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Federal Programs: 

  • Also, learn more about Community Project Requests, also known as Congressionally Directed Spending or earmarks. Community Projects are typically due between January and March. (NLC, 2024)

  • Now Open

Funding Opportunity: Summary: Due Dates:
Clean Energy to Communities Program - Expert Match

Through the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) program, NREL, other national laboratory experts, and select organizations provide Expert Match—free, short-term technical assistance to address near-term clean energy challenges and questions. Expert Match is a a 3–4-month program that pairs communities with national laboratory experts for 40-60 hours of technical assistance to address near-term clean energy challenges and questions.

Great Plains Institute can provide free application assistance! Reach out to Sydne Tursky stursky@gpisd.net. 

 Open on a rolling basis
Clean Bus Planning Awards DOT support to reduce barriers to zero-emission bus deployment by providing school and transit bus fleets with free technical assistance to develop comprehensive and customized fleet electrification transition plans.   Open on a rolling basis 
Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU)  EPA initiative provides drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater (water sector) utilities with practical tools, training, and technical assistance to increase system resilience to climate change impacts. CRWU helps promote a clear understanding of climate data and helps water sector utilities identify potential adaptation strategies, implementation options, and infrastructure financing. Open on a rolling basis
     
Solid Waste Management Grants  USDA $ for organizations that provide technical assistance or training to improve the planning and management of solid waste sites in rural areas and towns with a population of 10,000 or less.  December 31, 2024
Clean School Bus Rebates Rebates to replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. Prioritized applicants are high-need school districts, rural school districts, Bureau of Indian Education-funded school districts, and school districts that receive basic support payments for children who reside on Indian land. January 9, 2025
Regional Infrastructure Accelerators Program DOT $ for technical resources, planning, and project development to expedite regional transportation infrastructure through innovative financing and delivery methods, including public-private partnerships.  January 9, 2025
Climate United NEXT/ National Clean Investment Fund Pre-Development EPA $ to help underserved and low-income communities deploy the next generation of clean energy projects, with the first round focused on projects in Native communities. Activities supporting projects directly benefiting Native communities are eligible, including: feasibility studies, community engagement, technical assistance, environmental impact studies, external consultants for project planning. $300,000 is available per award to Tribal governments, state and local governments, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education.  Tribal: January 10, 2025
Tribal Clean Energy Planning and Development Program DOE $ for Indian Tribes, Intertribal Organizations, and Tribal Energy Development Organizations to 1) conduct clean energy planning, 2) comprehensively assess the feasibility and viability of deploying clean energy technology, 3) conduct clean energy design and development activities.  January 23, 2025
Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grants

NFWF $ to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds, and the species and habitats they support. Proposals should include the following priorities: 1.) on-the-ground restoration, 2.) environmental outreach, education & training, 3.) community partnerships, 4.) measurable results, 5.) sustainability. 

There is one application submitted to NFWF for all sources of funding: 
- U.S. EPA Five Star Restoration Training Program 
- USDA Urban Waters Federal Partnership - to improve urban water quality, restore riparian habitat and community forests, increase public access to urban waterways and make linkages to municipal flood mitigation and stormwater programs
- U.S. FWS Urban Programs - to foster a sense of stewardship with urban neighbors near FWS lands (including Minneapolis/St. Paul) and improve habitat or access for outdoor recreation, or projects that protect/restore/enhance urban habitat for birds
- USDA People's Garden Initiative - to support community-based gardens that promote sustainable agriculture practices that benefit people and wildlife
- FedEx - to support projects in the Minneapolis/St. Paul are with any project - with particular emphasis on increasing/improving community tree canopy. 

 January 30, 2025
The Great Lakes Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program

$40 million distributed to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region (IN, IL, MI, MN, OH, WI). The program’s goal is to lift up community-led innovation and strengthen community-based groups by breaking down barriers to federal funding. Grants will be awarded to community-based nonprofits and other eligible organizations in the following three tiers:

Tier 1 - Assessment and Engagement: understand local challenges, needs, and opportunities. 
Tier 2 -Community Education and Planning: design, inform, and highlight local solutions. 
Tier 3 - Project Development and Implementation: pilot or implement project plans. 

 January 31, 2025 (Round 1)
Good Jobs in Clean Energy Prize Encourages building new and newly focused placed-based coalitions to create quality, accessible jobs and training partnerships in their community. Each coalition is required to include, at a minimum, one coalition representative from each of the five key stakeholder groups: 1. Labor organizations; 2. Clean energy employers; 3. Community-based organizations; 4. Public agencies; 5. Education and workforce providers.  January 31, 2025
Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) DOE $ to support rural and remote communities to build clean energy projects that 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. This program serves communities of 10,000 people or fewer. Applicants must propose projects that support at least one of these eligible activities: A. Improving overall cost-effectiveness of energy generation, transmission, or distribution systems; B. Siting or upgrading transmission and distribution lines; C. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation in rural or remote areas; D. Providing or modernizing electric generation facilities; E. Developing microgrids; and F. Increasing energy efficiency. Concept Paper: February 27, 2025
Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant EPA $ to implement the National Recycling Strategy to improve post-consumer materials management and infrastructure; support improvements to local post-consumer materials management and recycling programs; and assist local waste management authorities in making improvements to local waste management systems.  Tribes and Intertribal Consortia: March 14, 2025
Rural Energy for America Program USDA $ to fund the purchase and installation of renewable energy systems, such as: Biomass, Geothermal, Hydropower below 30 megawatts, Hydrogen, Small and large wind generation, Small and large solar generation, Ocean (tidal, current, thermal) generation. Funds may also be used by agricultural producers & small businesses (including those Tribally owned or Tribal member owned) and rural small businesses for the purchase, installation and construction of energy efficiency improvements, and replacement of energy-inefficient equipment. Funding ranges from $1,000,000 for a renewable energy system project to $500,000 for an energy efficiency improvement project.  March 31, 2025
Energy and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) Program The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG)Competitive Program aims to support units of local government including Indian Tribes ineligible for direct formula grants from DOE under the EECGB program to lower fossil fuel emissions and energy use in their jurisdictions. EECBG also has a competitive grant program for local governments, state-recognized Tribes, or teams of these communities.  Tribes: May 31, 2025
Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) Program for Tribes DOE funds to provide rebates to low- and moderate-income households installing efficient electric technologies. Rebates for home electrification upgrades range from $840 to $14,000 per household. Once DOE has approved a Tribe’s HEAR application, the Tribe may launch its program and begin issuing rebates.  Application reviewed on a rolling basis until May 31, 2025
Landscape Scale Restoration Grant Program for Tribes USDA Forest Service $ for federally recognized Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations/Villages, and Tribal organizations to encourage collaborative, science-based restoration of priority rural forest landscapes that lead to measurable outcomes on the landscape, leverage public and private resources, and further priorities identified in science-based restoration strategies. Funding ranges from $50,000- $300,000 per award.  December 16, 2025
Tax Provision Summary
Production Tax Credit for Electricity from Renewables

For production of electricity from eligible renewable sources, including wind, biomass, geothermal, solar, small irrigation, landfill and trash, hydropower, marine and hydrokinetic energy. Credit Amount (for 2022): 0.55 cents/kW (2.75 if PWA met).

  • Clean Energy Production Tax Credits available for clean electricity for facilities that begin construction and are placed in service after 2024; credits starting in 2025. 
Investment Tax Credit for Energy Property

For investment in renewable energy projects including fuel cell, solar, geothermal, small wind, energy storage, biogas, microgrid controllers, and combined heat and power properties. Credit Amount: 6% of qualified investment (30% if PWA met).

  • Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit available for facilities that begin construction and are place in service after 2024. 
  • Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit available for small-scale solar and wind or clean electricity facilities on Indian land, federally subsidized housing, in low-income communities, and benefit low-income households. Allocated through an application process. Credit Amount: 10 or 20 percentage point increase on base investment tax credit.
Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit For purchasers of commercial clean vehicles. Qualifying vehicles include passenger vehicles, buses, ambulances, and certain other vehicles for use on public streets, roads, and highways. Credit Amount: Up to $40,000 (max $7,500 for vehicles <14,000 lbs)
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit For alternative fuel vehicle refueling and charging property, located in low-income and non-urban areas. Qualified fuels include electricity, ethanol, natural gas, hydrogen, and biodiesel. Credit Amount: 6% of basis for businesses and can increase to 30% if PWA is met.

  • Opening Soon 

Funding Opportunity: Summary: Announcement Dates
Climate United NEXT/ National Clean Investment Fund Pre-Development EPA $ to help underserved and low-income communities deploy the next generation of clean energy projects. Activities may include: feasibility studies, community engagement, technical assistance, environmental impact studies, external consultants for project planning. $300,000 is available per award to Tribal governments, state and local governments, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education.  Later in 2025

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA): Also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, became law on November 15, 2021. The IIJA authorized $1.2 trillion in funding opportunities across a wide variety of infrastructure subject areas, including:

  • All IIJA Opportunities for Minnesota (MN Management and Budget)
  • Energy - Funding opportunities authorized under IIJA include grid modernization, new electric transmission, energy system resiliency and reliability updates, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, improvement to the energy efficiency of buildings, smart manufacturing, carbon capture and carbon utilization projects, renewable energy technologies and demonstration projects and other innovative initiatives. 
  • Transportation - provides higher funding levels and many new formula and discretionary grant programs that will expand the definition of transportation infrastructure and address health and community-driven outcomes. 
    • MnDOT: available grants and information about formula funding. 
    • DOT Navigator, US DOT: technical assistance to help communities understand the best ways to apply for grants, and to apply for and deliver transformative infrastructure projects and services. 
  • Water Infrastructure 
  • More resources: 

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA): became law on August 16, 2022. The IRA authorized billions of dollars in funding opportunities across a wide variety of investment subject areas, including: 

Tags
Energy
Financial assistance
Adaptation/Resiliency
Climate
Mobility/Transportation
Water