Office Updates
Register Now: Leveraging Opportunities To Bring Tribal Clean Energy Projects Online
2024 Tribal Energy Webinar Series
 📅 Wednesday, June 26 | 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. MT
Join the Office of Indian Energy for the latest updates on the Low-Income Bonus Credit Program, which is now accepting applications for investment tax credits for solar and wind energy facilities on Indian land.
Additionally, learn how the Independent Power Producer (IPP) framework is being used to bring clean energy projects online in Alaska with Northwest Arctic Borough.
Guest speakers will also share technical assistance resources available to Tribes for navigating current clean energy policies, along with a case study on how the Seneca Nation leveraged existing partnerships with their providers to bring renewable energy and broadband projects online.
News
Webinar Recording: Solar-Plus-Storage and Microgrid Projects are Great Candidates for Tribal Energy Finance Program
 During a Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA) webinar on June 4, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Tribal Energy Finance Program shared how solar-plus-storage and microgrid projects can address the needs of Tribes' high-load facilities—such as gaming, hospitality, and retail facilities—and how the Loan Programs Office can provide support.
Additionally, the Tribal Energy Finance Program has created a specialized outreach initiative for Tribes to leverage DOE financing for solar-plus-storage and microgrid projects.
Visit energy.gov/LPO/tribalresiliency to view five potential use cases and a simplified pre-application consultation request form for Tribes that are interested in these types of projects.
Find Incentives and Upgrade Your Home to the Clean Energy Future
ENERGY STAR® recently launched a home improvement savings tool to help consumers identify and learn about federal, state, and local incentives for home efficiency upgrades for heating and cooling systems, water heaters, insulation, and more.
This new web tool is a zip code-based resource that helps identify energy efficiency incentives that are available in your area, including utility rebates, federal income tax credits, and now state rebates for home efficiency improvements. It also includes buying guidance, information on eligible products, and links to local retailers and installers.
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DOE Welcomes New Round of Clean Energy Leaders to Peer-Learning Cohorts
 On June 12, DOE announced a new round of leaders from 45 entities that will collaborate on common clean energy opportunities and challenges through the Clean Energy to Communities program's peer-learning cohorts.
Congratulations to Tribal participants joining the following cohorts:
Designing and Enhancing Energy Efficiency Programs for Residential Buildings:
- Cheyenne River Long-Term Recovery Group, Eagle Butte, South Dakota
- Kotzebue, Alaska.
Charting a Path to Municipal Fleet Electrification:
- Potawatomi Ventures, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Funding Opportunities
Printable Flyer: Tribal Clean Energy Funding Opportunities
- Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program
- USDA Rural Energy for America Program
- USDA Rural Community Development
- Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project
- NEW: Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program.
Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program
The initial 30-day application window closes June 27, 2024; applications submitted outside that window will be evaluated on a rolling basis.
On May 28, the U.S. Department of Treasury, IRS, and DOE announced the opening of the application portal for the 2024 program year of the Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program.
This program, under §48(e) of the Internal Revenue Code promotes cost-saving clean energy investments in low-income communities and on Indian land as part of affordable housing developments and benefitting low-income households. The Program provides a process for owners of qualified solar or wind facilities to apply for an allocation of capacity limitation that increases the existing §48 energy investment credit by 10 or 20 percentage points.
Rural Energy for America Program: Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements
$1 billion
Quarterly deadlines June 30 and Sept. 30.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications on a quarterly basis for $1 billion in grants to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses invest in renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements. These grants are available under the Rural Energy for America Program and will prioritize communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution.
USDA Seeks Applications for Grants to Fund Community and Economic Development Projects in Rural Communities
$5 million
Apply by July 10.
USDA Rural Development is making up to $5 million in grants available under the Rural Community Development Initiative program. The program provides funding to organizations that provide financial and technical assistance for housing, community facilities, or community and economic development projects. Eligible applicants include public (including Tribal) organizations, nonprofit organizations, and qualified private organizations.
Applications Open for Remote and Island Communities To Receive Technical Assistance
Apply by July 10.
There’s less than a month left to apply to the next cohort of DOE’s Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP), which provides technical assistance for remote and island communities to bolster their energy resilience through tailored solutions. New this year, communities selected for technical assistance will also receive direct funding to support their time and engagement on the ETIPP project.
 Ouzinkie, Alaska—a remote community of about 200 people in the Kodiak Archipelago—partnered with ETIPP researchers to better understand how to reduce its reliance on diesel fuel and incorporate renewable energy technologies into its power system.
Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program ROUND 2
$1.3 billion
Applications are due by Aug. 28, 2024.
This funding from the Federal Highway Administration will expand the national electric vehicle charging network by funding charging and alternative-fueling infrastructure in urban and rural communities and along designated highways, interstates, and major roadways—including charging at multifamily housing and destinations where vehicles are parked.
Events
- EECBG Program Tribal Applicant Office Hours
- NAIHC Annual Convention and Tradeshow
- Tribal Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates Program Office Hours
- Webinar: Leveraging Opportunities to Bring Tribal Clean Energy Projects Online
- Tribal Home Energy Rebates Office Hours.
EECBG Program Tribal Applicant Office Hours
📅 June 20; July 11, 25
Hosted on a bi-weekly basis. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program provides $8.8 million to 774 eligible Tribes, including Alaska Native Regional and Village corporations.
National American Indian Housing Council Annual Convention and Tradeshow
📅 June 24–27 | Hollywood, Florida
Visit the DOE booth and learn more about Tribal funding and resources from the Office of Indian Energy and the Office of State and Community Energy Programs.
Tribal Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates Program Office Hours
📅 June 25; July 2, 9, 16
Office hours are hosted on a bi-weekly basis. This program will provide up to $14,000 per eligible Tribal household for energy efficiency and electrification home upgrades.
2024 Tribal Energy Webinar Series: Leveraging Opportunities to Bring Tribal Clean Energy Projects Online
📅 June 26 | 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. MT
Join the Office of Indian Energy for the latest updates on the Low-Income Bonus Credit Program, which is now accepting applications for investment tax credits for solar and wind energy facilities on Indian land.
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