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The Energy Communities IWG is pursuing a whole-of-government approach to create good-paying union jobs; spur economic revitalization; remediate environmental degradation; and support energy workers in coal, oil and gas, and power plant communities across the country.
Getting Started Guide Webinar
Join the Energy Communities IWG on March 6, 2024, from 1–2 p.m. EST for a webinar providing an overview of the newly unveiled Getting Started Guide. This step-by-step guide is intended to help communities and workers start the process of planning or responding to economic and social changes resulting from the energy transition or any major economic shift.
Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit (48C) Program Regional Events
Save the date! Join the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) and the Energy Communities IWG for several regional events in the coming months focused on the Inflation Reduction Act’s $10 billion Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit (48C) Program.
- March 21, 2024: Intermountain West (Denver, Colorado)
- March 26, 2024: Central Appalachia (Charleston, West Virginia)
- TBD: Illinois Basin (Evansville, Indiana)
The U.S. Department of Treasury also recently announced they will issue a notice establishing the second round of 48C allocations.
New Funding Opportunities & Announcements
- DOE Manufacturing Capital Connector (MCC)
DOE recently released a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit feedback for an initiative to facilitate the investment necessary to build out the U.S. manufacturing supply chain. The proposed MCC may particularly benefit manufacturing companies applying for programs such as 48C.
- Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Funding
Projects to boost economic development and diversification in coal-impacted communities in Appalachia can apply for 2024 POWER funding now. Applications are due by 5 p.m. EST on April 17, 2024. Interested applicants are also encouraged to attend the pre-application webinar on Feb. 15, 2024. - U.S. Department of Treasury America Small Business Opportunity (SBOP)
This competitive technical assistance grant program is designed to assist regions across the country in their efforts to help small businesses connect to opportunities related to the Investing in America agenda. Between eight and 15 awards to eligible jurisdictions will be made, with a preference for programs that demonstrate regional collaboration. The deadline to apply is in spring 2024 (Treasury will announce the application deadline when the application portal opens). - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Seeks Applications to Help Farmers and Ranchers Venture into New and Better Markets
USDA is accepting applications for its Value-Added Producer Grants Program to help agricultural producers maximize the value of their products and venture into new and better markets. USDA is especially interested in applicants with priorities to reduce climate pollution, ensure rural residents have access to rural development programs, and help rural communities recover economically through better market opportunities and infrastructure. Electronic applications are due by 11:59 p.m. EST on April 11, 2024. - ARC READY Local Governments
ARC’s READY Local Governments Training Program provides no-cost training to help local government officials better identify, secure, manage, and implement federally funded projects. Following completion of the training program, participants will be eligible for up to $50,000 in funding to implement internal capacity-building projects to help them better serve communities. Applicants should apply by Feb. 29, 2024. - DOE Invests $800,000 for Workforce Development Opportunities in Energy Communities Across the United States
DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced $800,000 in funding for eight local government and nonprofit organizations representing communities that will each create a roadmap toward repurposing their existing energy assets. DOE intends to begin accepting applications for funding in early 2024.
Upcoming Funding Deadlines
The following funding opportunities and technical assistance programs have application deadlines coming up in the next four weeks and can all be found in the Energy Communities IWG online clearinghouse. To learn more about how to navigate the Energy Communities IWG Clearinghouse, click here.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. Department of Energy
- Grid Resilience Analysis and Climate Change Impacts (GRACI) Applications Due Feb. 15
- BIL Storage, Validation and Testing (Section 40305): Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE): Phases II, III, III.5, and IV Applications Due Feb. 20
- BIL 40513: Career Skills Training Applications Due Feb. 27
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Department of Transportation
Events & Additional Resources
- Northern Arizona Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities (BRECC) Federal Funding Summit
Feb. 27 and 29, 2024
Joseph City School Board Room, Joseph City, Arizona
The Energy Communities IWG will host a summit geared toward Northern Arizona communities and the region’s transition away from coal-fired power production. The summit will provide ways to strengthen the competitiveness of grant applications, insights on various grant programs, and strategies to advance your projects toward successful grant awards.Register for the Feb. 27 summit here.
Register for the Feb. 29 summit here.
- Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program Overview and Round 1 Recap
Feb. 22, 2024; 1–2 p.m. EST
Join the DOE’s MESC for an informational webinar about a grant program to support small- and medium-sized manufacturers located in coal communities. The webinar will provide an overview of the Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grants Program, a recap of the projects selected in Round 1, and information about developing a strong application.
- 2ndAnnual Wyoming Funding Summit
April 8–12, 2024
Central Wyoming College, Riverton, Wyoming
Senator John Barrasso, Senator Cynthia Lummis, and Governor Mark Gordon will host free professional training on identifying, applying for, securing, and managing grant funding. Interact with and hear directly from state and federal funding agencies. Towns and counties are strongly encouraged to attend. - Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit (48C) Resources
The Inflation Reduction Act provided $10 billion in funding for the 48C Program for projects that expand clean energy manufacturing and recycling and critical materials refining, processing, and recycling, and for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions at industrial facilities. Learn more by checking out the frequently asked questions, eligibility map, and informational webinar recordings. - Investing in all of America: The Biden-Harris Administration’s Place-Based Approach
Recently, at a Brookings Metro fireside chat, National Economic Advisor and Energy Communities IWG Co-chair Lael Brainard outlined the Biden-Harris administration’s focus on supporting communities that have historically been left behind. Watch the recording to learn more.
Success Stories
D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESI) closed on its San Juan Solar and Storage Project located in San Juan County, New Mexico, in July 2023. The project will interconnect to the grid using existing infrastructure from the former San Juan Generating Station. San Juan 1 is the first phase of a larger project that is expected to deliver 400 MWac of power once constructed.
The project will provide renewable energy to its customers while working toward DESI’s goal of having emissions-free electricity generation by 2040. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the facility is expected to generate clean energy to power approximately 52,400 homes each year.
On behalf of all Energy Communities IWG member agencies, thank you for your continued interest in programs that support people living and working in America’s energy communities. Please feel free to share this newsletter with others in your network who may benefit.
Best regards,
Brian J. Anderson, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization
To learn more about funding opportunities, visit the Energy Communities IWG Clearinghouse.
Check out the Getting Started Guide and Navigator.
Click here to share your success story.