This week, the Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announced $300 million for projects that increase energy affordability and promote climate resilience and $15 million for a prize competition to help rural communities build the capacity needed for clean energy development and deployment. These two new funding opportunities are a critical component of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) program, which aims to improve the resilience, reliability, and affordability of energy systems in communities across the country with 10,000 or fewer people. 

Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas
A $300 million funding opportunity will award projects that increase energy affordability and promote climate resilience with an anticipated federal cost share ranging from $5 to $100 million per project. DOE seeks to provide equal opportunity to qualified applicants and enable potential replication in rural and remote communities across the nation.

The Energizing Rural Communities Prize 
DOE is also launching the Energizing Rural Communities Prize to support capacity building to remove two of the biggest barriers to improving energy systems in rural or remote areas: developing necessary partnerships and securing financing. Through $15 million in funding, this prize competition will help build partnerships by connecting communities to government funding and a network of partners that can help implement clean energy projects.

View the full funding opportunity and register to apply on OCED Exchange. Concept papers are due by April 14, 2023, and full applications are due by June 28, 2023.
Read more about the Energizing Rural Communities Prize. Full applications are due by May 24, 2023.