Funding Notice: Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas

Office:  Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations    
FOA Number:   DE-FOA-0002970  
Access the FOA:  OCED eXCHANGE   
FOA Amount:  $300 Million 

Background Information   

On March 1, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) issued a $300 million Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Program. This program will provide financial investment, technical assistance, and other resources to advance clean energy demonstrations and energy solutions that are replicable and scalable for rural and remote areas of the U.S. with 10,000 or fewer inhabitants. The FOA is organized into nine geographic regions, each with its own set of broad energy challenges that provide applicants the opportunity to propose creative solutions at a variety of sizes and scales. ERA aims to fund clean energy projects with three specific goals: 

  1. Deliver measurable benefits to energy customers in rural or remote areas by funding replicable energy projects that lower energy costs, improve energy access and resilience, and/or reduce environmental harm 
  2. Demonstrate new rural or remote energy system models using climate-resilient technologies, business structures that promote economic resilience, new financing mechanisms, and/or new community engagement best practices  
  3. Build clean energy knowledge, capacity, and self-reliance in rural America 

Eligibility   

Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, for-profit and non-profit organizations, state, local governments and Tribal Nations, incorporated and unincorporated consortia. 

Download the full funding opportunity for more information on eligibility.   

Topic Areas  

This funding opportunity has two topic areas: 

  1. Community-Scale Demonstrations: To implement clean energy projects with a federal cost share of at least $5 million and at most $10 million. 
  2. Large-Scale Demonstrations: To implement clean energy projects with a federal cost share of at least $10 million and at most $100 million. 

Download the full funding opportunity for more information on topic areas.   

Funding  

OCED expects to make anywhere from 4-20 awards between $1-100M each with a minimum of 20% or 50% applicant cost share depending on applicant cost share eligibility. Additional funding opportunities may follow this announcement.   

Download the full funding opportunity for more information. 

Key Dates 

Cycle 2023-1: 

Submission Deadline for Concept Papers: 

04/14/2023 by 5 p.m., ET 

Informational Webinar: 

03/29/2023 by 2 p.m., ET 

Concept Paper Feedback Webinar 

06/06/2023 at 2 p.m., ET

Submission Deadline for Full Applications:

 08/02/2023 by 5 p.m., ET 

Additional Information