DOE’s Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes, which include Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Village Corporations, Intertribal Organizations, and Tribal Energy Development Organizations to:

• Install clean energy generating system(s) and/or energy efficiency measure(s) for Tribal Building(s) (Topic Area 1),
• Deploy community-scale clean energy generating system(s) or community energy storage on Tribal Lands (Topic Area 2),
• Install integrated energy system(s) for autonomous operation (independent of the traditional centralized electric power grid) to power a single or multiple Essential Tribal Building(s) during emergency situations or for tribal community resilience (Topic Area 3), or
• Provide electric power to Tribal Building(s), which otherwise would be unelectrified (Topic Area 4).

Projects selected under this FOA are intended to reduce or stabilize energy costs, increase energy security and resiliency, and provide electric power to unelectrified tribal buildings. The potential energy savings or energy generation, level of commitment, and capabilities of the Applicant and project participants to accomplish the project objectives will be major factors in selecting projects for funding. Applications must also demonstrate the potential for economic and environmental benefits to the Applicant and tribal community. The Indian Tribe, Intertribal Organization, or Tribal Energy Development Organization must also demonstrate the organizational and technical readiness and commitment to deploy clean energy generating system(s), energy efficiency measure(s), energy storage system(s), integrated energy system(s), or energy infrastructure.

This FOA is intended to promote energy independence and economic development, with the ancillary benefit of providing employment on Tribal Lands using commercially proven warrantied clean energy technology or infrastructure that eligible Applicants believe are best suited to meet their needs, their location, and their available clean energy resources.

In addition to specific technical evaluation criteria to be identified in the FOA, the Selection Official can consider the following program policy factors in making selections under the FOA: geographic distribution; technology diversity; the optimum use of available DOE funding to achieve programmatic objectives; whether the proposed project serves tribal communities with high energy costs; whether the proposed project serves tribal communities not connected to the traditional centralized electrical power grid; the degree to which the proposed project will employ procurement of U.S. iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials; and/or Applicants who have not previously received a grant from the Office of Indian Energy.

The FOA is soliciting applications under the following Topic Areas:

1) Clean Energy Generating System(s) and/or Energy Efficiency Measure(s) for Tribal Building(s) (Topic Area 1)

• Clean Energy Generating System(s) (Subtopic Area 1.a.)
• Energy Efficiency Measure(s) (Subtopic Area 1.b.)
• Clean Energy Generating System(s) and Energy Efficiency Measure(s) (Subtopic Area 1.c.)

2) Community-Scale Clean Energy Generating System(s) or Community Energy Storage Deployment (Topic Area 2)

• Community-Scale Clean Energy Generating System(s) (Subtopic Area 2.a.)
• Community-Scale Energy Storage (Subtopic Area 2.b.)

3) Integrated Energy System(s) for Autonomous Operation (Topic Area 3)

• Powering Essential Tribal Building(s) (Subtopic Area 3.a.)
• Tribal Community Resilience (Subtopic Area 3.b.)

4) Powering Unelectrified Tribal Buildings (Topic Area 4)

• Integrated Energy System(s) for Electrification (Subtopic Area 4.a.)
• Energy Infrastructure for Electrification (Subtopic Area 4.b.)