The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) authorizes DOE to invest $1 billion in energy improvements in rural or remote areas. DOE’s Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Program is managed by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). OCED will provide financial investment, technical assistance, and other resources to advance clean energy demonstrations and energy solutions that benefit rural and remote communities. 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. Support 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 practices; and
3. Build clean energy knowledge, capacity, and self-reliance in rural America.
This FOA provides $50 million in Federal funding and is designed to support small communitydriven clean energy projects requiring $500,000 to $5 million in Federal funding.
Deadlines:
The applicant and subrecipient(s) must be domestic entities. The following types of entities are eligible to participate either as prime recipients or subrecipients of this FOA: 1. State and local governmental entities; 2. Indian Nations (DOE Order 144.1, 7.a); 3. Non-profit entities; 4. For-profit entities; 5. Institutions of higher education; 6. Consortia.
An entity may submit more than one Pre-Application and Application to this FOA provided that each Pre-Application and subsequent Application describes a unique, distinct concept and provided that an eligible Pre-Application was submitted for each Application. There are no limits to submissions by prime applicant. DOE will notify applicants of its determination of selection or non-selection of the Pre-Application.
