energy specific funding opportunties




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. [ [link removed] ]

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Virtual Public Hearing: MN State Plan for Grid Resilience Formula Grants Program, funded through Section 40101(d) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

The Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources will conduct one virtual public hearing on *Friday, March 3 from 10-11:30am* via Webex on the for Minnesota Grid Resilience Formula Grants Program, funded through Section 40101(d) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. A public hearing is required by the U.S. Department of Energy. The virtual meeting will be recorded and subsequently posted online.

[ Register [ [link removed] ]]

Interested and affected people are encouraged to participate in providing feedback on the plan. Written and oral testimonies may be submitted at the hearing. In addition, written testimony will be accepted by the Commerce Department until 4 pm on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, and must be submitted via the online form found on Commerce’s Federal Funding Opportunities [ [link removed] ] webpage.

A copy of the draft State Plan for Minnesota Grid Resilience Formula Grants Program is available on the Commerce website Federal Funding Opportunities [ [link removed] ] webpage.

 

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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), and Request for Applications (RFA)*

* Large Wind Turbine Materials and Manufacturing
* Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands
* Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program
* The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program
* The Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program


* *Requests For Proposals (RFP)*
* Clean Energy to Communities Program: In-Depth Partnerships


* *Notices of Intent (NOI)*
* Joint Office of Energy and Transportation Ride and Drive Electric
* EPA Announces Initial Program Design of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
* Carbon Management (Round 3)
* State Manufacturing Leadership Program
* $15 Million for Transitioning Tribal Colleges and Universities to Clean Energy


* *Requests For Information (RFI)*
* Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant


* *Technical Assistance*
* Technical Assistance is Available to Improve Interconnection Processes


* *Prizes*
* Buildings UP Prize
* American-Made Net Load Forecasting Prize


* *IRA Guidance on Tax Credits*
* Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program - Section 48(e)
* Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit Allocation Program Under Section 48C(e)


* *Webinars*
* 2023 Zero Energy Design Designation Information Webinar
* It’s Electric! Electrified Alternatives to Industrial Fossil Fuel Systems
* National Community Solar Partnership Annual Update
* From Measuring to Managing: Submetering Strategies for Plug and Process Loads in Healthcare Facilities
* Innovative AgriSolar Design


* *Workshops, **Meetings** & **Conferences*
* Ongoing 'Options for a National Plan for Smart Manufacturing’ Workshop Series
* Remade Circular Economy Conference: Breakthrough Innovations through Sustainable Manufacturing
* ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit
* EVs@Scale Bi-Annual Stakeholder Meeting
* 2023 Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit


* *Guides*
* Five Benefits of Residential Solar
* Wind Energy End of Service Guide
* Framework for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Planning

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Non-*IIJA Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA)*

* *Large Wind Turbine Materials and Manufacturing*
* Concept Paper Due: March 23, 2023 - 4:00 PM CT
* Full Application Due: May 9, 2023 – 4:00 PM CT
* DE-FOA-0002960 [ [link removed] ]
* The goals of this FOA are to:
* Further develop broad, foundational, manufacturing platform technologies and address gaps and barriers that are currently limiting use of composite materials in clean energy and decarbonization-related applications with wind energy;
* Enable additive manufacturing processes for rapid prototyping, tooling, fabrication, and testing of large wind blades;
* Apply additive manufacturing to non-blade wind turbine components; and
* Mature nascent technologies, processes, and methods that improve one or more aspects of advanced composites manufacturing, including automation, and sustainability (including recycling) of these materials.                                       

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*IIJA Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA)*

* *40209 – Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program*
* DE-FOA-0002907 [ [link removed] ]
* Concept Papers Due: March 14, 2023 - by 4:00 PM CT
* Full Applications Due: June 8, 2023 - by 4:00 PM CT
* Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program [ [link removed] ] -The first funding opportunity invests $350 million for small-and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) to produce or recycle advanced energy property—property used to support clean energy supply chains—in energy communities. A mapping tool showing eligible communities (which includes Minnesota) is available here [ [link removed] ].
* Eligible energy communities are defined as a census tract (a) in which, after December 31, 1999, a coal mine closed; (b) in which, after December 31, 2009, a coal-fired electricity generating unit had been retired; or (c) that is immediately adjacent to a census tract described in (a) or (b).

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*IRA Request for Applications (RFA)*

* *The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program*
* Deadline Extended to April 14, 2023 by 10:59 PM CT
* EPA-R-OEJECR-OCS-23-01 [ [link removed] ]
* The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR) has released a Request for Applications (RFA) to provide financial assistance to eligible organizations working to address local environmental or public health issues in their communities.  Eligible projects for this funding fall into five broad categories listed below:

(A) Community-led air and other pollution monitoring, prevention, and remediation, and investments in low- and zero-emission and resilient technologies and related infrastructure and workforce development that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants;

(B) Mitigating climate and health risks from urban heat islands, extreme heat, wood heater emissions, and wildfire events;

(C) Climate resiliency and adaptation;

(D) Reducing indoor toxics and indoor air pollution; or

(E) Facilitating engagement of disadvantaged communities in State and Federal advisory groups, workshops, rulemakings, and other public processes.

The RFA lists numerous examples of projects eligible for funding under the opportunity, including the following examples:  "Energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy programs in K-12 schools including preventative maintenance of HVAC systems, energy audits, energy system upgrades, installation of on-site renewables and/or green infrastructure, indoor air quality monitoring and related employee training.


* *The Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program*
* Deadline: May 31, 2023 by 10:59 PM CT
* *EPA-R-OEJECR-OCS-23-03* [ [link removed] ]*  *
* EPA is issuing this solicitation to request applications for the design and management of a new Environmental Justice (EJ) Program where EPA will competitively select multiple pass-through entities to provide grant funds via subawards to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible subrecipient groups representing underserved and disadvantaged communities.
* Applicants are invited to participate in a webinar with EPA to address questions about the EJ TCGM Program and this solicitation. A recording of the webinar will be posted in this section for those who cannot attend the live webinars and for reference purposes when preparing applications.
* March 16, 2023 - 1:00 - 3:00 PM CT
*

Register and Join ZoomGov Meeting [ [link removed] ]

 

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*Request for Proposals (RFP)*

* *Clean Energy to Communities Program: In-Depth Partnerships*
* Proposal Submissions: May 17, 2023
* The C2C program will select four to five communities for in-depth technical partnerships that provide funding and technical assistance to develop sustainable energy solutions. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and other national labs will help the selected communities develop secure, reliable, resilient, and affordable energy systems that align with local and regional priorities.
* Learn more and access the RFP at nrel.gov/c2c/indepth [ [link removed] ]

*IIJA Notice of Intent (NOI) *

* *Joint Office of Energy and Transportation Ride and Drive Electric*
* DE-FOA-0002880 [ [link removed] ]
* FOA when released: DE-FOA-0002881
* Areas of Interest: 1) Enhanced EV Charging Resiliency; 2) Equitable Access and Opportunity in Electrification; 2a) Community-Driven Models for Electric Vehicle Charging Deployment; 2b) Workforce Development; 3) Improving EV Charging Performance Reliability; 3a) Increasing Commercial Capacity for Testing and Certification of High-Power Electric Vehicle Chargers; 3b) Validating High-Power EV Charger Real-World Performance and Reliability

*Non- IIJA Notice of Intent (NOI) *

* *EPA Announces Initial Program Design of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund*
* EPA will hold two competitions to distribute grant funding under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: a $20 billion General and Low-Income Assistance Competition [ [link removed] ] and a $7 billion Zero-Emissions Technology Fund Competition [ [link removed] ]. EPA expects to open competitions for funding under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund by summer 2023.


* *Carbon Management (Round 3)*
* DE-FOA-0003004 [ [link removed] ]
* When issued: DE-FOA-0002614
* This FOA is expected to focus on several areas of interest responsive to the Carbon Management programmatic priorities. The FOA will be both a multi-programmatic and multi-year FOA potentially soliciting work in any, or all, of the following topic areas: carbon conversion; carbon dioxide removal (CDR); point source carbon capture; and carbon transport and storage.


* *40534 - State Manufacturing Leadership Program*
* Notice of Intent [ [link removed] ]
* FOA anticipated in March - DE-FOA-0002969
* The State Manufacturing Leadership Program supports new or expanded State programs that exhibit leadership in accelerating the deployment and use of smart manufacturing and high-performance computing technologies by small-and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs). States may consider a combination of advancing current state-run programs or establishing partnerships that enable SMMs to access resources such as workforce development and worker training, technical and financial assistance, and equipment needed to implement smart manufacturing technologies.


* *$15 Million for Transitioning Tribal Colleges and Universities to Clean Energy*
* Through this FOA, the Office of Indian Energy intends to solicit applications from tribal colleges and universities for: (1) clean energy project planning; and (2) installing clean energy technology on their campuses.
* FOA anticipated in spring 2023
* DE-FOA-0002978 [ [link removed](NOI)_IE_2023_TCU_FOA_-_DE-FOA-0002978.pdf ]

 

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*IRA Request for Information*

* *Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant*
* EPA-HQ-OEJECR-2023-0023 [ [link removed] ]
* Comments due: March 17, 2023
* The Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights is seeking information on The Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program on: (1) defining ECJ Program terminology, (2) types of actions conducted to related to the Justice40 Initiative, (3) the design of the ECJ Program, (4) eligible Recipients and projects, (5) types of technical assistance needed and (6) reporting and oversight.

*Technical Assistance* 

* *Technical Assistance Is Available to Improve Interconnection Processes*
* The Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange [ [link removed] ]—a program led by DOE’s WETO and Solar Energy Technologies Office is offering technical assistance for stakeholders to improve interconnection practices and processes for electricity distribution systems and the transmission system. This technical assistance must be specific to the interconnection of wind, solar, storage, electric vehicle charging facilities, or a hybrid integration of these technologies. This opportunity offers up to $750,000 total for up to 12 selected projects. 
* The deadline to submit applications [ [link removed] ] is March 21, 2023, by 3:00 PM CT 

*Prizes*

* *Buildings UP Prize*
* The application period is now open for Phase 1 of the Buildings Upgrade Prize [ [link removed] ]
* Phase 1 Application Period: February 18 - July 18, 2023
* $22 million in cash prizes and technical assistance to teams with winning ideas to accelerate widespread, equitable energy efficiency and building electrification upgrades.
* Community-based organizations, state and local governments, Indian tribes, building owners, utilities, nonprofit organizations, energy efficiency program implementers, and other organizations are encouraged to team up and apply.


* *American-Made Net Load Forecasting Prize*
* The Prize is open to forecasting industry organizations that cater to utilities, system operators, and power plant owners, as well as academic teams with machine learning capabilities that are interested in forecasting. Competitors are required to submit daily day-ahead probabilistic net load forecasts, with an hourly resolution, over the course of four weeks and across multiple distinct climatic locations in the United States.
* This Prize offers up to $600,000 in cash prizes, with three anticipated winners and three anticipated runners-up. Application materials are due March 27, 2023. 
* Click here for more information [ [link removed] ]

 

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IRA Guidance on Tax Credits

* *Low-income Communities Bonus Credit Program - Section 48(e)*
* Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program—also known as 48(e)—advances commitments to equity and environmental justice as the most significant tax incentive in U.S. history to promote clean energy investments in low-income communities, on Tribal Land, and within affordable housing. The program prioritizes the following equity goals:
* Increasing the adoption of and access to renewable energy facilities in underserved and environmental justice communities.
* Encouraging new market participants, such as community-based organizations and mission driven entities.
* Providing substantial benefits to underserved communities and individuals who have been historically marginalized from economic opportunities and overburdened by environmental impacts.
* Guidance [ [link removed] ]


* *Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit Allocation Program Under Section 48C(e)*
* Treasury and IRS, in partnership with DOE, announced the intent to release approximately $4 billion in a first round of tax credits for projects that expand U.S. supply chains for clean energy technologies and critical materials for clean energy technology production, and for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions at industrial facilities. Approximately $1.6 billion of this allocation will be set aside for projects in coal communities. The program will provide an investment tax credit of up to 30% of qualified investments for certified projects that meet prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements.
* Additional information anticipated by May 31, 2023.
* Guidance [ [link removed] ]

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Webinars

* *2023 Zero Energy Design Designation Information Webinar*
* Tuesday, March 7, 2023 - 12:00 PM CT
* The U.S. Department of Energy is inviting faculty or representatives of college programs or organizations that help promote building science education to learn more about the 2023 Zero Energy Design Designation [ [link removed] ] during an informational webinar.
* Register for the webinar online [ [link removed] ].

* *It’s Electric! Electrified Alternatives to Industrial Fossil Fuel Systems*
* Tuesday, March 7, 2023 - 10:00 to 11:00 AM CT
* Learn from Better Plants partners about the benefits and challenges in implementing electrified systems into your facilities. Register Here ⇒ [ [link removed] ]


* *National Community Solar Partnership Annual Update*
* March 7, 2023 at 11:00 AM CT
* NCSP developed a set of initiatives to support its goal of powering the equivalent of 5 million households with community solar by 2025 and generating $1 billion in household savings. Get a preview of the first Impact Report.
* Click Here! [ [link removed] ]


* *From Measuring to Managing: Submetering Strategies for Plug and Process Loads in Healthcare Facilities*
* Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at 10:00 to 11:00 AM CT
* Join this webinar to learn about how Better Buildings healthcare partners deploy submetering strategies to identify energy savings opportunities. Register Here ⇒ [ [link removed] ]


* *Innovative AgriSolar Design*
* March 23, 2023 at 12:00 PM CT
* Join the AgriSolar Clearinghouse for a webinar series on agrivoltaics, the co-location of solar and agriculture on the same land. Additional webinars are scheduled in the coming months [ [link removed] ].

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Workshops, Meetings & Conferences

* *Ongoing ‘Options for a National Plan for Smart Manufacturing' Workshop Series*
* Advanced technologies such as advanced sensors, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning and modeling can help U.S. manufacturers capture, share, and process data in real-time. This leads to operational improvements, productivity gains, more reliable equipment, and increased competitiveness of the U.S.’ manufacturing sector.
* Broader Impacts of Smart Manufacturing [ [link removed] ] March 6-7, 2023, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM CT


* Remade Circular Economy Conference: Breakthrough Innovations through Sustainable Manufacturing [ [link removed] ]
* March 20–21 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET
* The objective of REMADE is to advance the conversation on a circular approach and how sustainable manufacturing can support the nation in meeting its multiple energy, environmental, and economic goals.

* *ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit*
* Conference: March 22–24, 2023 - National Harbor, Maryland
* Join the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Energy Innovation Summit to mingle with a range of energy experts and think about America’s energy challenges in new and innovative ways. Now in its 13th year, the summit offers a 3-day program aimed at moving transformational energy technologies out of the lab and into the market.
* Visit ARPA-E’s website to register [ [link removed] ] for the summit [ [link removed] ]


* *EVs@Scale Bi-Annual Stakeholder Meeting*
* April 5–6, 2023 at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Knoxville
* EVs@Scale brings together national laboratories and key stakeholders to conduct infrastructure research and development addressing challenges and barriers for high-power electric vehicle charging infrastructure that enable greater safety, grid operation reliability, and consumer confidence. Learn more [ [link removed] ] about EVs@Scale.


* *2023 Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit*
* Join fellow energy and sustainability leaders at the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit. 
* April 11-13, 2023 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C.
* This event will feature sessions that cover a range of topics, including energy efficiency, decarbonization, workforce development, and more*. *Click here [ [link removed] ] to explore the details about each session.

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Guides

* *Five Benefits of Residential Solar*
* Solar energy for residences is a hot topic, and rightfully so. With more of our energy coming from solar—nearly 4 million American households are already generating their own power with solar energy—there is high interest and a large amount of information available. Why add solar to your home? [ [link removed] ]


* *Wind Energy End of Service Guide*
* WETO's WINDExchange initiative has launched a new web resource to provide information on the repowering or decommissioning processes for wind turbines and their related infrastructure. With over 70,000 turbines currently installed and more being deployed across the United States to reach state and federal renewable energy goals, the "Wind Energy End of Service Guide" [ [link removed] ] can help communities better understand what happens when a wind energy project reaches the end of its service.


* *Introducing Framework for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Planning*
* Through the Better Climate Challenge, the Department of Energy developed a Framework for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Planning that provides guidance to organizations seeking to reduce GHG emissions across their portfolio. Better Climate Challenge partners and stakeholders representing over 60 organizations across multiple sectors and building types contributed to the development of this framework through participation in working groups. The working groups are producing two documents – one for organizations with a portfolio of buildings and vehicle fleets, and one for organizations with an industrial portfolio. Click here [ [link removed] ] to access the resource for building portfolios. The resource for industrial portfolios will be available later this spring.


* *Visualizing Value: Game-Changing Solar Technologies for Homeowners*
* The SunShot Initiative fosters innovation, challenging funding recipients to bring next-generation technologies to the market in just a few years. These new technologies can give homeowners more choices for how they want to go solar while also having a major impact on cost and ease of installation. These homeowners will save on their electricity bills for years to come, and on average can expect to add $15,000 to the value of their home and sell their home faster than comparable homes without solar.
* Click here for the guide [ [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 [email protected].  <[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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