energy specific funding opportunties




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.

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State Competitiveness Matching Funds

The SCF Matching Funds program is expected to open for applications within the next 3-6 weeks; interested parties should check the?State Competitiveness Fund [ [link removed]. ] web page frequently for updates.? If you have not yet signed up for this newsletter, please use the sign-up button at the bottom of this page to keep current on all the latest announcements.?

*Commerce Web Site Updates*

The Commerce web site now has three new pages listed on the New Energy Programs [ [link removed] ] page:


* Pre-weatherization, weatherization, and workforce training [ [link removed] ]
* Benchmarking Energy Use [ [link removed] ]
* School HVAC Grants [ [link removed] ]

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Tracking Energy-related Funding Awards to Minnesota Entities

We will be adding a section of the e-newsletter to publicize these awards when they are announced.? Congratulations to the award recipients listed below who have received awards over the past few weeks.? In future e-newsletters, we will publicize the awards to Minnesota entities that have already been announced, and, as new announcements occur, those awards as well. To ensure we include your project award in our newsletter, please send the following information [email protected]:? <[email protected]>Project title, award amount, total project cost, a brief description of the project, and funding program title and number.?

Read on to learn more about the most recent innovative Minnesota energy projects (listed by Funding Opportunity Program), and the funding they have been awarded.? *Congratulations to all the recipients!*


* *Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Federal Lands:* DOE Office of Indian Affairs announced $38 million in funding for projects aimed at advancing clean energy technology deployment in American Indian communities.
* *Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior?**Chippewa *(Cloquet, MN): The project will install a biomass?heating facility to provide district wood heat in place of propane for the Brookston housing subdivision and community center. The project is expected to result in annual savings in fuel and extended propane boiler life of approximately $56,000 and more than $3 million over the life of the system. (Requested DOE Funds: *$1.4 million;* final amount in negotiations).
* *Minnesota Chippewa Tribe - White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians* (Ogema, MN)*:?*The project will install 1.087-MWdc solar PV in the community of Mahnomen. The two community scale systems are estimated to produce 1,961 MWh per year and meet approximately 30%?32% of current demand, create 12 jobs over a projected 6-month installation period, and another two jobs for ongoing maintenance and operation over the lifetime of the project. In aggregate, this project is expected to save $131,000 in energy costs annually, and $9.36 million over its useful life. (Requested DOE Funds: *$2.3 million*; final amount in negotiations).


* *Long Duration Energy Storage -?*The Department of Energy announced a $325 million investment distributed among 15 projects in 17 states in new battery types that can help turn solar and wind energy into 24-hour power. Two Minnesota related projects were selected:
* *Communities Accessing Resilient Energy Storage (CARES): *The Red Lake Nation is participating in a project proposed by ReJoule, a second-life battery diagnostics and reuse company based in California. The CARES project, with an overall project cost of $27.5 million, will use retired electric vehicle batteries to provide demand reduction, load shifting, and resilience to two affordable housing complexes, and a Red Lake Nation workforce development campus. Other partners involved in this project includes:? Pacific Northwest National Laboratory [ [link removed] ], the Mechanical Engineering Department of University of Kansas, [ [link removed] ] (Minnesota-based) *Solar Bear Company* [ [link removed] ], the Rising Sun Center for Opportunity [ [link removed] ], Redwood Energy [ [link removed] ], Sigway Energy [ [link removed] ], CollectiveSun [ [link removed] ], Coffman Engineers, [ [link removed] ] and Black & Veatch [ [link removed] ].
* *Xcel Energy, Minneapolis MN:*?Up to *$70 million *(in negotiations) for partial funding of two long duration energy storage systems in Minnesota and Colorado, under the project name Multiday Iron Air Demonstration (MIND).? Each demonstration-scale system will be a 10 megawatt/1,000 megawatt-hour iron-air battery developed by Massachusetts-based Form Energy. The batteries will be located at the sites of two retiring Xcel Energy coal plants: the Sherburne County Generating Station in Becker, Minnesota, and the Comanche Generating Station in Pueblo, Colorado. Once operational, the systems will allow Xcel Energy to store renewable energy such as solar and wind when it is being produced and then later distribute the energy during periods of lower renewable production.
* *Breakthrough Energy Catalyst Fund:* *Xcel Energy, Minneapolis MN*?

Separate from the Department of Energy funding, Xcel Energy received a* $20 million* grant commitment in April from the Breakthrough Energy Catalyst fund for emerging climate technologies that reduce emissions and accelerate the clean energy transition. The Breakthrough grant provides $10 million each for the Minnesota and Colorado battery systems, subject to the satisfaction of certain funding conditions. In addition to the grants, Xcel Energy plans to use provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act such as standalone storage tax credits, to further lower the cost of the iron-air batteries.

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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 ]


* Career Skills Training Program
* IRA 50131 Assistance for Latest and Zero Building Energy Code Adoption
* IRA 40007 Fueling Aviation?s Sustainable Transition via Sustainable Aviation Fuels and Low Emission Aviation Technology (FAST-SAF) Grant Program
* Thriving Communities National Capacity Builder Program and?Regional Pilot Program
* Carbon Management
* Innovative DEsigns for high-performAnce Low-cost HVDC Converters (IDEAL HVDC)
* Solar-thermal Fuels and Thermal Energy Storage via Concentrated Solar-thermal Energy
* Distributed Energy Systems Demonstrations
* Energy Futures Grants ? Deadline Extended
* Communities Local Energy Action Program

Notice of Intent [ #NoticeofIntent ]


* IRA Community Change Grants Program

Request for Information (RFI) [ #RequestforInformation ]


* Sustainable Aviation Fuel Supply Chains

Webinars [ #webinars ]


* Understanding 48(e) and Elective Pay for Tribal Governments
* Minnesota Solar for Schools: 2024 Program Updates

Publications/Videos/Webpages [ #videos ]


* Direct Pay Through the Inflation Reduction Act
* Industrial Decarbonization Liftoff Report
* Elective (Direct) Pay Report & Financial Model for Public Agencies & Utilities
* White House Technical Assistance Guide and Other Resources





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*IIJA Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA)*

* *Section 40513 - Career Skills Training Program*
* DE-FOA-0003132 [ [link removed] ]
* *Deadline: November 27, 2023*

DOE Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) announced $10 million in funding for nonprofit partnerships to establish training programs under which students concurrently receive classroom instruction and on-the-job training for the purpose of obtaining an industry-related certification to install energy efficient buildings technologies. The only eligible applicants are non-profit partnerships: the lead applicant in the partnership should be in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sector and either 1) Labor Unions and Organizations, Labor-Management Partnerships, and/or 2) Worker Centers and Organizations that represent workers in the identified industries.? A 50% cost-share is required.

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*IRA Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA)*

* *IRA 50131 - Assistance for Latest and Zero Building Energy Code Adoption*
* ?Administrative & Legal Requirements Document [ [link removed] ]
* *Deadlines: *Letter of Intent: November 21, 2023 | Application: Rolling basis until September 30, 2025

DOE State and Community Energy Program (SCEP) has announced up to $400 million in funding to support work on adoption of the Latest Model Building Codes ($240M - LMC) and Zero-Energy Codes ($160M-ZEC). The State of Minnesota has been allocated $5,349,878.10 under this program, with specific funding allocations geared to either residential or commercial code work and for either LMC or ZEC work. The purpose of IRA 50131 Assistance for Latest and Zero Building Energy Code Adoption is to further decarbonize buildings through the adoption of the latest national model building energy codes, zero energy codes, other codes that deliver equivalent or greater energy savings, including innovative approaches to decarbonize existing buildings through certain measurable and enforceable requirements. Applicant eligibility includes state and local units of government with the authority to adopt building codes. Partnerships are encouraged.


* *IRA 40007 ? Fueling Aviation?s Sustainable Transition via Sustainable Aviation Fuels and Low Emission Aviation Technology (FAST-SAF) Grant Program*
* 23-FAA-FAST-01 [ [link removed] ]
* *Deadline:* November 27, 2023

The Federal Aviation Administration announced a NOFO for $245 million in Sustainable Aviation Fuels Infrastructure projects and $47 million in low-emission aviation technology projects. FAST-SAF grants will focus on producing, transporting, and blending sustainable aviation fuel, building up regional SAF supply chains and increasing SAF use to accelerate aviation technology projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve aircraft fuel efficiency.?Broad entity eligibility is offered in this program, including airports, air carriers, universities, aviation and aerospace companies, state and local governments and nonprofit organizations.

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Non-*IIJA Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA)*

* *Thriving Communities National Capacity Builder Program and Regional Pilot Program (U.S. Department of Transportation) *
* Notice of Funding Opportunity [ [link removed] ] | Letter of Interest [ [link removed] ]?(Call for Community Interest)
* *Deadlines: *Letter of Interest: November 15, 2023 For Communities |Application: November 28, 2023

U.S. DOT has opened the application window for two technical assistance funding opportunities. The *Thriving Communities National Capacity Builder Program *(TCP-N) is seeking applicants who can provide targeted technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support and peer learning opportunities to a set of communities selected by the DOT and located across the country. The *Thriving Communities Regional Pilot Program (TCP-R) *will fund state and local governments and their agencies, Tribal governments, and regional governments or organizations to provide support to communities selected by the applicant that are located within their jurisdiction or service area. The focus of this program is to enable state, Tribal, local, and regional governments to support the advancement of transportation opportunities in disadvantaged communities that align with state, Tribal, or regional housing, economic development, public health, climate, and other community development goals. TCP-R Capacity Builders will play a coordination and capacity building role rather than providing intensive, tailored technical assistance (as in the TCP-N program). TCP-R Capacity Builders will facilitate peer learning across communities in their state, Tribe and/or region to scale.

DOT invites Letters of Interest (LOI) from eligible organizations seeking technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support through the Thriving Communities Program. Forty-five to sixty recipients will be selected from the LOI process to receive comprehensive planning, technical assistance, and capacity building support.


* *Carbon Management*
* DE-FOA-0002614 Amd. 10 [ [link removed] ]** This FOA is being re-opened to solicit applications for new?***Areas of Interest.*
* *Deadline: *November 20, 2023

The DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management has announced up to $17.5 million in funding to advance technologies that capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial facilities and power plants and convert those CO2 emissions into valuable products. Projects selected under this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will focus on two areas:


* Biological Pathways Utilizing Algae to Convert Anthropogenic CO2 to Products
* Decarbonization of Industrial Processes Using Oxygen-Based (Oxy-combustion and Chemical Looping) Approaches


* *Innovative DEsigns for high-performAnce Low-cost HVDC Converters (IDEAL HVDC) *

* DE-FOA-0003141 [ [link removed] ]
* *Deadlines: *Concept Paper: November 14, 2023 | Application: February 5, 2023

The DOE?s Wind Energy Technologies Office and the Office of Electricity has released a $10 million FOA to fund research to inspire innovation and reduce costs of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) voltage source converter (VSC) transmission systems. HVDC transmission requires switching power sources from AC to DC and back again to connect to the grid, and using a HVDC VSC to conduct the power switch is optimal as it can turn itself on and off when needed, enabling consistent grid stability.?This funding opportunity will focus on cost-reduction innovations for VSC systems. Below are potential areas for innovation under this FOA: Power Capacity |Voltage Limit |Size and Power Density and Lifespan & Reliability


* *Solar-thermal Fuels and Thermal Energy Storage via Concentrated Solar-thermal Energy*
* DE-FOA-0003080 [ [link removed] ]
* *Deadlines: *Concept Paper: November 3, 2023 | Application: January 12, 2024
* Webinar: October 16, 2023 | 12:00 PM CT | Register [ [link removed] ]

This FOA will award up to $30 million for research, development, and demonstration projects in thermochemical storage via solar fuel production and local thermal energy storage (TES) for dispatchable energy. This announcement focuses on?concentrating solar-thermal energy for electricity and other uses. Projects funded by this opportunity will accelerate the development of solar-thermal energy storage for fuels, other industrial applications, and power production. DOE anticipates making approximately eight to 15 awards ranging from $750,000 to $10 million. Diverse teams from universities, nonprofit and for-profit companies, state and local governments, and Tribal Nations are encouraged to apply.?Topic Areas:

*Topic Area 1:* Solar-thermal Fuel Production ? 4-8 projects, $750,000-$10 million each

*Topic Area 2: *Concentrating Solar-thermal Energy Storage ? 4-8 projects, $750,000-$10 million each


* *Distributed Energy Systems (DES) Demonstrations*
* DE-FOA-0003139 [ [link removed] ]
* *Deadlines: *Concept Paper: November 16, 2023 | Application: February 29, 2024

DOE?s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OECD) announced a $50 million funding opportunity for a?portfolio of projects that demonstrate and validate reliable operations and financial value from a range of grid topologies with diverse energy resources and DES ownership models. OCED is seeking projects to demonstrate that aggregated and coordinated distributed energy resources can provide reliable, predictable grid services for a wide range of system configurations. The program goal is to build confidence that the design, control, and compensation approaches developed can be readily applied to other portions of the distribution grid and extended to other mixes of DERs, potentially extending the value of this approach to a more diverse set of communities, individuals, and entities as the distribution system continues to change. Grants of $25-50 Million are available for utilities and certain for-profit entities currently having an established portfolio of aggregated DERs; 50% cost-share required.


* *Energy Future Grants ? Creating a Community-Led Energy Future - Deadline Extended*
*

DE-FOA-0002870 [ [link removed] ]


*

*New Deadline: *November 10, 2023

The Energy Future Grants (EFG) provides $27 million in financial and technical assistance to support local, state, and tribal government-led partnership efforts that will advance clean energy program innovation. EFG will provide support for approximately 50 multijurisdictional teams?(ideally 3-4 or more state, local, and tribal government partners). Teams will further partner with community benefit organizations to turn innovative (novel or early action) ideas into solutions that address barriers to clean energy deployment.


* *Communities Local Energy Action Program ? Second Round*
* Information & Application [ [link removed] ]
* *Deadline: *November 30, 2023
* *Webinars:* Oct. 5, 3 p.m. ET [ [link removed] ]?and?Oct. 19, 3 p.m. ET [ [link removed] ]

The Communities Local Energy Action Program (LEAP) is a technical assistance program that facilitates community-wide economic empowerment through clean energy. DOE has announced $18 million to support 24 ? 32 low-income, energy burdened communities that are also either disadvantaged or experiencing direct economic impacts from a shift away from fossil fuels.

Communities LEAP participants will receive support in one of the following areas: clean energy planning and development, energy efficient buildings and building electrification, clean transportation, carbon capture and storage, critical minerals resource potential from energy wastes and by-products, community resilience microgrids, new or enhanced manufacturing, advanced nuclear technology and support for existing reactors. At the end of the 12?18-month project period, communities will receive an action plan that prepares them to take further steps towards realizing their goals.

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*Notice of Intent (NOI)*

* *IRA 60201 Community Change Grants Program*
* Additional Information [ [link removed] ]
* The Community Change Grants NOFO is anticipated in early autumn 2023.

EPA?s new Environmental and Justice Community Change Grant Program will invest roughly $2 billion dollars of IRA funds in environmental and climate justice activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to respond to environmental and climate justice challenges. These place-based investments will be focused on community-driven initiatives to be responsive to community and stakeholder input.

Entities eligible to apply include: a partnership between two community-based non-profit organizations (CBOs); a partnership between a CBO and one or any combination of a federally recognized Tribe, a local government, an institution of higher education. Other organizations and entities may be able to participate and be involved in the Community Change Grants projects as collaborating subrecipients and/or procurement contractors selected in compliance with competition requirements.?

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Request for Information (RFI)

* *Sustainable Aviation Fuel Supply Chains*
* DE-FOA-0003157 [ [link removed](RFI)_Sustainable_Aviation_Fuel_Grand_Challenge_Building_Supply_Chains.pdf ]
* *Deadline: *November 2, 2023 ? 4:00 PM CT
* Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically as a Word document to: [email protected]

The Department of Energy has released a Request for Information to better understand the challenges facing critical elements within sustainable aviation fuel supply chains. This RFI seeks input from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders to identify opportunities to enable the rapid development of effective supply chains capable of meeting future sustainable aviation fuel demand.

The SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap [ [link removed] ] provides an outline of actions by U.S. government agencies to support stakeholders in realizing the challenge goals. This RFI seeks input from relevant stakeholders on the roadmap?s SAF supply chains action area [ [link removed] ], which encompasses:

1. feedstock production, collection, and distribution to SAF production facilities;

2. conversion of feedstock to fuel; and

3. transport of finished fuel to the infrastructure required to fuel aircraft.

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Webinars

* *Understanding 48(e) and Elective Pay for Tribal Governments*
* *October 11, 2023 | 10:30 AM ? 12:30 PM CT *
* Register [ [link removed] ]

Treasury has issued additional guidance [ [link removed] ] on the Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit program under Section 48(e) of the IRC. Learn more about these updates from the US Treasury Office of Tribal and Native Affairs and the Department of Energy?s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity. The DOE will begin accepting applications [ [link removed] ] under this Bonus Tax Credit Program on October 19, 2023.


* *Minnesota Solar for Schools: 2024 Program Updates*
* *October 6, 2023 | 11:30 AM CT*
* Register [ [link removed] ]

The Minnesota Department of Commerce invites schools, stakeholders, rightsholders, solar developers, and other interested parties to attend this Solar for Schools Program Update webinar. Recent changes were made to the Solar for Schools program during the 2023 Minnesota Legislative Session including those pertaining to consumer protections, funding, eligibility, and program management. The Department will begin accepting applications from newly eligible schools (e.g., schools located within Xcel Energy territory, Tribal Contract Schools, and Cooperative School Districts) beginning in January 2024.

Program and webinar-related questions should be directed to:[email protected]. If you are unable to attend this session, the PowerPoint presentation and recording and be provided upon request. More information about the program can be found online at [link removed] [ [link removed] ]

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Publications/Videos/Webpages

* *Direct Pay Through the Inflation Reduction Act*

The Inflation Reduction Act provides new provisions that will enable tax-exempt and governmental entities such as states, local governments, Tribes, and nonprofits to be able to receive a payment equal to the full value of tax credits for building qualifying clean energy projects.?Applicable entities can use direct pay for 12 of the Inflation Reduction Act?s tax credits, including for generating clean electricity through solar, wind, and battery storage projects; building community solar projects that bring clean energy to neighborhood families; installing electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure; and purchasing clean vehicles for state or city vehicle fleets. For more information about direct pay click here [ [link removed] ].


* *Industrial Decarbonization Liftoff Report*
* Click here for the report [ [link removed] ]

The Department of Energy office of Industrial Decarbonization has recently released a number of reports on decarbonization and Distributed Energy.?

*Decarbonization:*? Industrial decarbonization presents a vital opportunity to transform industrial systems to improve energy and environmental justice. A series of three Industrial Decarbonization Liftoff reports provides an overview of the pathways to decarbonization across eight industrial sectors of focus: chemicals, refining, iron & steel, food & beverage processing, pulp & paper, cement, aluminum, and glass.? To provide a deeper understanding in selected sectors, DOE is also releasing sector deep-dive reports on Decarbonizing Chemicals & Refining and on Low-Carbon Cement, discussing the specific levers available and deployment targets needed for these sectors to remain on track with decarbonization targets.

*Distributed Energy:* DOE also released a Virtual Power Plants Liftoff report. VPPs are aggregations of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as smart appliances, rooftop solar with batteries, EVs and chargers, and commercial and industrial loads that can balance electricity demand and supply and provide grid services like a traditional power plant. ?VPPs are reaching a critical inflection point, poised to balance growing electrical demand and promote grid reliability as traditional assets retire.


* *Elective (Direct) Pay Report & Financial Model for Public Agencies & Utilities*
* Click here for the report [ [link removed] ]

The Center for Public Enterprise has published a report and financial model showing how public agencies and utilities can develop clean energy projects financed by elective pay. Users can customize the model to their needs and assumptions. The report details how the model works, provides CPE's assumptions, and highlights takeaways for policymakers and analysts looking to understand how IRA has changed the American energy finance landscape. It comes with an interactive simulator that showcases the tradeoffs between different crediting scenarios.


* *White House Technical Assistance Guide and Other Resources*

The White House released an updated technical assistance guide that focuses on federal and state technical assistance programs aimed at accessing and deploying Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act funding. The updated technical assistance guide builds on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law?s Guidebook, Rural Playbook, and Tribal Playbook, and the Inflation Reduction Act?s Guidebook and Tribal Playbook. Get the guide by clicking here. [ [link removed] ]

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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 [email protected].

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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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