Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and other federal funding announcements

The Minnesota Department of Commerce is seeking 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 offered through federal funding opportunities, including those funded by the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA).?

Commerce Webinar:? Grid Resilience Survey Results

The Department will hold a webinar on November 17, 2022, from 10:00 - 11:30 AM to review the stakeholder input received on the second 40101d/Grid Resilience survey.? Commerce will also provide an update on the development of the 40101d state plan. Please register for the webinar HERE.

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 IIJA web page or by clicking the links below.

--Open?IIJA Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA):

40305 Storage Validation and Testing: Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE): {Phases III, III.5, IV) - MODIFICATION
- 1st Submission Due Date: Changed to November?30 (had been?November 28), 2022, 4:00 pm CST.
- Expected Due Date for Second Submission Period:? Q3 2023.
- DE-FOA-0002711;?modification 1.

In September 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) issued a FOA to support the?development of new or expanded commercial large-scale carbon storage projects and?associated carbon dioxide transport infrastructure projects. The DOE issued a modification to the FOA to?extend the submission deadline date for the first submission period by two days (as shown above) and add a notice that submissions will be accepted under a second submission period, with the deadline for those submission to be in late summer/fall of 2023.?

--Open?IIJA and IRA Requests for Information (RFI):

U.S. Treasury Tribal Consultations regarding the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

The U.S. Department of the Treasury is hosting two Tribal Consultations on the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.?Register for either session:

-? November 28, 2022 from 1-4 p.m. CST

-? November 29, 2022 from 1-4 p.m. CST

Written comments will be accepted until January 1, 2023 at 2:59 a.m. Submit written comments at?[email protected].

?IRA: Manufacturing under the Defense Production Act - Clean Energy Technologies
- Responses due:?November 30, 2022, 4:00 pm
- RFI announcement

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Manufacturing & Energy Supply Chains and Office of Policy have issued a request for public input to inform how the Defense Production Act (DPA) authority provided to DOE through Presidential Determinations could best be used as a tool to accelerate manufacturing and deployment of clean energy technologies to bolster national defense, tackle climate change and environmental injustice, and improve employment opportunities and broader economic prosperity for Americans. ?

Eligible technologies under the DPA on which the DOE is seeking input include: 1)?Transformers and Electric Grid components; 2)?Solar Photovoltaics; 3)?Insulation; 4)?Clean Hydrogen

Electric heat pumps are not included in this RFI. Comments specific to electric heat pumps should be submitted in response to the joint NOI-RFI recapped below.

IRA: Manufacturing under the Defense Production Act - Electric Heat Pumps
- Responses due:?December 2 2022, 4:00 pm
- Joint NOI-RFI announcement

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Manufacturing & Energy Supply Chains and Office of Policy have issued a joint Notice of Intent and Request for Information for public input to inform how the Defense Production Act (DPA) authority provided to DOE through Presidential Determinations could best be used as a tool to accelerate manufacturing and deployment of electric heat pumps.??Through this RFI, DOE seeks comment on the application process, examples of eligible projects, potential funding sizes required, and criteria for qualification and selection of eligible projects to participate in the electric heat pump DPA program.

IRA 13104, 13204, 13403, 13404, 13704: U.S. Treasury and IRA Public Notices seeking public input on IRA Tax Credit Programs
- Responses due:?December 3, 2022, 10:59 pm
- Public Notice 2022-56
- Public Notice 2022-57
- Public Notice 2022-58

The U.S. Department of Treasury, in conjunction with the IRS, is seeking public comments on program design regarding certain tax credits authorized under the IRA. Notice 56 seeks comments on the Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicles Tax Credit and the Alternative Fuel Refueling Property Tax Credit; Notice 57 seeks input on Carbon Sequestration tax credits; and Notice 58 seeks input on Clean Hydrogen and Clean Fuel Production tax credits.

IRA 60103:? Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (also known as National Green Bank Accelerator)
- Responses due:?December 5, 2022, 10:59 pm
- Docket ID Number: EPA-HQ- OA-2022-0859

Under the IRA, the EPA will make $27 Billion in funding available for competitive grants to state, tribes, municipalities and other eligible recipients to provide grants loans and other support to low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy or benefit from zero-emission technologies, and for projects that reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of air pollution in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
This RFI seeks input on program design, eligibility?of recipients and projects, definition of low-income and disadvantaged communities, proposed?target?of work in those communities, and reporting metrics and oversight.?

The EPA recently held listening sessions on the GGRF program, and a recording of the November 1, 2022, listening session may be watched here.? ?For further information and to track any updates and announcements, refer to the newly established EPA web page for GGRF information.?

IIJA 40542:? Energy Efficient Materials Pilot Grant for Non-Profits
- Responses due: 4pm CST, December 22, 2022.?
- DE-FOA-0002879?

The DOE Office of Sate and Community Programs (SCEP) has issued a RFI to invite public comments?regarding the Energy Efficiency Materials Pilot, which allocates?$50 million for grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations for the purchase of materials to?improve energy efficiency in buildings that they own and operate.? The?SCEP is?specifically interested in receiving input around the following topics 1) outreach, 2) technical assistance, 3) criteria and?metrics, 4) funding, 5) partnerships and community benefits.

--Non-IIJA Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA) for Tribes

Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands - 2022
- Responses due:?4 pm CST, February 9, 2023
- DE-FOA-0002774
- Informational Webinar:? November 29, 2022, 2 pm CST.? Register

The DOE Office of Indian Energy has released a funding opportunity centered on deploying clean energy systems and energy efficiency measures on tribal lands. DOE expects to make approximately $20?million of federal funding available for 6-10 new, individual awards under this FOA, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Projects are sought in three topic areas:

? Topic Area 1: Install clean energy generating system(s) and energy efficiency measure(s) for Tribal Building(s) (awards of $100K to $2M);

? Topic Area 2: deploy community-scale clean energy generating system(s) or energy storage on Tribal Lands (awards of $250K to $4M);

? Topic Area 3: install integrated energy system(s) for autonomous operation (independent of the traditional centralized electric power grid) to a) power a single or multiple essential tribal facilities during emergency situations or b) for tribal community resilience (awards of $100K to $2M for projects under 3a, and awards of $250Kto $4M for projects under 3b).

A 20% cost-share is required, though requests to the DOE to reduce the cost-share to 10% will be considered.?Additional information is available on fedconnect.gov.

Powering Unelectrified Tribal Buildings - 2022
- Applications due:?4 pm CST, February 23, 2023
- DE-FOA-0002771
- Informational Webinar:? December 1, 2022, 2-4 pm CST. Register.

The DOE Office of Indian Energy has released a funding opportunity centered on deploying electric power to Tribal Buildings which otherwise would be unelectrified. DOE expects to make approximately $15 million of federal funding available for new awards under this FOA, subject to the availability of appropriated funds, funding 4-10 individual awards. Projects may be on either existing unelectrified tribal buildings or on new buildings under construction or planned for construction which fall into the two topic areas below:

? Topic Area 1: Integrated Energy System(s) for Electrification) (awards of $250K to $4M - two-five individual awards),

? Topic Area 2: Energy Infrastructure for Electrification (awards of $250K to $4M - two-five individual awards),

A 20% cost-share is required, though requests to the DOE to reduce the cost-share to 10% will be considered.?Additional information is available on fed connect.gov.

-- IRA Energy and Electrification Rebates

IRA Section 50121 Homeowner?Managing Energy Savings (HOMES) Rebate and IRA Section 50122 High Energy Efficiency?Home Rebate Program (HEEHRA)?

The notice of allocation has been released advising how much funding each State will receive to implement and fund the HOMES and HEEHRA rebates.? The proposed allocations are to cover rebates through 9/30/2031.? Under the IRA allocation, Minnesota is proposed to receive?$74,459,590 to implement and provide rebates under the HOMES rebate program, and another $74,027,590 under the HEEHRA rebate program.? Program guidance to states, and states' receipt of funds, is expected to occur in Spring of 2023, with the resulting rebate programs implemented by each State later in 2023.?

Tribes will also have allocations to set up rebate programs under these IRA sections.? $225 Million has been appropriated nation-wide to support the tribal government rebate programs; tribal allocations have not yet been done.?

Resources

DOE informational Webinar on IRA programs: HOMES rebates, HEEHRA rebates, Energy Efficiency Contractor Training Grants (IRA sections 50121, 50122, 50123)
- November 17, 2022, 12:30 - 2:00 pm CST
- Register

DOE?s new Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP). SCEP is launching a coordinated stakeholder engagement strategy to help shape the implementation of a residential efficiency and electrification rebates program and ensure the full economic and environmental benefits of this historic investment are realized by all Americans.?

?This informational webinar will highlight key program design considerations for the Home Owner?Managing Energy Savings (HOMES) Rebate Program (IRA Sec. 50121), High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate (HEEHRA) Program (IRA Sec. 50122), and the Home Energy Efficiency Contractor Training Grants (IRA Sec. 50123). DOE will also preview its plans for upcoming listening sessions to allow members of the public and key stakeholder groups to provide insights to DOE staff on the implementation of a residential efficiency and electrification rebates program.

DOE resources on Community Benefits Planning?

The U.S. Department of Energy?s (DOE) maintains information to help potential grant-seeking applicants in developing community benefit plans.? Via the DOE web page?to find helpful readings and resources on the topics below:?

? What Are Community Benefits Plans?

? Engaging Community and Labor;

? Investing in America's Workforce

?Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

? Implementing Justice40 Initiative.

Industrial?Decarbonization Roadmap?

The U.S. Department of Energy?s (DOE) has released the ?Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap? which identifies four key pathways to reduce industrial emissions through innovation in American manufacturing:

? Energy Efficiency;
? Industrial Electrification;
? Low-Carbon Fuels, Feedstocks, and Energy Sources (LCFFES);
? Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS).

The roadmap presents an agenda for government, industry, and other stakeholder to work together to accelerate emissions reductions and position the U.S. industrial sector as a global leader in innovation.

Industry represents 30% of U.S. primary energy-related CO₂?emissions; the Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap focuses on five of the highest CO₂-emitting industries where industrial decarbonization technologies can have the greatest impact across the nation: petroleum refining, chemicals, iron and steel, cement, and food and beverage. These industries represent approximately 51% of energy-related CO₂?emissions in the U.S. industrial sector and 15% of U.S. economy-wide total CO₂?emissions.

Additional information and resources can be found here.?

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 IIJA? energy-specific funding opportunities

Interested in partnering with the Department of Commerce around funding opportunities? Have questions? Send an email, detailing the program, your organization and contact information to IIJA Initiatives Project Manager, Kellye Rose:?[email protected].

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