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Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and other state and 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 state and federal programs.
Commerce Issues State Competitiveness Fund: Local Grant Development Assistance Program
The Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources will be issuing a competitive grant funding opportunity for grant development assistance to support eligible entities in preparing grant applications for federal funds specified in statute 216C.391 Sec. 2, subdivision 2.
The goal of the program is to ensure the state?s economy is strong and growing by increasing the competitiveness across Minnesota in accessing federal funding by providing grant development assistance statewide. Awarded organizations will provide services to eligible entities, especially those designated as Disadvantaged Communities, with support to access and utilize federal funding opportunities.
A Request for Proposals (RFP) will be posted today and available for download on the Department?s website Request for Proposals (RFP) / Minnesota Department of Commerce - Business (mn.gov)?from September 19 through the deadline of November 13, 2023.?
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.
Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA), Administrative and Legal Requirements Document (ALRD), Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), Requests for Applications (RFA)
- Critical Material Innovation, Efficiency, and Alternatives
- University Turbine Systems Research (UTSR)
- USDA Assistance to High Energy Cost Communities
- Advancing U.S. Thin-Film Solar Photovoltaics
Rebates
- DOE Energy Efficient Transformers Rebate Program Applications
Joint Notice of Intent (NOI) & Request for Information (RFI)
- Responsible Carbon Management Initiative ? Deadline Extended
Program Guidance
- Guidance on Metrics Development for IIJA 40101d Grid Resilience Formula Grants
Webinars
- Transmission Siting and Economic Development (TSED) FOA
- A Deep Dive on Solar Permitting Aspects
- Direct Pay Webinar ? Congressional Progressive Caucus Center
- Elective (Direct) Pay & Tax Incentives Under the IRA: The What, When and How
- Deep Dive ? Inflation Reduction Act: Investment Tax Credit and Production Tax Credit for Tribes
- EPA Grants Webinar Series for Grant Applicants and Recipients
- Careers in Clean Energy Jobs
- Community Power Accelerator Round 2 Informational Webinar #2
- Home Energy Score 101: Assessing Efficiency and Savings
Workshops, Meetings, Conferences
- Industrial Heat Shot Summit
- The Interstate Renewable Energy Council?s Vision Summit 2023
Publications/Videos/Webpages
- Walk me Through It: A Step-By-Step Guide for Consumers Going Solar
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IIJA Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA)
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Critical Material Innovation, Efficiency, and Alternatives
DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced up to $150 million in funding to support R&D for the domestic manufacturing of critical minerals and materials needed in clean energy technology. Critical minerals and materials are key to manufacturing clean energy technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells. The U.S. is completely reliant on foreign sources for 12 out of the 50 critical minerals found in the U.S. and more than 50% dependent on foreign sources for an additional 30 critical minerals. Grants will be from $100K-$10M and will support bench and pilot-scale research, development, and demonstration projects to build the domestically produced supply.
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Non-IIJA Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA)
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USDA Assistance to High Energy Cost Communities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) recently announced the availability of up to $10 million in competitive grants to assist communities with extremely high energy costs, a program for which states are eligible. These grant funds may be used to acquire, construct, or improve energy generation, transmission, or distribution facilities serving communities where the average annual residential expenditure for home energy exceeds 275% of the national average. Eligible projects include on-grid and off-grid renewable energy projects and the implementation of energy efficiency and energy conservation projects for eligible communities. Awards range from $100,000 to $3 million each.
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University Turbine Systems Research (UTSR)
DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced funding for research supporting the increased use of low carbon fuels like hydrogen in the industrial and power sectors. The FOA includes three primary focus areas:
1. Research to produce knowledge and data to help improve component designs for gas turbines that use hydrogen-containing fuels;
2. Development of turbine components that can utilize advanced cooling and advanced materials and manufacturing technologies; and
3. Development of strategies for minimizing risks associated with material selection, and design improvements for engines operating on hydrogen fuels that increase turbine performance.
Eligible applicants include Domestic Institutions of Higher Education and University-Affiliated Research Institutions.
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Advancing U.S. Thin-Film Solar Photovoltaics
- DE-FOA-0003058
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Deadlines: Concept Paper: October 24, 2023 | Full Application: December 12, 2023
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Informational Webinar: September 26, 2023 | 12:00 PM CT | Register
DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) has announced up to $36 million in funding to support RD&D for domestic manufacturing of affordable solar hardware to increase the portion of solar hardware value kept in the U.S. economy, and to promote American leadership in thin-film PV technologies. Projects of interest include research and development on industrial perovskite, hybrid tandem research, and?cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV research, development, demonstration, and commercialization across the materials, equipment, installation, and performance monitoring sectors. Projects in two topic areas are being solicited:
Topic 1: Promoting Research and Development Toward Industrial Manufacturing of Early-Stage Perovskite Tandem Photovoltaics (PRIMES Perovskite Tandem PV).
Topic 2: Improving the Market Potential of Advanced Cadmium Telluride Photovoltaics?(IMPACdTe PV).
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Rebates
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DOE Energy Efficient Transformers Rebate Program Applications
The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains is accepting applications?for its $10 million energy efficient transformers rebate program.?The rebate program aims to help domestic manufacturers, utilities, tribes, hospitals, schools, and other operators replace aging grid infrastructure by financing equipment upgrades, which will conserve energy and reduce costs while slashing greenhouse gas emissions. To learn more about the rebate program and to view webinar slide set, click?here.
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Joint Notice of Intent (NOI) & Request for Information (RFI)
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Responsible Carbon Management Initiative ? Deadline for Comments Extended
On August 11, 2023,?the?U.S. Department of Energy?s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM)?announced its intent to launch a Responsible Carbon Management Initiative. The Initiative aims to encourage and recognize project developers and others in industry to pursue the highest levels of safety, environmental stewardship, accountability, community engagement, and societal benefits in carbon management projects. FECM is seeking public input on the Principles and the general approach to the?Responsible Carbon Management Initiative. Click on the above link for the Principle categories and additional information.
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Program Guidance
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Guidance on Metrics Development for Awardees of IIJA 40101d Grid Resilience Formula Grants
The Grid Resilience Formula Grants program (40101d) is designed to strengthen and modernize America?s power grid against wildfires, extreme weather, and other natural disasters that are exacerbated by the climate crisis. It is the Department of Energy?s responsibility to ensure that funding awarded to recipients maximizes public benefit in both the near and long term. Information will be collected from award recipients and analyzed to measure the progress of grid resilience implementation and resulting impacts. In turn, award recipients will collect information from the eligible entities to which they will subaward program funds. The above document sets metrics and provides guidance to states and Indian tribes, on developing uniform collection, measurement, and reporting methodologies that the Grid Deployment Office can use to communicate the outcomes and impacts of the BIL investments, particularly those of the Grid Resilience Formula Grants program.
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Webinars
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Transmission Siting and Economic Development (TSED) FOA
- September 14, 2023 | 1:00 PM CT | Register
On August 29, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a funding opportunity of up to $300 million for states, Tribes, and local governments to accelerate and strengthen electric transmission siting and permitting processes. This webinar will review the FOA and answer attendee questions, about the FOA and the TSED grant program, a new initiative designed to overcome state and local challenges to expanding transmission capacity while also supporting communities along major new and upgraded lines. Concept papers for the FOA are due by October 31, 2023, and full applications will be due April 5, 2024.
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A Deep Dive on Solar Permitting Aspects
- September 18, 2023 | 12:00 PM CT | Register
This webinar will discuss the importance of demonstrating code compliant solar photovoltaic (PV) system designs and future trends in the solar industry. Also, to be discussed is the evolution of plan review and permitting, the connection to product standards and certifications, and how attention to these topics drives more adoption/installation of solar across the United States.
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Direct Pay Webinar ? Congressional Progressive Caucus Center
- September 13, 2023 | 2:00 PM CT | Register
For the first time ever, the federal government will pay tax-exempt entities like local governments, Tribal governments, houses of worship, schools, hospitals, public housing administrators, public utilities, and community organizations to build renewable energy projects like solar, wind, or weatherization through the direct pay program in the Inflation Reduction Act. The Congressional Progressive Caucus will discuss how local communities can take advantage of the Direct Pay program under IRA.
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Elective (Direct) Pay & Tax Incentives Under the IRA: The What, When and How
Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) recently released a recording of their August 9th, 2023 webinar, ?Elective Pay & Tax Incentives Under IRA: The What, When, and How.?
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Deep Dive ? Inflation Reduction Act: Investment Tax Credit and Production Tax Credit for Tribes
- September 25, 2023 | 2:00 PM CT | Register
This webinar is the last in a series regarding tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act provided by Stanford Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy Initiative.?
- EPA Grants Webinar Series for Grant Applicants and Recipients
EPA is hosting a series of three webinars for assistance agreement (grant) applicants and recipients. During each webinar, EPA staff will review key aspects of EPA?s grants processes and requirements, and you will have the opportunity to submit questions.
September 19, 2023 | 1:00 PM CT | Register ? Applying for Non-Competitive EPA Grants
September 26, 2023 | 1:00 PM CT | Register ? Competition Process
September 28, 2023 | 11:00 AM CT | Register ? EPA Grant Terms and Conditions for Fiscal Year 2024
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Careers in Clean Energy Jobs
- September 14, 21, and 28, 2023 | 11:00 AM CT |Register
Join this weekly webinar series highlighting U.S. Department of Energy?s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) careers in renewable energy, sustainable transportation and fuels, buildings and industry, and business operations.?Each two-hour webinar will feature EERE leaders and employees, who will share their career journeys and explain why it is the most exciting time to be part of the clean energy revolution at DOE.?
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Community Power Accelerator Round 2 Informational Webinar #2
- September 19, 2023 | 2:00 PM CT | Register
This is the second informational webinar dedicated to Round 2 of the Community Power Accelerator Prize. Join the prize administrators as they cover key details including submission requirements, important dates, and prize amounts.
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Home Energy Score 101: Assessing Efficiency and Savings
- September 19, 2023 | 10:00 AM CT | Register
Join this webinar to learn more about the Home Energy Score? and how it can be useful in residential markets.
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Workshops/Meetings/Conferences
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Industrial Heat Shot Summit (Virtual Event)
- October 23, 2023 | 11:00 AM ? 3:30 PM CT |?Register
The Industrial Heat Shot? Summit will be a virtual event to gather stakeholders across government, industry, and academia to engage on the objectives, progress, priorities, and future plans for the DOE Industrial Heat Shot? which aims to develop cost-competitive industrial heat decarbonization technologies with at least 85% lower greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.
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The Interstate Renewable Energy Council?s Vision Summit 2023
- November 9, 2023 | Minneapolis, MN (or virtual attendance) | Registration
The IREC Vision Summit is a one-day visionary exploration of what?s needed to make our nation?s bold clean energy goals a reality. The Summit brings together clean energy stakeholders for a deep dive into policies and practices that are essential for all Americans to benefit from clean energy.?This year?s Vision Summit will explore critical clean energy interconnection issues and elevate key solutions.?
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Publications/Videos/Webpages
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Walk Me Through It: A Step-By-Step Guide for Consumers Going Solar
Along with understanding the solar installation process, being familiar with your individual circumstances, like the age of your roof, can help you be a more informed solar consumer. This document provides the steps needed to get powered by sunshine.
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Energy-specific funding opportunities, Commerce is here for you
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 here are funded by the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and other federal and state energy programs. Interested in partnering with Commerce on funding opportunities or have questions? Stay updated by clicking subscribe below and e-mail us at?[email protected].
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