OEI Grant Programs
Rural Energy Startup Program
- The Rural Energy Startup Program (RESP) Round 2, funded by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG), opened on May 30, 2025, with $1 million in total funding available.
- RESP supports communities taking initial steps to reduce energy use, reduce fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency.
- The initial application period will remain open until 1:30 PM CT July 16, 2025. The grant system may remain open beyond that date and allow applicants to submit an application if funds remain available. The Commission may authorize the awarding of additional grants accepted in the PSC Grants System after the initial due date, as time and funds allow.
- RESP eligible applicants include rural cities, villages, towns, and counties that were not eligible to receive a direct allocation from the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) and are considered rural for the purposes of this program.
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- Applicants can use the OEI Map to check whether their county or municipality is considered rural for the purposes of this program by turning on the “Wisconsin Rural Region” layer and searching their project location.
- If you are interested in the list of entities that were eligible to receive a direct allocation from DOE, and therefore are not served by this program, please contact the OEI.
- Priority will be given to rural applicants that are considered Disadvantaged Communities (DAC) as shown on the OEI Map by making sure the “Disadvantaged and Tribal Communities” layer is on and visible. While it is not necessary for an applicant to be located within a DAC or have a DAC located within the planned project area, priority will be given to applicants meeting those qualifiers.
- There are three types of eligible activities: comprehensive energy planning, renewable resource planning, and energy audits and building upgrades/retrofits.
- Eligible applicants can receive up to $75,000 for comprehensive energy planning and renewable resource planning, and up to $125,000 for energy efficiency audits and building upgrades or retrofits, with no match required.
- To learn more about RESP eligibility requirements and eligible activities, visit the RESP website and the RESP Application Instructions links below.
Inflation Reduction Act Home Energy Rebates
- The Home Energy Rebate programs, Home Efficiency Rebates (HOMES) and the Home Electrification Appliance Rebates (HEAR) provide rebates to households for energy-saving improvements and other efficient equipment.
- At this time, Wisconsin’s Home Energy Rebate program is operational, and rebate payments are currently being processed as they are received. Wisconsin is continuing to monitor developments at the federal level and will share any updates as they are provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.
- The Multifamily portions of both HOMES and HEAR are now available. This limited offering allows each IRA Registered Contractor a maximum of two building reservations. Projects must have an expected completion date of on or before October 31, 2025.
- To learn more about the Home Energy Rebate programs, how to apply, and the requirements, visit the link below.
Focus on Energy
Quadrennial Planning Process V
- Coming in July! The Commission will release a pre-scoping request for public comment seeking input on priority issues for Quadrennium V of Focus on Energy (2027-2030).
- Commission staff will consider the comments received during the comment period when developing the staff memorandum on the proposed scope of Quadrennial Planning Process V (QPP V) – anticipated by early 2026.
- Visit the link below and subscribe to the QPP V docket (use Docket ID: 5-FE-105) to receive email notifications when new documents are filed.
2025 Energy Efficiency Excellence Awards
- Focus on Energy has awarded 11 outstanding Wisconsin businesses, organizations, agribusiness, and program partners for their commitment to saving energy.
- These businesses and organizations go above and beyond basic energy efficiency measures to implement impactful and sustainable solutions.
- To see the full list of 2025 Energy Efficiency Excellence Awardees and to read their success stories, visit the link below.
Funding Opportunities
Low or No Emission Grant Program and the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program
- The Federal Transit Authority (FTA) announced the opportunity to apply for $1.1 billion in competitive grants for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Low or No Emission Grant Program (Low-No Program) and approximately $398 million in competitive grants for the FY 2025 Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program (Bus Program).
- For the Low-No Program:
- Eligible recipients and subrecipients are designated recipients, states (including territories and Washington, D.C.), local government entities, and federally recognized Indian tribes.
- Eligible activities include capital projects to purchase or lease zero-emission or low-emission transit buses; and acquire, construct, rehabilitate, and lease required supporting facilities such as recharging, refueling, and maintenance facilities.
- For the Bus Program:
- Eligible recipients are designated recipients, states (including territories and Washington, D.C.), local government entities, and federally recognized Indian tribes. Except for Indian tribes, eligible recipients must allocate funds to or operate fixed-route bus service.
- Eligible subrecipients are all otherwise eligible recipients and private nonprofit organizations engaged in public transportation. Eligible subrecipients are not required to allocate funds to or operate fixed route bus service.
- Eligible activities include capital projects to purchase, lease, or rehabilitate buses and related equipment; and acquire, construct, lease, or rehabilitate bus-related facilities.
- Complete proposals must be submitted electronically through the Grants.gov Bus and Low-No pages by 11:59 PM ET on July 14, 2025.
- To learn more about the Low-No and Bus Program, visit the links below.
Learning Opportunities
Regional Weather Resilience Workshop for Electric Utilities | Midwest
- The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), Argonne National Laboratory, and EPRI will host a Midwest Regional Weather Resilience Workshop for Electric Utilities in Lemont, IL on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, from 8 AM – 5 PM CT.
- This interactive workshop is designed to support cooperative, municipal, and tribal utilities’ weather resilience planning efforts. Utilities attending the regionally focused workshop will gain exposure to the topics of extreme weather modeling, assessing vulnerabilities, and resilience strategies. Additionally, attendees will engage with industry leaders and experts on how to successfully apply weather data to drive change within their organization.
- The workshop will help utilities:
- Increase utilities' weather resilience by providing access to leading data
- Create a space for regional utilities to collaborate on weather-based threats
- Deliver step-by-step guidance and customizable templates to build and execute a weather resilience plan
- Registration is open through Friday, July 11, 2025
Understanding Heat Pumps: Technology, Efficiency, and DOE Programs at ERC
- The University of Illinois Chicago Energy Resource Center is hosting a webinar that dives into the complexities of heat pump efficiency on June 25, 2025, at 11 AM CT.
- Discover how heat pumps achieve efficiencies exceeding 100% and gain insights into key concepts such as control volume, system boundaries, and equipment boundaries. The webinar will cover the importance of defining appropriate boundary lines when calculating heat pump efficiency and understanding the potential variations in efficiency measured at the equipment and system level.
- To register and learn more about the webinar, visit the link below.
Energy News and Research
Massachusetts Home-Electrification Pilot Wraps-Up
- A first-of-its-kind pilot that offers customers solar panels, heat pumps, and battery storage together is wrapping up in Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard. The program is unique because it provides customers these offerings as a package, rather than individual upgrades, offering a chance to see the effects of such a package offering for customers.
- The Cape Light Compact initiated the project and plans to release a full report on the pilot program in August.
- To read a news article about the pilot or a technical report on the pilot by the Clean Energy Group, visit the links below.
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