.
Recent and Expected Federal Funding Activity
The federal government issues a variety of announcements related to federal funding opportunities: Requests for Information (RFI), Notices of Intent (NOI) and Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA). More information can be found on the Commerce Federal Funding Opportunities?web page or by clicking the links below.
To facilitate a quick review of this newsletter, the subject matter of included items is previewed here; full details can be found in the body of the newsletter.
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Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA), Administrative and Legal Requirements Document (ALRD), Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), and Requests for Applications (RFA)
- Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)
- Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands 2003 ? AMENDMENT
- Heat Pump Defense Production Act Program
- Urban and Community Forestry
- Operation & Planning Tools for IBR Management and Assurance in Future Power Clean
- School Bus Program Grants - 2023
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Requests For Information (RFI)
- National Association of State Energy Officials RFI for private-sector partners on Implementation Options for Home Energy Performance-Based Whole-House Rebate and High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program
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Prizes/Awards
- The Sunny Awards
- MAKE IT Prize to Accelerate Manufacturing of Critical Clean Energy Technologies
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Webinars
- AgriSolar Ownership, Lease, and Land Planning
- Continuing Education Course: Community Solar Program and Subscription Design
- Department of Defense?s Clean Energy & Energy Resilience Programs & Policies
- GHG Emissions Reduction Audits: Taking Energy Audits to the Next Level
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Workshops/Meetings/Conferences
- CLEANPOWER 2023 Conference and Exhibition
- Small Business Forum & Expo
- 2023 Better Buildings Summit Session Presentations
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Publications/Videos/Webpages
- Addressing Regulatory Challenges to Tribal Solar Development
- Home Energy Rebate FAQ
- Stem Resources Available for Students & Educators
- IRA Program Spreadsheet & Filtering Resource
- Clean Energy 101: Induction Stoves and Ovens
- First Annual Update to the Energy Savings and Impacts Scenario Tool
- The 2023 Minnesota Energy Fact Sheet
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Tax Credits
- Updated List of EVs
- Energy Savings Hub
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Non-IIJA Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA)
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Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)
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Deadline: Funding will be awarded through six quarterly application windows with the first application period taking place from April 1, 2023, through June 30, 2023.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting applications for $1 billion in grants to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses invest in renewable energy systems and make energy-efficiency improvements under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) that received additional infusions of funding through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Additional information on eligible projects and scoring can be found on the USDA website here.?
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Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands 2003 - AMENDMENT
- Section I.B. (Topic Areas) ? Add ?For Topic Area 3 and Subtopic Area 4.a., applications proposing energy storage will only be considered if integrated into an integrated energy system(s) as that term is defined herein.? To the third paragraph on page 10.
- Section I.B. (Topic Areas) ? Add ?Note that some components of the proposed integrated energy system(s) may already exist and, therefore, not all of the components must be proposed for DOE funding; however, the integrated energy system(s) as a whole must meet the requirements under Topic Area 3. See definitions under Appendix A.? to the last paragraph on page 10.
- Section I.B.2.a. (Community-Scale Clean Energy Generating System(s) (Subtopic Area 2.a.)) ? Add ?exclusively? after ?applications? and add ?clean? after ?community-scale? in the first sentence (page 18).
- Section II.A.1. (Estimated Funding) ? At the end of paragraph 5, change $4,000,000 to $5,000,000 and delete ?for each Subtopic Area? (page 29).
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Heat Pump Defense Production Act Program
- DE-FOA-0002987
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Deadline: Concept Paper: May 19, 2023 | Application: August 1, 2023
- A $250 million funding opportunity to accelerate the growth of domestic production capability of electric heat pumps to meet the anticipated increased demand for clean energy technologies as the economy transitions to net-zero emissions.
- This is the first funding opportunity announcement stemming from DOE?s new authorization, invoked by President Biden last summer, to utilize the Defense Production Act to increase domestic production of five key clean energy technologies, including electric heat pumps.
- Operation & Planning Tools for IBR Management and Assurance in Future Power
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Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
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23002 IRA - Urban and Community Forestry
- USDA-FS-2023-UCF-IRA-01
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Deadline: June 1, 2023
- State and Private Forestry Conservation Programs and Urban and Community Forestry (2022-2031) will provide multiyear, programmatic, competitive grants for tree planting and related activities, with a priority for projects that benefit underserved populations and areas through the Urban and Community Forestry Assistance program.
- Eligible Applicants: State and local governments, federally recognized Tribes, nonprofit organizations, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, community-based organizations.
- Eligible applicants may apply for funding for a project to be conducted on non-Federal lands such as: ? State and local government, ? Homeowner associations, ? Private lands, and ? Tribal/Alaska native corporation (includes Trust lands).
- Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) is a covered program under the Agency?s Justice40 Initiative established through Executive Order 13985. To advance the mission of Justice40, proposals that deliver 40% of the benefits of IRA investments through established partnerships with local organizations working to support disadvantaged communities experiencing low tree canopy and environmental justice will receive priority consideration.
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(IIJA) Clean School Bus Program Grants - 2023
- EPA-OAR-OTAQ-23-06
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Deadline: August 22, 2023
- This second round of funding will prioritize high-need school districts and low-income areas, with an expanded definition including large public-school districts, rural school districts, Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded school districts, and school districts that receive basic support payments for children who reside on Indian land.
- Eligible activities include the replacement of existing internal-combustion engine (ICE) school buses with electric, propane, or compressed natural gas (CNG) school buses, as well as the purchase of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) infrastructure and EVSE installations.
- This round includes two sub-programs: one for individual school district and Tribal applicants and one for third-party applicants (eligible contractors, including OEMs, dealers, school bus service providers, and private bus fleets) to serve at least four school district beneficiaries.
- An information session will be held on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 2:00 PM CT.? ? Click here to register
Request for Information
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National Association of State Energy Officials RFI for private-sector partners on Implementation Options for Home Energy Performance-Based Whole-House Rebate and High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program
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Deadline: May 19, 2023
- NASEO is requesting ideas for the implementation of the Home Energy Performance-Based Whole-House Rebate Program (HOMES) and the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program (HEEHR) programs.
- The responses to this RFI will be posted on the NASEO website to support State Energy Offices in program design and will be accessible to the general public ? proprietary information must not be included in your response. Your RFI response must include a statement that no proprietary or confidential information is included in your response and that it is suitable for public dissemination by NASEO.
- The RFI is posted?here.
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Prizes/Awards
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The Sunny Awards
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Deadline: July 14, 2023
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Register to compete?in The Sunny Awards
- This second round offers up to five $10,000 Sunny Awards Grand Prizes to the top teams, up to 30 additional $2,500 Sunny Finalist Awards, and up to 15 $5,000 Meaningful Benefits/Engagement Awards to competitors who find effective ways to equitably deliver the specific, meaningful benefits of community solar.
- The American-Made Sunny Awards for Equitable Community Solar (The Sunny Awards) is a prize competition that recognizes community solar projects and programs that employ or develop best practices to increase equitable access to the meaningful benefits of community solar for subscribers and their communities.
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MAKE IT Prize to Accelerate Manufacturing of Critical Clean Energy Technologies
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Deadline:?September 6, 2023?
- The Manufacture of Advanced Key Energy Infrastructure Technologies (MAKE IT) Prize will make available approximately $30 million in total funding to catalyze domestic manufacturing of critical clean energy technology components, moving manufacturing facilities from planning to shovel-ready, and enabling strategies for vibrant manufacturing activity in communities.
- The MAKE IT Prize will have two tracks:
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Facilities Track: U.S.-based entities interested in building domestic manufacturing facilities for critical clean energy components will be eligible to participate in Track 1. Each winner will receive up to $5,000,000 towards developing facilities to the point of being shovel-ready for construction.
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Strategies Track: Teams working to promote clean energy manufacturing activity in their regions will be eligible to participate in Track 2.
- Each winner will receive up to $250,000 for creating a roadmap to bring clean energy manufacturing to their region and providing demonstrated interest from at least one manufacturing developer.
- Organizations interested in establishing clean energy manufacturing facilities or developing strategies to promote clean energy manufacturing in their regions should follow the MAKE IT Prize pages on HeroX, the official competition platform:
Webinars
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Department of Defense?s Clean Energy & Energy Resilience Programs & Policies
- May 2, 2023 | 1:00 ? 2:00 PM CT
- This webinar, hosted by the Clean Energy States Alliance and Converge Strategies, will provide an introduction for state and local policy makers about DoD?s clean energy and energy resilience policies and programs, and explore case studies of DoD?s active partnerships with local governments and utilities to make mutually beneficial resilience investments.
- Register Here
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GHG Emissions Reduction Audits: Taking Energy Audits to the Next Level
- June 7, 2023 | 12:00 ? 1:00 PM CT
- Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through audits is a crucial strategy in the decarbonization of a building's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. This approach takes energy auditing to a new level by analyzing electrification, renewables, and fugitive emissions reductions. Join our webinar to learn about the newly published Better Buildings guidance on conducting building-level GHG emissions reduction audits.?
- Register Here
Workshops/Meetings/Conferences
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CLEANPOWER 2023 Conference and Exhibition
- May 22 ? 25, 2023, New Orleans, LA
- The American Clean Power Association?s annual conference will feature panels, presentations, workshops, and poster sessions on the renewable energy industry, including land-based wind energy, offshore wind energy, distributed wind energy, solar power, energy storage, and transmission.
- Find more information on the event website.
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Small Business Forum & Expo
- July 11 ? 12, 2023, New Orleans, LA
- This Forum and Expo is for small businesses who want to get connected, find solutions, and gain unique insights on doing business with various DOE offices and programs.
- Register here
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2023 Better Buildings Summit Session Presentations
- Click Here for Summit Presentations
- Across more than 60 sessions, over 150 speakers shared their expertise, insight, and experience as they engaged with attendees on subjects like decarbonization, energy efficiency, project financing, water and waste management, communications strategies, and more.?Explore the 2023 sessions by topic and catch up on any presentations you might have missed.
Publications/Videos/Webpages
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Addressing Regulatory Challenges to Tribal Solar Development ? National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
- The Addressing Regulatory Challenges to Tribal Solar Deployment guidebook is organized into three books:
- Book 1 presents each significant regulatory challenge and associated solutions identified during the course of this project.
- Book 2 includes a set of case studies of Tribal solar deployment projects or examples of policy solutions.
- Book 3 contains a set of ?issue briefs? presenting details on issues that are uniquely/specifically relevant to solar deployment on Tribal land.
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Home Energy Rebate FAQ
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The Department of Energy (DOE) has published Frequently Asked Questions for the Home Energy Rebate Programs.
- These programs are a part of the Inflation Reduction Act and include the Home Efficiency Rebates and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates.
- Although these programs are not yet available, this FAQ provides valuable information about the programs.
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Stem Resources Available for Students & Educators
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IRA Program Spreadsheet & Filtering Resource from Rocky Mountain Institute
- The non-partisan, clean energy nonprofit Rocky Mountain Institute released its IRA program spreadsheet, building upon the?list of IRA funding programs?published by the White House as a complement to its?IRA Guidebook.?The spreadsheet breaks down IRA's funding opportunities so that users can easily narrow down which programs and tax incentives can benefit them. It?allows users to sort and filter through programs?based on criteria such as sector, topic, funding eligibility, and funding type.?It also increases the comprehensiveness of the federal summary by adding IRA-related tax incentives, and it adjusts certain aspects of the federal summary to make them more up-to-date and complete.?
- You can download this new resource and learn more?here.
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Clean Energy 101: Induction Stoves and Ovens
- A new video series from DOE to help Americans save energy and money
- Click Here
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First Annual Update to the Energy Savings and Impacts Scenario Tool
- The Environmental Protection Agency?s (EPA) State and Local Climate and Energy Program has released the first annual update to the Energy Savings and Impacts Scenario Tool (ESIST).
- ESIST is a customizable and transparent Excel-based planning tool for analyzing the energy savings and costs from energy efficiency programs and their multiple impacts through 2040. Users can develop scenarios for electric customer-funded energy efficiency investments or savings targets and estimate the multiple benefits in terms of avoided emissions, public health benefits, and energy burden impacts.??
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The 2023 Minnesota Energy Fact Sheet
- The Factsheet outlines key trends influencing national and state investment and economics, energy supply and energy demand. As the American energy sector continues its transformation to cleaner, cheaper sustainable energy, Minnesota remains a leader.
- Click Here to see the MN Energy Fact Sheet
Tax Credits
- The US Treasury released an updated list of EVs that qualify for the $7,500 tax credit. Starting April 18th, fewer vehicles will qualify. The Chevrolet Bolt, Tesla Model 3, and Ford F-150 Lightning qualify for the full $7,500 tax credit. Meanwhile, vehicles made by Audi, BMW, Genesis, Nissan, Rivian, Volkswagen, and Volvo are no longer eligible for any credit.
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- DOE has created an Energy Savings Hub as a one-stop shop for cost-saving clean energy rewards. There are several tax credits (and in the future, rebates for low and moderate income for a variety of appliances, home upgrades, and automobiles.
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Federal Tax Credits Under the Inflation Reduction Act
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 created and updated several energy-related tax credits and deductions that may affect federal tax returns for individuals and businesses. For details ? including tax credits for clean vehicles, energy efficiency, and other provisions ? see?Credits and Deductions Under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022?on the IRS website.
For Stakeholders Planning on Applying Directly to the U.S. Government for Funding
NOTE: Due to the high demand of UEI requests and SAM registrations, entity legal business name and address validations are taking longer than expected to process. Entities should start the UEI and SAM registration/update process immediately as the processing time to complete a registration/update currently may take weeks to months. This includes address and expired registration updates. If entities have technical difficulties with the UEI validation or SAM registration process they should utilize the HELP feature on SAM.gov. SAM.gov will work entity service tickets in the order in which they are received and asks that entities not create multiple service tickets for the same request or technical issue. Additional entity validation resources can be found here: GSAFSD Tier 0 Knowledge Base - Validating your Entity.
The MN Commerce Department is your partner for energy-specific federal funding opportunities
Interested in partnering with the Commerce Department on funding opportunities or have questions? Email?[email protected].?Stay updated on the latest programs, opportunities and RFPs by clicking subscribe below.?
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