Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and other federal and state funding announcements

The Minnesota Department of Commerce seeks to work with and facilitate connections with local and Tribal governments, utilities, businesses, communities and other entities interested in energy-related partnerships. The opportunities outlined below are funded by the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and other state and federal programs.

To facilitate a quick review of this newsletter, the subject matter of included items is previewed here; full details can be found in the body of the newsletter.

Announcements

Seeking Partners for EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF)?Solar For All
Seeking Board Members for the Minnesota Climate Innovation Finance Authority
Seeking Candidates for Open Energy Transition Advisory Committee Positions
New Commerce Website for State Funding Opportunities for Energy Projects

Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA), Administrative and Legal Requirements Document (ALRD), Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), Requests for Applications (RFA)

DOE Awards for Submitted Applications:
- 40511 Resilient and Efficient Codes
- 40101d Grid Resilience Formula Grants for States and Tribes
IRA 60103 EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) Funding Opportunities
- National Clean Investment Fund (NCEF)
- Clean Communities Investment?Accelerator (CCIA)
Other Local Funding for Community Based Organizations and Community Members
- Great Plains Institute Electric Vehicle Education for All initiative
- Community Owned Solar Leadership Training

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Seeking Partners for EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF)?Solar For All:

The Minnesota Department of Commerce will be leading a statewide proposal for the EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reduction funds Solar for All program under Award Option 1 of the FOA.??Commerce intends to submit an application to scale low-income solar projects for single family, multi-family, and community solar gardens. We encourage other eligible and interested entities, including tribes, municipalities and eligible nonprofits, to contact Commerce at [email protected]?expressing interest in participating in a collaborative application.? Please include any priorities and ideas for harnessing resources within your community and your key constituents.?

Seeking Board Members for the Minnesota Climate Innovation Finance Authority

On behalf of Governor Walz, the MN Secretary of State's office is seeking applications from members of the public to serve on the Board of Directors for the newly created Climate Innovation Finance Authority (CIFA).? Details about the responsibilities of the position and a link to the authorizing statute can be found on the web page of the Minnesota Secretary of State.? The Board of Directors for CIFA will consist of 13 Board members, of which seven will represent specific stakeholder groups.

Job postings and application details for the seven open stakeholder positions can be found at each of the links below.?Board member candidates with the following expertise are being sought:

Application window: now though September 6, 2023.?Review of applications will begin on July 20, 2023, and continue through the application window.

Seeking Candidates for Open Energy Transition Advisory Committee Positions

On behalf of the Commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the MN Secretary of State's office is seeking applications from those wishing to serve on the Energy Transition Advisory Committee.? Details about the responsibilities of the positions and a link to the authorizing statute can be found on the web page of the Minnesota Secretary of State.? The advisory committee consists of 18 voting members and eight ex officio nonvoting members.

Job postings and application details for potential committee members to fill positions in the eight open stakeholder groups can be found at each of the links below. The following advisory committee candidates are being sought:

Application window: Open now.?Review of applications will begin on July 31, 2023, and continue through the application window.

New Commerce Website for State Funding Opportunities for Energy Projects

Funding for energy related projects is now being shared online by the Division of Energy Resources at the Minnesota Department of Commerce.?

The?New Energy Programs page joins with the existing Federal Funding opportunities?page to provide additional insight for Minnesotans on new state funding opportunities around energy opportunities and programs. ?Details on the new rebates, grants and other programs will be added to the site as the programs are developed by Commerce to make those funds accessible to all Minnesotans.?

Bookmark this new page for future reference:?New Energy Programs / Minnesota Department of Commerce - Energy (mn.gov), and please plan to check back frequently for other updates. Updates are currently included for the EV Rebate Program?and Heat Pump Rebate Program (LINK). You can also stay current by signing up for our newsletter by clicking this link.

The legislation authorizing these new programs can be read by clicking on the links below. The table below references the appropriate link for each specific program.

Recent and expected federal funding activity

The federal government issues a variety of announcements related to federal funding opportunities: Requests for Information (RFI), Notices of Intent (NOI) and Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA). More information can be found on the Commerce Federal Funding Opportunities?web page or by clicking the links below.

IIJA Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA)

DOE Awards for Submitted Applications

IIJA 40511 Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation.?The DOE Building Technology Office has awarded $5.3 Million to the?Minnesota Advanced Energy Code Partnership for the A Path to Net Zero project.??The proposal was submitted by the Center for Energy and the Environment on behalf of the Partnership; partners in the partnership include Commerce, Department of Labor and Industry, University of Minnesota Center for Sustainable Building Research, Xcel Energy, Minnesota Power, Ottertail Power, 2050 Partners, NORESCO, CADEO Group, GARD Analytics.?Also involved is the Project Advisory Council, made up of representatives from nine local and tribal governments and twelve representatives from labor, building and multifamily housing organizations, MN DEED,? CAPI and energy non-profits.

IIJA 40101d Grid Resiliency?and Reliability Formula Grants.?The DOE approved Commerce's submission to the 40101 Formula Grants. Commerce is developing a sub-award process and program; sub-award program implementation is expected to begin later in 2023. The formula allocation to MN Commerce was for both Year 1 & 2 funding, with a combined funding of $11,987,794.? The draft of Commerce's 40101d plan along with the Q&A document from the Public Hearing on that draft,? can be reviewed on Commerce's Federal Funding Opportunities web page.

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IRA Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA)

60103 EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (CCRF) National Clean Investment Fund (NCEF)?
- EPA-R-HQ-NCIF-23
- Deadline: Application: October 12, 2023

The EPA has announced the opening of the application submittal window for $14 billion in funding to provide grants to support two-to-three national clean financing institutions, enabling them to partner with the private sector to provide accessible, affordable financing for tens of thousands of clean technology projects nationwide.

60103 EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) Clean Communities Investment?Accelerator (CCIA)?
- EPA-R-HQ-CCIA-23
- Deadline: Application: October 12, 2023

The EPA has announced the opening of the application submittal window for $6 billion in funding to provide grants to support two-to-seven hub nonprofit organizations, enabling them to provide funding and technical assistance to public, quasi-public, not-for-profit, and non-profit community lenders working in low-income and disadvantaged communities?supporting the goal that every community in the country has access to the capital they need to deploy clean technology projects.

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Other Local Funding Opportunity for Community-Based Organizations and Community Members

Great Plains Institute Electric Vehicle Education for All initiative
- The Great Plains Institute and its Transportation & Fuels team is seeking proposals to conduct community engagement about electric mobility for the Electric Vehicle Education for All initiative.??Selected organizations will receive up to $15,000 each to co-create an engagement plan with GPI staff, who will provide additional resources and technical assistance. GPI primary focus for engagement is with renters, people of color, low-income communities, people with limited access to transportation, people with physical disabilities, and communities that experience heavy air pollution. Project implementation will begin October 2023 and run through 2024; more information?can be found?on?GPI?s web site.

Community Owned Solar Leadership Training
- The People's Solar Energy Fund (PSEF) and Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) are currently accepting applications for the Movement for Solar Capacity and Leadership (?MSCL?) program, which provides free training in one of society?s most important and rapidly growing fields - solar development. The program enables meaningful engagement with other highly-motivated solar learners to cross-pollinate ideas and strategies, and is a vehicle to connect with national partners.??The program has two core components:?
  - Free solar training through an online university program.*?
  - A small intimate learning community/cohort with additional opportunities to learn and connect.?
  - More specifically, the MSCL program involves:
    - education and training regarding solar energy, and particularly "community solar" focused on serving LMI (low and moderate income) communities;
    - Learning about the new federal climate programs offering millions of dollars to LMI and communities of color;
    - Building community with a select group of other trainees;?
    - An "each-one teach-one" approach with participants having the opportunity to give back by relaying their education and training to their community-based organization;
    - Connecting with national partners engaged in promoting climate, racial and economic justice.

Applications due: July 27, 2023.? More information can be found on the People's Solar Energy Fund web page.

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For energy-specific funding opportunities, Commerce is here for you!

The Minnesota Department of Commerce seeks to work with and facilitate connections with local and Tribal governments, utilities, businesses, communities, and other entities interested in energy-related partnerships.?These opportunities are funded by the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Minnesota Energy and Environment Omnibus Bill, and other state and federal energy programs.

Interested in partnering with Commerce on funding opportunities or have questions? Stay updated by clicking subscribe below and e-mail us at?[email protected].

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