Section 40124 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) directs DOE to invest $250 million to create a new program, the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance (RMUC) Program, to provide eligible entities with financial and technical assistance support to improve their cybersecurity posture. This FOA provides $70 million in federal funding to support the RMUC Program’s goals.

The activities to be funded under this FOA support BIL Section 40124 and the broader government-wide efforts to increase the security, reliability, and resiliency of our energy infrastructure. Investments to improve the cybersecurity resilience of electric utilities eligible to participate in the RMUC Program will improve energy resilience in rural communities, decrease energy burdens on utility members and customers, and increase the cybersecurity knowledge, skills, and abilities of utility employees in rural communities. These investments will help maximize the benefits of the clean energy transition by facilitating secure grid modernization deployments as the nation works to curb the climate crisis, empower workers, and advance environmental justice.

BIL Section 40124 is focused on:

1. Deploying advanced cybersecurity technologies for electric utility systems, where the term ‘‘advanced cybersecurity technology’’ means “any technology, operational capability, or service, including computer hardware, software, or a related asset, that enhances the security posture of electric utilities through improvements in the ability to protect against, detect, respond to, or recover from a cybersecurity threat”; and
2. Increasing the participation of eligible entities in cybersecurity threat information sharing programs.

Section 40124 specifies that the RMUC Program shall give priority for grants and technical assistance to an eligible entity that, as determined by DOE:

• (A) has limited cybersecurity resources;
• (B) owns assets critical to the reliability of the bulk power system; or
• (C) owns defense critical electric infrastructure.

Within the three priority categories outlined in the BIL Section 40124, the majority of the RMUC Program’s eligible entities fall into the limited cybersecurity resources category. DOE also expects that, in general, limited cybersecurity resource utilities also have limited experience and staffing resources to participate in competitive federal funding opportunities. To make this FOA more accessible, the information is divided into two documents:

1. RMUC ACT FOA: The FOA contains information that will help potential applicants decide whether or not to apply, requirements for the application process, and specific requirements for the three Topic Areas (Sections VI, VII, and VII); and
2. ACT FOA Administrative Requirements: This is a separate document that contains additional details on requirements associated with applying for and accepting a federal financial assistance award.

Applicants are required to read and comply with the language in both this RMUC ACT FOA document and the ACT FOA Administrative Requirements document.

This FOA has three Topic Areas and a two-part application process including both a Pre-Application and a Full Application. Only applicants who are invited to apply based on their Pre-Applications are eligible to submit a Full Application.

• Topic Area 1: Advanced Cybersecurity Technologies (ACT) for Distribution, Generation, and Transmission Utilities
• Topic Area 2: Strengthening the Peer-to-Peer and Not-for-Profit Technical Assistance Ecosystem
• Topic Area 3: Increasing Access to Technical Assistance and Training for Utilities with Limited Cybersecurity Resources