State Energy Grants

The Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program (THCPP) offers Planning Grants designed to assist counties in developing comprehensive construction plans and specifications for full courthouse restoration projects. The core mission of this grant aligns with historic preservation efforts, aiming to restore these significant structures to their original historic period while simultaneously ensuring they meet contemporary standards for safety, accessibility, and energy efficiency. This dual focus ensures that the historical integrity of the courthouses is maintained while also making them functional and compliant with modern requirements, reflecting a broader strategic priority of sustainable preservation. The primary beneficiaries of the THCPP Planning Grants are Texas counties that possess historic courthouses in need of restoration. The immediate impact goal is to provide these counties with the necessary documentation—specifically, 95% complete construction plans and specifications—to advance their restoration initiatives. By achieving this, the program facilitates a crucial preparatory step, allowing counties to become "shovel ready" and significantly increasing their eligibility and competitiveness for future restoration funding. This directly supports the foundation's theory of change by removing a key barrier to large-scale preservation projects: the lack of detailed, professional planning. The program's priorities are clearly focused on the meticulous planning and preparation phase of courthouse restoration. This involves ensuring that the generated construction plans and specifications are not only historically accurate but also incorporate current standards for safety, accessibility, and energy efficiency. A key focus is to equip counties with high-quality documents that will serve as a strong foundation for future funding applications, with the incentive of gaining up to 10 additional points for being "shovel ready." This strategic emphasis on preparedness and quality planning underpins the program's approach to maximizing preservation outcomes. The expected outcomes of the THCPP Planning Grants are multi-faceted. Firstly, counties will produce detailed construction plans and specifications that are 95% complete, which is a measurable result indicating the readiness for full-scale restoration. Secondly, these documents will enable eligible counties to apply for subsequent restoration funding cycles, with the program anticipating a higher success rate for counties with approved plans. The ultimate, long-term impact goal is the successful restoration of historic courthouses across Texas, ensuring their continued use and appreciation while meeting modern demands. This contributes to the foundation's overarching strategic priority of preserving cultural heritage and ensuring the longevity of these important public buildings.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for a Chicago-based electric vehicle component manufacturer to invest in machinery and equipment for lithium metal battery production, aligning with state initiatives in renewable energy.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations and local governments in New York to develop infrastructure projects that improve food access and resilience in underserved communities.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) Recycling Unit is offering grants to advance research, development, or demonstration of innovative and practical approaches to increase the reuse and recycling of batteries and other critical minerals. EGLE's broader mission involves protecting Michigan’s environment and public health by managing air, water, land, and energy resources, with a focus on addressing climate change, diversity, equity, and inclusion. This grant program aligns directly with EGLE's strategic priorities by promoting the circular economy and sustainable resource management, particularly in the context of clean energy production and electric vehicle technology. The target beneficiaries for these matching grants are Michigan public or private colleges or universities that grant baccalaureate degrees and are actively studying opportunities to recycle, innovate, and maximize the use of critical minerals from electric vehicles and other battery storage units. The impact goals are to support research into the reuse of critical materials for clean energy production and to increase the reuse and recycling of batteries and other critical minerals. Preference will be given to institutions with partnerships involving entities in the research, development, or demonstration of these innovative approaches. The program prioritizes research into the reuse of critical materials for clean energy production through circular economy efforts to capture and reuse critical minerals. Additionally, it focuses on research, development, or demonstration of projects that specifically recycle critical minerals from electric vehicles and other battery storage units. This focus reflects EGLE's theory of change, which posits that investing in innovative research and development within academic institutions, especially those with industry partnerships, will lead to practical solutions for critical mineral recovery and contribute to a more sustainable energy future. Expected outcomes include the development and demonstration of new concepts and projects that significantly increase the reuse and recycling rates of critical minerals from batteries. Measurable results would involve the number and impact of research, development, and demonstration projects supported, the amount of critical minerals recycled or reused as a direct result of these projects, and advancements in the understanding and implementation of circular economy principles for clean energy materials. A total of $4.75 million in funding is expected, with individual grant awards ranging from $500,000 to $2,500,000, further demonstrating the significant investment EGLE is making to achieve these outcomes over the anticipated grant period of October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2029.

This program provides competitive funding to municipalities, state agencies, and nonprofit organizations in Connecticut to combat and educate the public about the impacts of harmful aquatic invasive species in local waterways.

This funding opportunity is designed to assist electric vehicle component manufacturers in McLean County, Illinois, with capital improvements and equipment purchases to expand their operations and create jobs.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for organizations to create a strategic plan aimed at achieving carbon neutrality in the District of Columbia by 2040, with a focus on promoting equity for communities most affected by climate change.

This program provides financial assistance to eligible small businesses in California to help them enter or expand into international markets through subsidized events and reimbursement for export-related expenses.

The purpose of this solicitation is to fund an applied research and development project that will support research to assess the impact of consolidated packages of electrified retrofit measures on air quality and other related impact categories, including resilience to extreme heat, indoor comfort, and energy and cost savings in California homes. Description: This research will identify and assess non-energy benefits of home electrification and evaluate key stakeholders’ (e.g., residents, contractors) experience with the retrofitting process. Ultimately, this work will provide guidance on how these benefits could be considered in strategies and decisions to retrofit or replace gas-fueled appliances with electric. The proposed research is intended to provide crucial support to the state’s efforts to address challenges in building decarbonization and to minimize air quality impacts to its residents. The research responds to the 2021-2025 California Energy Commission (CEC) Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) Investment Plan research initiative “Evaluating Air Quality, Health, and Equity in Clean Energy Solutions.” CEC’s California Building Decarbonization Assessment report, required by Assembly Bill 3232 (Friedman, Chapter 373, Statutes of 2018) suggests that efficient electrification in California’s buildings presents the most readily achievable pathway for this sector to achieve a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gases relative to 1990 levels by 2030 (Kenney, et al. 2021). The same report acknowledges significant challenges associated with residential building decarbonization including high upfront costs, potential for increased utility bills, limited awareness of technology options and their benefits, constraints faced by renters, and systemic inequality faced by low-income and disadvantaged communities. There are many non-market factors to consider in decisions to retrofit or replace appliances, such as the non-energy benefits of home electrification (e.g., health, comfort, and household economics) that many are not aware of. Additionally, there are many not-yet characterized potential benefits of electrification retrofits in existing homes (e.g., improved air quality). These existing homes pose challenges — as well as enormous potential benefits — related to electrification; however, they are not typically covered under the Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, which apply only to new buildings and buildings undergoing permitted upgrades. Improvements in indoor air quality and related health outcomes are of particular importance to populations in low-income and disadvantaged communities, which are often disproportionately burdened by energy-related air pollutants. For example, in August 2023, the operating lives of three once through cooling (OTC) fossil gas power plants were extended through 2026 to provide reserve generation during power emergencies (CalMatters 2023, California Energy Commission 2023) and the emissions from OTC smokestacks can impact the outdoor and indoor air quality of residents living near those plants. In addition, wildfire-generated air pollution poses an added threat, possibly compounding already existing air quality issues in these communities. Eligibility Requirements Eligible Applicants: Business Individual Nonprofit Other Legal Entity Public Agency Tribal Government This solicitation is open to all public and private entities with the exception of local publicly owned electric utilities. Eligible Geographies: No local publicly owned electric utilities. Matching Funding Requirement: Match funding is required in the amount of at least 5% minimum of the requested CEC funds.

This program provides free technical assistance to small Pennsylvania businesses to help them improve their operations and competitiveness by connecting them with expert resources and solutions for specific technical challenges.

This funding opportunity supports organizations that partner with startups to advance and scale innovative clean energy technologies in Massachusetts, helping them navigate challenges to achieve commercial success.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for programs that train and certify workers in Maine's residential energy efficiency sector, promoting job placement and business development in clean energy careers.

This program provides $2 million in funding to support the development of geothermal energy systems for various entities in Colorado, prioritizing projects that benefit low-income and underserved communities.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is offering the 2024 Community & Urban Forestry Assistance (CUFA) Grant. This program aims to foster the long-term growth and development of community forestry programs throughout Indiana. The core mission of the grant aligns with enhancing the quality of life for residents by investing in sustainable urban forest management. The overall funding available for this program is $230,000, with individual project requests ranging from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $25,000. The target beneficiaries of the CUFA Grant include municipalities (cities, towns, townships, counties, and other local government entities as defined by IC 369-1-2) and non-profit 501(c)3 organizations. The grant's impact goals are broad, focusing on the expansion and preservation of urban tree canopy, increased and more equitable access to urban tree canopy, broadened community engagement in urban forest planning, and improved resilience to climate change, pests, and storm events through best management practices. The program prioritizes several key areas. These include establishing and strengthening community urban forestry programs, promoting urban forestry benefits through proper tree selection, planting, and care, establishing comprehensive tree inventories for data-driven decisions, and promoting risk management through tree assessment and mitigation plans. The grant also emphasizes restoring diminished community tree canopy, diversifying urban forests for long-term resilience, and ensuring urban forests provide ecosystem services such as cleaner air, improved watershed health, reduced erosion, stormwater runoff, and reduced urban heat island effects. Expected outcomes and measurable results include addressing historic inequities in urban forestry, adapting urban forest accessibility to changing demographics, promoting the Indiana nursery and arboriculture industries, and enhancing the built environment through increased property values and reduced energy demands. The grant supports activities such as the development of tree inventories or urban tree canopy assessments, creation or update of urban forestry management/response plans, education and training, and community engagement and tree planting initiatives. All tree planting projects must include community engagement, occur on public property, utilize 100% native Indiana species (with limited exceptions for Acer genus trees), and include a maintenance plan. Other supported activities include urban wood utilization, establishment of urban food forests, invasive species removal, and community website development specific to urban forestry.

This grant provides funding to public and private entities to develop a network of fast-charging electric vehicle stations along major highways in Minnesota, promoting accessible and reliable EV infrastructure.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to individuals, local governments, and businesses in Texas for replacing or upgrading older vehicles and equipment to reduce harmful nitrogen oxide emissions.

This program provides financial support to rural and high-risk communities in Colorado for planning and building microgrids that enhance resilience against electric grid disruptions, prioritizing projects that utilize non-fossil fuel sources and serve essential community institutions.

This grant provides funding for a variety of entities, including governments, educational institutions, and farmers, to research and demonstrate the integration of solar energy systems with agricultural practices in Colorado.

This funding initiative provides financial support for innovative projects that enhance oil recovery methods in North Dakota, particularly targeting collaborations between oil operators, service companies, and research institutions.

This grant provides funding to organizations involved in battery production and energy storage innovation to establish a pilot manufacturing facility in California, promoting advanced lithium-ion battery technologies for clean energy solutions.