Tribal Clean Energy Planning And Development - 2025
This funding opportunity provides financial support to Indian Tribes and related organizations to develop clean energy solutions and enhance energy independence on Tribal Lands.
The Tribal Clean Energy Planning and Development - 2025 grant, issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, aims to support Indian Tribes, including Alaska Native Regional and Village Corporations, Intertribal Organizations, and Tribal Energy Development Organizations. The funding opportunity is designed to assist tribal communities in overcoming barriers to clean energy development and accelerating the deployment of energy solutions on Tribal Lands. The program builds upon previous investments by the Office of Indian Energy to promote energy sovereignty and economic development among tribal communities. This grant focuses on three primary topic areas: (1) Tribal Clean Energy Planning, which includes strategic energy planning, energy audits, climate resiliency planning, and regulatory code development; (2) Comprehensive Clean Energy Feasibility and Viability Assessment, aimed at assessing the feasibility of deploying clean energy technology through resource assessments, load assessments, and economic viability studies; and (3) Design and Development of Clean Energy Projects, intended to prepare projects for deployment, including finalizing engineering designs and securing financing and approvals. The program requires applicants to demonstrate organizational and technical readiness and prioritize projects that address high energy costs, lack of access to traditional power grids, and tribal communities that have not previously received funding from the Office of Indian Energy. The total estimated funding available for this program is $25 million, with anticipated awards ranging from $100,000 to $2.5 million per project depending on the topic area. The DOE expects to issue between 20 and 40 awards under this opportunity. Cost-sharing is generally required at 10% of the total project costs, although applicants from tribal communities with a high poverty rate or low median household income relative to state averages may request a cost share reduction to 0%. Eligible applicants include Indian Tribes, Intertribal Organizations, and Tribal Energy Development Organizations on whose Tribal Buildings or Tribal Lands the proposed projects will be located. Applications must provide eligibility statements and evidence to support DOE’s determination of eligibility. Applicants must also register in the System for Award Management (SAM) and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) before submitting their application. Additionally, participation in an informational webinar scheduled for October 24, 2024, at 3:00 PM ET is encouraged for prospective applicants. The application process requires submission through the IE-Exchange online portal, including multiple required documents such as a technical volume, work plan, budget justification, and eligibility statements. Applications are due by March 20, 2025, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Awards are expected to be announced in Summer 2025, with negotiations to finalize awards taking approximately 90 days. For more details, applicants should review the full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) on the Office of Indian Energy’s Funding Opportunity Exchange at https://ie-exchange.energy.gov. For further assistance, applicants may contact the DOE Tribal Grants Office via email at TribalGrants@hq.doe.gov.
Award Range
$100,000 - $2,500,000
Total Program Funding
$25,000,000
Number of Awards
40
Matching Requirement
Yes - A 10% cost share of the total allowable costs of the project (i.e., the sum of the federal share, and the non-federal Recipient cost share of allowable costs equals the total allowable cost of the project) is required, unless the 10% cost share requirement is reduced to 0% as described in the FOA. All cost share must come from non-federal sources unless otherwise allowed by law (see Section III.B. for instances where additional federal funds can be used against the total project costs or as non-federal cost share, as allowed to by law). If requested by the Applicant as part of its application, a cost share reduction from 10% to 0% may be considered, based on poverty rate and median household income of the tribal community relative to the statewide median household income (see Section III.B.2. and ‘Application Forms and Templates’ for this FOA on IE-Exchange).
Additional Details
DOE funding per individual award under each Topic Area will range from: (1) Clean Energy Planning (Topic Area 1): No less than $100,000 to a maximum of $350,000, (2) Clean Energy Feasibility and Viability Assessment (Topic Area 2): No less than $100,000 to a maximum of $1,000,000, and (3) Development of Clean Energy Projects (Topic Area 3): No less than $250,000 to a maximum of $2,500,000.
Eligible Applicants
Additional Requirements
Please see full eligibility requirements under the FOA posting at https://ie-exchange.energy.gov. The Eligibility requirement are in Section III.A of the FOA document.
Geographic Eligibility
All
Application Opens
September 27, 2024
Application Closes
March 20, 2025
Grantor
US Department of Energy (Golden Field Office)
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