On March 1st, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announced $300 million for projects that increase energy affordability and promote climate resilience, and a $15 million prize competition to help rural communities build the capacity needed for clean energy development and deployment. These two new funding opportunities support the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) program, which aims to improve the resilience, reliability, and affordability of energy systems in communities across the country with 10,000 or fewer people.
The $300 million funding opportunity will award projects that increase energy affordability and promote climate resilience with an anticipated federal cost share ranging from $5 to $100 million per project. The funding is flexible to meet various project types with $5 to $10 million for a single site demonstration project and up to $100 million for a single or multi-site demonstration project that benefits multiple communities. For background, eligibility, topic areas and more, access the funding notice webpage here. The full funding opportunity announcement is available here. Concept papers are due by April 14, 2023, and full applications are due by June 28, 2023. Information on technical assistance, including eligibility and how to apply for it, is available here.
Read about the $15 million Energizing Rural Communities Prize competition here. An informational webinar will be held on March 21, 2023. To register for the webinar, sign up here. The application period for Phase 1 of the prize competition closes on May 24, 2023.