Louisiana Hubs for Energy Resilient Operations Program

The Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources (LDENR), Office of Energy, is administering a grant opportunity titled “Hubs for Energy Resilient Operations (HERO): Integrated Community Energy Planning” (ICEP). This initiative falls under the HERO Program, funded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovative Partnerships (GRIP) program. HERO aims to enhance grid resilience by building a robust network of community-led energy hubs (HERO Hubs) across Louisiana. This particular funding round is focused on launching the Community Planning Phase of the ICEP process, helping local communities identify and prioritize energy resilience needs and create preliminary plans for future infrastructure development. Louisiana is uniquely vulnerable to natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and other extreme weather events. Since 2000, the state has experienced over 50 billion-dollar disasters. These environmental challenges, combined with an aging and vulnerable electric grid, make it imperative to implement long-term, community-based energy solutions. The ICEP process will use a data-informed and community-driven approach to identify resilience needs, hazard risks, grid weaknesses, and energy burdens across the state. Participating communities will develop localized energy resilience plans that will inform the broader statewide resilience strategy expected to launch in 2026. Grants awarded under this opportunity are intended to support a 12-month planning period starting in October 2025. Eligible activities include community energy and resilience planning, stakeholder engagement, data analysis, engineering and design, financial assessments, and other technical or planning-related efforts. The ultimate goal is to generate a standardized community resilience report that will serve as a foundational input for future funding decisions and HERO Hub deployment. LDENR will assign a program liaison to each grantee to provide training, data resources, facilitation support, and technical assistance throughout the planning process. Eligible applicants include units of local government, electric grid operators (small or large utilities), and critical facilities. All proposals must demonstrate collaboration and include an eligible partnership consisting of at least a local government, a utility, and optionally, community-based organizations or planning groups. A 20% non-federal cost match is required for all proposals. Grants may request up to $125,000, with an overall funding pool of $1,875,000 available for up to 15 awards. The application process includes a required pre-application due by July 31, 2025, at 5 PM CDT, submitted via email to lahero@la.gov. The pre-application must include a proposal narrative, applicant and partner descriptions, a budget and metrics spreadsheet (Attachment A), and certifications related to federal compliance, cost allowability, conflict of interest, and more. Following the pre-application phase, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application. Registration with SAM.gov is required at this stage, and entities listed in the SAM Exclusion List will be deemed ineligible. The evaluation process will assess proposals across five categories: demonstrated community need, applicant capability, strength of partnerships, quality of community engagement, and geographic representation. A minimum score of 30 out of 50 is required for funding consideration. LDENR may open a rolling competitive application window after the initial awards if funds remain available.

The NOFO encourages applicants with limited capacity to apply via a pre-application phase to reduce the burden and receive early feedback. The program liaison will support training, data resources, and facilitation.