DOE is seeking applications aimed at developing and implementing replicable microgrid solutions for underserved and Indigenous communities in remote, rural and islanded regions throughout the U.S. The objectives of this FOA are to have the awarded projects support the three main goals of the program:

• Goal 1: Promote microgrids as a core solution for increasing the resilience and reliability of the electricity delivery system (EDS), supporting critical infrastructure and reducing social burdens during “blue-” and “black-sky” events.
• Goal 2: Ensure that microgrids serve as a driver of decarbonization for the U.S. EDS by acting as a point of aggregation for a larger number of distributed energy resources (DERs), with 50% of new installed DER capacity within microgrids coming from carbon free energy sources by 2030.
• Goal 3: Decrease microgrid capital costs by 15% by 2031, while reducing project development, construction and commissioning times by 20%.

The microgrid solutions sought are in three areas of interest (AOI):

• AOI-1 develops modular microgrid systems with standardized functionalities, which have broad replicability for remote and islanded communities and will significantly reduce microgrid costs and project times.
• AOI-2 develops multi-port medium voltage direct current (MVDC) converters, an enabling technology solution to connect clean energy resources and microgrids in two or more communities, which will enable sharing energy resources and loads for optimized performance to maximize their overall value, beyond the sum of what the individual systems can deliver.
• AOI-3 establishes regional initiatives that focus on human and technical capacity building in underserved and Indigenous communities.

Each microgrid system under this FOA should range from 100 kilowatts (kW) to 10 megawatts (MW) of aggregated generation capacity.

This opportunity is focused on underserved and Indigenous communities in remote, rural and islanded regions throughout the U.S. including tribal nations and territories. For purposes of this FOA “underserved communities” refers to low-income, energy-burdened communities that, at a minimum, meet the criteria below:

• 30% of the community population is classified as low income1; AND
• High or severe energy burden2 (median spending of household income on energy bills ≥6%).

Indigenous communities include, but are not limited to, communities of Tribal Nations, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians.