Federal $

Need help?

Federal Programs: 

  • 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
Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program; Tribal Transit Program  FTA $ to support investments that: enhance safety, renew transit systems, reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the public transportation sector, improve equity, and connect communities. Eligible activities include planning, capital, and operating assistance for tribal transit services in rural areas.  November 13, 2024
Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (MARC) grant EPA $ to address sites contaminated by hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants (including hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum) and petroleum. November 14, 2024
Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants

EPA funds for community-driven projects which address climate challenges, reducing pollution and strengthening communities.  Projects to be funded will enable disadvantaged communities to overcome longstanding environmental challenges and implement meaningful solutions. EPA will also dedicate $200 million in funding to technical assistance to awardees under this program. Applications will be considered under the following tracks:

  • Track I: Community-Driven Investments for Change - focused on multi-faceted applications with Climate Action and Pollution Reduction Strategies to meaningfully improve the environmental, climate, and resilience conditions affecting disadvantaged communities. Approximately 150 grants to be awarded ranging from $10-20 million each. Track 1 applicants who score well on the written application will be invited to participate in an oral presentation to share information about the community-oriented nature of their projects and how they will successfully implement the grant.
  • Track II: Meaningful Engagement for Equitable Governance – projects to facilitate the engagement of disadvantaged communities in governmental processes to advance environmental and climate justice. Approximately 20 grants will be awarded, ranging from $1-3 million each. The Track II application process does not involve an oral presentation.
 Application reviewed on a rolling basis until November 21, 2024
Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Tribal and Territory Grants  EPA funding with~$9 million to incentivize and accelerate the upgrading or retirement of diesel engine vehicles. Eligible activities include the retrofit or replacement of existing diesel engines, vehicles, and equipment with the EPA and California Air Resources Board (CARB) certified engine configurations and verified retrofit and idle reduction technologies.  December 6, 2024
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. 

Communities: December 20, 2024

Tribes and Intertribal Consortia: March 14, 2025
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
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. 

Webinar: November 21

January 30, 2025
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
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
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
Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking  Provides subgrants to community-based nonprofits and other eligible subrecipients for assessment, planning, and project development activities. Fall 2024

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