Rural and remote areas often have higher energy costs and burden, less resilient energy systems, and fewer alternatives for accessing clean energy compared with their urban counterparts. Furthermore, small communities do not always have the available time, money, or other resources to pursue clean energy options. This Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) funding opportunity provides support for rural and remote communities to build clean energy projects that benefit their communities.

The goals of the program are to:

1. Deliver measurable and sustained benefits to people who live in rural or remote areas by funding replicable clean energy projects that lower energy costs, improve energy access and resilience, increase economic opportunity, and/or reduce environmental harm.
2. Demonstrate effective rural or remote energy system approaches using climate-resilient technologies, business structures that promote economic resilience, accessible and appropriate financing mechanisms, and/or best practices in community leadership and engagement, and workforce development.
3. Build clean energy knowledge, experience, capacity, and self-reliance in rural and remote parts of America.

This program serves communities of 10,000 people or fewer. Applicants must propose projects that support at least one of these eligible activities:

• Improving overall cost-effectiveness of energy generation, transmission, or distribution systems;
• Siting or upgrading transmission and distribution lines;
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation in rural or remote areas;
• Providing or modernizing electric generation facilities;
• Developing microgrids; and
• Increasing energy efficiency.

Four topic areas are included in this opportunity:

1. Open category

• Expected award size per project: $10M–$50M
• Total expected award amount for topic area: $150M
• Cost share from applicant: 50%, or 20% for Indian Tribes, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education

2. Dual use and co-location

• Expected award size per project: $10M–$50M
• Total expected award amount for topic area: $175M
• Cost share from applicant: 50%, or 20% for Indian Tribes, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education

3. Smaller-scale community-centered

• Expected award size per project: $2M–$10M
• Total expected award amount for topic area: $50M
• Cost share from applicant: 20%, or 5% for Indian Tribes, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education

4. Isolated microgrids & unelectrified buildings

• Expected award size per project: $2M–$10M
• Total expected award amount for topic area: $25M
• Cost share from applicant: 20%, or 5% for Indian Tribes, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education