energy specific funding opportunties




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Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and other federal funding announcements

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.

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In the last e-newsletter, Commerce announced the opening of a survey to gather information from potential applicants to federal funding programs, seeking to learn of the intent of those potential applicants to request State Competitiveness Funds for cost-share coverage.? Commerce has removed that survey for the time being; new information is forthcoming. Questions and concerns can be shared by calling the Energy Info line (800-657-3710 [ tel:800-657-3710 ]) or via email [email protected].

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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 [ [link removed] ] 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.*


* Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA), Administrative and Legal Requirements Document (ALRD), Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), Requests for Applications (RFA) [ #FOA1 ]
* Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives Program
* Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants - Amendment
* Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities Grant Program
* Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas Fixed Award Grant?Program
* Cybersecurity*, *Energy Security, and Emergency Response ? Amendments & Deadline Extension

* Request for Proposals (RFP) [ #RFP ]
* Building America Community-Based Retrofit Solutions ? Deadline extended


* Notice of Intent (NOI) [ #NOI ]

* University Training and Research for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management
* National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors

* Request for Information (RFI) [ #RFI ]
* Critical Materials Assessment
* National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors
* Clean Ports Program

* Webinars [ #webinars ]
* Solar Automated Permit Processing Plus (SolarAPP+)
* Planning for Long-Term Electric School Bus Success
* Building with Benefits for Equitable Community Solar
* USDOT Webinar on Identifying Discretionary Grant Opportunities
* Bidirectional Charging: What is it and why are people talking about it?
* USDA IRA Programs to Advance Clean Energy Initiatives in Rural America

* Workshops/Meetings/Conferences [ #workshops ]
* Deploying Purpose-Grown Energy Crops for Sustainable Aviation Fuel
* Transitioning to a Sustainable, Circular Economy for Plastics

* Publications/Videos/Webpages [ #videos ]
* Free Solar Panels? Don?t Get Burned
* Community Resilience Options: A Menu for Enhancing Local Energy Resilience
* DOE Energy Savings Hub to Help American Consumers






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*IIJA Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA)*

* *IIJA 40333 - Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives Program *
* *Deadline:* Letter of Intent: June 22, 2023 | Application: October 6, 2023
* The $553 million dollar program is designed to enhance existing hydropower and pumped storage facilities for capital improvements directly related to grid resilience, dam safety, and environmental improvements. Potential eligible capital projects include improvements that enable the integration of variable resources, such as wind and solar; improvements for dam safety, such as spillway upgrades and erosion repair; and improvements in environmental conditions, such as fish passage, water quality and recreation.
* *Webinar*: May 24, 2023 | 12:00 PM CT?Regist [ [link removed] ]ration [ [link removed] ] is [ [link removed] ] required [ [link removed] ]


* *IIJA 40101(d) Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants - Amendment*
* *New Deadline: *August 31, 2023
* This amendment increases formula grant allocations for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 to better account for the probability of disruptive events on Tribal lands. To encourage participation, the Tribal application deadline has been extended from May 31 to August 31, 2023, at 10:59 CT (with a mail-in option post-marked by this date).?GDO will assist affected Tribes who have already submitted an application if they wish to apply for their increased allocations.?
* Additionally, funding allocations for year one for the six tribes originally lumped into a single Minnesota Chippewa Tribe were split out individually to the tribes. The four Dakota tribes sharing land within the borders of Minnesota received increased allocations. Each Dakota tribe is allocated an average of $98K for both 2022 and 2023, which is an increase averaging 58% for 2022 and 102% for 2023.
* Click here for more information [ [link removed] ]

* *IIJA 40103 Energy Improvement in Rural and Remote Areas Fixed Award Grant Program*
* DE-FOA-0003045 [ [link removed] ]
* *Deadline: *Pre-application: 7/13/2023 | Application: October 12, 2023
* Goals of grant funding: 1) Deliver measurable benefits to energy customers in rural or remote areas by funding replicable energy projects that lower energy costs, improve energy access and resilience, and/or reduce environmental harm; 2) Support new rural or remote energy system models using climate-resilient technologies, business structures that promote economic resilience, new financing mechanisms, and/or new community engagement practices; and 3) Build clean energy knowledge, capacity, and self-reliance in rural America.
* This FOA provides $50 million in Federal funding and is designed to support small community-driven clean energy projects requiring $500,000 to $5 million.

* *Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response ? Amendments & Deadline Extension*
* DE-FOA-0002500 Amd 4 [ [link removed] ]
* *New Deadline: *June 30, 2023
* This FOA seeks to advance cybersecurity tools and technologies specifically designed to reduce cyber risks to energy delivery infrastructure.
* Additional amendments have been made to the FOA

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*Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO)*

* *IIJA - Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities Grant Program*
* *Deadline: **?June 26, 2023*
* This is a new discretionary grants program from the Federal Highway Administration aimed at funding projects that reduce port-related emissions from idling trucks, including the advancement of port electrification and improvements in port operations efficiency. This NOFO will result in the distribution of up to $160 million, which represents the combined amounts authorized for this program for fiscal years 2022 and 2023.
* Eligible locations for deployment of projects using RTEPF Grant Program funds include areas within or adjacent to ports and intermodal port transfer facilities. Testing and evaluation projects can be conducted anywhere but must be focused on reducing truck emissions within or adjacent to ports and/or intermodal port transfer facilities. Intermodal port transfer facilities are facilities that handle the transfer of freight shipments between two or more modes of transportation. The goods are transported via shipping containers, truck trailers, or as bulk cargo, and are transferred between marine vessels and trucks, marine vessels and rail cars, or rail cars and trucks.
* Click here for more information [ [link removed] ]
* *Webinar**: *Background and Application Information for the Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities Grant Program May 18, 2023 | 12:00 PM CT Register here [ [link removed] ]

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*Request for Proposals (RFP)*

* *Building America Community-Based Retrofit Solutions ? Deadline extended*
* *New Deadline: May 31, 2023*
* Building America Retrofit Solutions Teams will leverage technical expertise and grassroots community knowledge to create collaborative research and demonstration projects in real-world homes that accelerate local deployments of highly energy-efficient, durable, and healthy home upgrades.
* Applicant teams will consist of community organizations, research institutions, utility and industry trades, and other appropriate experts. Teams selected through the RFP will develop projects focused on reducing carbon emissions from homes through retrofit solutions. They will collaborate with DOE, the National Labs, and other industry experts to support community-focused retrofit projects. These projects will address technical challenges through field validation and demonstration, measurement and verification, and workforce training. This work will demonstrate equitable and scalable residential retrofit solutions and will produce guidance for broader implementation in communities across the country.
* Click here for more information [ [link removed] ]

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*Notice of Intent (NOI)*

* *University Training and Research for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management*
* DE-FOA-0003002 [ [link removed] ]* ?* FOA anticipated quarter 2 of 2023
* The DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced intent to issue a FOA encompassing two separate sub-programs: 1) University Carbon Research Program and 2) the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority Serving Institutions (HBCU-MSI).
* DOE will seek R&D proposals around 1) Visiting scholar programs to benefit students from minority-serving institutions; 2) Development of geoscience education curriculum at minority-serving institutions to prepare a workforce for critical mineral production (HBCU-MSI Only); 3) Humanities-driven science (including social science), technology, engineering, and mathematics to facilitate interdisciplinary student training and technology development; 4) Improving critical minerals and materials recovery from coal-based resources; 5) Energy Asset Transformation.


* *National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs)*
* NIETCs are geographic areas where electricity limitations, congestion, or capacity constraints are adversely affecting electricity consumers and communities. Designation of a NIETC unlocks critical federal investment and regulatory and permitting tools to spur urgent transmission investments needed in these geographic areas to improve reliability and resilience and reduce consumer costs.
* In the NOI, DOE provides further information on its anticipated approach to designating NIETCs. Click here for more information [ [link removed] ]

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Request for Information (RFI)

* *Critical Materials Assessment*
* DE-FOA-0003084 [ [link removed] ]
* Upon its release, on or about May 30, 2023, the RFI will be seeking public feedback on aspects of the DOE Critical Materials Assessment including a draft list of critical materials for energy to be included in the RFI and the Assessment.
* It is anticipated that the RFI may solicit public comment in the following Areas of Interest:
* Data and Information to Support Revision of the Assessment
* Improvements to the Assessment?s Methodology


* *National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs)*
* NIETCs are geographic areas where electricity limitations, congestion, or capacity constraints are adversely affecting electricity consumers and communities. Designation of a NIETC unlocks critical federal investment and regulatory and permitting tools to spur urgent transmission investments needed in these geographic areas to improve reliability and resilience and reduce consumer costs.
* The RFI seeks stakeholder feedback to improve the NIETC designation process to more accurately pinpoint areas experiencing the greatest transmission need and with the greatest potential for immediate transmission deployment. Click here for more information [ [link removed] ]


* *Clean Ports Program*
* *Deadline: **June 5, 2023*
* EPA has announced a technical Request for Information (RFI) on zero-emissions heavy-duty vehicles and port equipment to inform the development of the new Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles and Clean Ports Programs in the Inflation Reduction Act. EPA invites manufacturers, fleets, ports, municipalities, school districts, utilities, and other stakeholders with zero-emission technology experience or understanding to respond to this RFI.
* Click here for more information [ [link removed] ]

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Webinars

* *Planning for Long-Term Electric School Bus Success*
* *May 18, 2023 | 1:00 PM CT*
* The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) has partnered with World Resources Institute (WRI) to present a webinar for school district administrators, transportation managers, and anyone involved in the planning and implementation of electric school busses and supporting infrastructure.
* Webinar topics include: Benefits of conducting an electric school bus transition plan; insights gained from planning efforts; infrastructure considerations; and other tips for a long-term electric school bus program.
* Register here [ [link removed] ]


* *Building with Benefits for Equitable Community Solar*
* *May 22, 2023 | 1:00 PM CT*
* A webinar series to highlight best practices in developing community solar projects and programs that deliver meaningful benefits to subscribers and their communities. Register for the first webinar about the meaningful benefit of greater household savings.
* Register here [ [link removed] ]


* *USDOT Webinar on Identifying Discretionary Grant Opportunities*
* *May 22, 2023 | 3:00 PM CT*
* The webinar will showcase the *USDOT Discretionary Grants Dashboard*, a new tool that makes it easier to search for and find grant opportunities depending on the type of project you have, your organization type, and other considerations like match requirements. The webinar will also highlight the FHWA?s Wildlife Crossings Program [ [link removed] ] and the PROTECT Program [ [link removed] ] ? both of which are currently accepting applications; and other new resources available on the USDOT Navigator [ [link removed] ].
* This webinar is free to attend?? register here [ [link removed] ].


* *Bidirectional Charging: What is it and why are people talking about it?*
* *May 24, 2023 | 2:00 PM CT*
* Electric vehicles are here. Manufacturers continue to introduce new models to meet consumer demand. Imagine a future where those vehicles offer benefits beyond their main purpose of transportation. What if the energy stored onboard could benefit drivers and support the grid when vehicles aren?t in use? The DOE EVGrid Assist webinar on bidirectional charging will share a glimpse into the future potential of EV batteries, the grid services EVs could provide, challenges to widespread implementation, and highlights of actual projects piloting bidirectional capabilities.
* Register [ [link removed] ]

* *USDA IRA Programs to Advance Clean Energy Initiatives in Rural America*
* The Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) and Empowering Rural America (New ERA) programs are new initiatives that will expand clean, affordable, and reliable energy in rural communities.
*

USDA?s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is launching these two programs under the IRA by making nearly $11 billion in budget authority available in loans, grants, loan modifications, and partially forgivable loans. This will help electrify rural America with clean, affordable, reliable energy and enhance the quality of life in rural communities.


*

Rural Utility Service update on IRA funding


* May 17, 2023 | 2:30 PM CT?Register for May 17 [ [link removed] ]

* Overview of funding available through IRA May 22, 24, 31 and June 1 | 2:30 PM CT?
* Register for May 22 [ [link removed] ]
* Register for May 24 [ [link removed] ]
* Register for May 31 [ [link removed] ]
* Register for June 1 [ [link removed] ]

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Workshops/Meetings/Conferences

* *Deploying Purpose-Grown Energy Crops for Sustainable Aviation Fuel*
* *June 6 ? 7, 2023 **|** Kansas City, Missouri*
* To meet the US goal of supplying 100% of projected domesticated aviation jet fuel by 2050, purpose-grown energy crops, including algae, will need to be cultivated on a large scale.
* DOE?s Bioenergy Technologies Office is hosting the Deploying Purpose-Grown Energy Crops for Sustainable Aviation Fuel workshop. Workshop participants will discuss successes, challenges, information gaps, and novel ideas and opportunities for deploying these energy crops. Results from this workshop will help guide future research and development directions in feedstock innovation to reduce costs, improve quality, increase quantity_,_ and maximize the environmental benefits of these renewable carbon resources.
* For more information and to register for this event,?visit the Deploying Purpose-Grown Energy Crops for Sustainable Aviation Fuel webpage [ [link removed] ]*.*


* *Transitioning to a Sustainable, Circular Economy for Plastics*
* *June 8 ? 9, 2023 **|** Seattle, WA*
* The technological, economic, and regulatory environment for plastic use and recycling is rapidly changing. Increased use of plastics and stagnated recycling rates are raising concern about pollution, but also present an opportunity to highlight waste streams and drive the decarbonization of the U.S. economy.?
* DOE?s Bioenergy Technologies Office and Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office will host "*Transitioning to a Sustainable, Circular Economy for Plastics*", a workshop to convene stakeholders for a discussion of the current challenges and opportunities in transitioning to a sustainable domestic economy for plastics.
* The workshop will feature facilitated panel presentations and discussions on:
* Current landscape of plastic sustainability and circularity,
* Industry metrics in plastic sustainability and circularity,
* Supply chain and technology gaps,
* Decarbonization opportunities and pathways to achieve them, and
* Collaboration across the plastics value chain to accelerate transition to a more sustainable, circular economy.

* For more information and to register for this event, visit the "Transitioning to a Sustainable, Circular Economy for Plastics workshop" [ [link removed] ]

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Publications/Videos/Webpages

* *Free Solar Panels? Don?t Get Burned*
* How to avoid burning a hole in your pocketbook and protect yourself from consumer scams about free solar panels.
* Click here [ [link removed] ]


* *Community Resilience Options: A Menu for Enhancing Local Energy Resilience*
* This document highlights areas of potential community resilience improvements, especially those that relate to clean energy deployment for communities and municipalities.
* Click here [ [link removed] ]

* *DOE Energy Savings Hub to Help American Consumers*
* The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched the Energy Savings Hub to help American consumers in the market for clean energy or energy-efficient products and upgrades keep track of the tax credits and upcoming rebate programs.??Click here [ [link removed] ]
*

DOE is also introducing the Clean Energy 101 video series to help Americans further learn how to save energy and save money. The series is launching with a video on induction stoves and ovens [ [link removed] ].

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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 [ [link removed] ]?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 [ [link removed] ] feature on SAM.gov [ [link removed] ]. 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. [ [link removed] ]

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 protected].?Stay updated on the latest programs, opportunities and RFPs by clicking subscribe below.?






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*Minnesota Department of Commerce | Energy Division
*85 7th Place East, Suite?280 | St. Paul, MN 55101*
*Email: [email protected]
Local: 651-539-1886 |?Greater MN: 1-800-657-3710

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