Funding Resources and Incentives for Energy-Related Programs
Dear Colleagues,
In Fiscal Year 2024, NCTCOG is focusing on sending out quarterly updates with a digest of funding resources and incentives related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy resilience and other related topics that may be of interest to our members. This email is the third of these quarterly updates. We hope that you find this curated list helpful as you are considering implementing new projects or programs at your entity and are looking for funding! When considering any funding source or incentive program, always confirm your eligibility first and start the application process early.
A copy of these quarterly updates will be posted on the Energy Management, Efficiency, and Renewable Energy webpage for ease of reference. Did we miss an important resource or incentive that you are aware of? Share your feedback with our team!
Quick Links
Check out these new resources now available on the Conserve North Texas website!
Featured Funding and Incentives
Communities Taking Charge Accelerator
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office), through the Department of Energy (DOE), has made available $54 million in new federal funding for projects that will expand community e-mobility access and provide clean reliable energy. The funding will drive innovation in equitable clean transportation and is aligned with strategies detailed in the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization. This program will make strategic investments at the local level that address key barriers to expanding access to electrified mobility options for individuals without home charging; accelerate the transition to electrified fleets; and mature the implementation of managed charging systems to mitigate impacts and optimize usage of the grid.
The funding is administered by the Joint Office through DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Topic areas in the Joint Office’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 funding opportunity include:
This FOA aims to help meet the goal that 40% of the benefits of the Biden-Harris Administration’s investments in clean energy and climate solutions are delivered to Disadvantaged Communities (DACs), as defined by the Department pursuant to the Executive Order, and to drive creation of accessible, good-paying jobs with the free and fair chance for workers to join a union.
Deadline: Concept paper due May 20, 2024, and full applications due July 15, 2024
Eligibility: Higher education institutions; for-profit entities; non-profit entities; and state and local governmental entities, and Indian tribes
Communities Sparking Investment in Transformative Energy (C-SITE)
This Funding Opportunity Announcement will support eligible local governments and tribes to implement projects that provide direct community benefits, spark additional investments, meet community-identified priorities, and build local capacity. Community benefits may include creation of local economic opportunities for workers, workforce measures and agreements, community revitalization, lowered energy burdens, increased access to renewable energy, improved air quality, increased public participation in energy decision-making processes, and improved quality of life for local residents.
Projects may span a range of geographic scopes and wide variety of technology areas including, but not limited to: building efficiency and/or electrification, electric transportation, energy infrastructure upgrades, microgrid development and deployment, renewable energy, resilience hubs, and workforce development.
This FOA is being issued by the U.S. Department of Energy’s State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) on behalf of the Local Government Energy Program (LGEP).
Deadline: May 31, 2024
Eligibility: Local governments or Tribal governments representing ANY of the following kinds of communities: Disadvantaged communities, Energy communities, Small- and medium-sized jurisdictions
DOE Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) – In-Depth Technical Partnerships
The Department of Energy’s Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) program, connects local governments, electric utilities, community-based groups, and others with innovative modeling and testing tools developed at DOE’s world-class national laboratories to transform their clean energy goals and ambitions into reality. C2C seeks to foster local clean energy transition s across multiple sectors (grid, buildings, and transportation).
DOE National Labs will provide multi-year technical assistance (36 months) to selected community teams. The scope of the technical support will be co-created with the selected community teams to include analysis, modeling, and validation of cross-sector clean energy solutions to accelerate the design, demonstration, development, and deployment of a community’s existing clean energy plans. It will also equip communities with world-leading analytical tools, expertise, and access to capabilities such as the Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) research platform, which allows communities to de-risk and validate their clean energy solutions prior to deployment.
Selected teams will receive subcontract funding to support hiring staff or consultants, facilitation and community engagement support, or other activities. (Organizations eligible to receive subcontract funding include: local governments, community-based organizations, and public power electric utilities.) The selected teams will be responsible for soliciting broader community input on clean energy projects or programs and incorporate it into technical activities to ensure results are aligned with the community’s priorities and context.
Eligibility: Local governments, community-based organizations, and utilities
DOE Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) - Expert Match Program
During the stakeholder outreach process that informed the Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) Program, communities expressed the need for access to short-term, expert assistance to help answer key technical questions related to transitioning to clean energy. Expert Match is intended to help meet that need by providing up to 60 hours of technical assistance (TA) to community stakeholders who have decision-making power and/or influence in their community but need access to additional clean energy expertise to inform upcoming plans, policies, or projects.
While this is not a funding opportunity, it is a way for communities to receive free, short-term technical assistance to address near-term clean energy challenges and questions.
Deadline: No deadline, applications are reviewed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Community stakeholders who have decision-making power or influence in their community but need access to additional clean energy expertise to inform key upcoming decisions. Community stakeholders can represent a:
DOE Waste Analysis and Strategies for Transportation End Uses (WASTE)
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) have announced up to $17.5 million in federal funding to develop cost-effective strategies for communities to sustainably manage and recover potential clean energy sources from their waste streams. WASTE: Water Analysis and Strategies for Transportation End Uses funding aims to benefit local energy economies by helping support communities interested in developing waste-to-energy solutions, allowing them to convert organic waste into feedstocks for clean transportation fuel stocks. Furthermore, the funding will help reduce the negative impacts associated with waste collection and landfilling of organic wastes.
This funding has been separated into two topic areas. Topic Area 1, Feasibility Study Development Analyses, is targeted at communities looking to move beyond the conceptualization phase, supporting in-depth feasibility or scoping analysis. Topic Area 2, Design Work and Experimental Validation, is for communities that have already completed feasibility analyses and are looking to further refine their project concept. Upon completion of Topic Area 2 (Phase 1), these projects may have the opportunity to construct and implement their designed facilities (Phase 2).
DOE intends to award up to 14 financial assistance awards in the form of cooperative agreements lasting 12 to 24 months under this FOA. If selected to construct and operate the pilot facility (Phase 2), an additional 48 months will be available to complete these activities.
Deadline: Required Concept Papers due June 19, 2024; Full Application due August 14, 2024
Eligibility: Local, tribal, and intrastate government entities and instrumentalities; nonprofit organizations; and transit authorities
Grant Writing and Application Resources
One Last Note
NCTCOG Energy Plan Survey for Local Governments
The North Central Texas Council of Governments is surveying the region to determine what need our local governments have regarding an energy plan. Linked is a survey to help us gauge interest and need on the topic. The survey can be found here: Energy Plan Survey. The deadline for responses is May 10, 2024.
If you have any questions, please email energy@nctcog.org.
NCTCOG Staff Contacts:
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