Energy Innovation Grant Program Round 6 Updates
- Round 6 of the Energy Innovation Grant Program (EIGP) opened on April 1, 2026.
- On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, the OEI hosted a webinar, EIGP Round 6 Application Webinar. Slides from the webinar are linked below.
- The deadline to submit an application is Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at 1:30 PM CT.
- Review the Application Instructions for eligible activities and applicant types, scoring criteria, and other relevant program information, including responses to questions that have been submitted.
- The PSC anticipates this sixth round is likely the last unless additional funding is authorized. In the 2025-27 biennial budget, Gov. Evers proposed investing $20 million in the EIGP program, but it was removed by the state legislature.
- To learn more about EIGP Round 6 and to apply, visit the links below.
Inflation Reduction Act Home Energy Rebates
Making Home Upgrades More Affordable
- For many households, the biggest barrier to home improvements is cost. The Inflation Reduction Act Home Energy Rebate (IRA HER) programs, delivered by Focus on Energy, are designed to address that challenge.
- The programs make it easier to upgrade homes, lower energy bills, stay comfortable year-round, and qualifying households with lower income levels can receive higher rebates.
- In some cases, a household may receive a rebate that covers the total cost of the upgrade. They would not pay any costs up front.
- The program also covers multifamily buildings, including new buildings, where at least 50 percent of the residents of the units are under income thresholds.
- To learn more about the IRA HER programs, including multifamily options, and to contact an Energy Advisor, visit the link below.
Focus on Energy
Focus on Energy Celebrates 25 Years of Measurable Economic Impact for Wisconsin
- For a quarter of a century, Focus on Energy has delivered real results for Wisconsin by helping residents and businesses reduce energy use, lower costs, and strengthen local communities.
- To learn more about the history and impact of Focus, visit the link below to watch the video and explore the numbers to see how continued investment in energy efficiency benefits everyone across Wisconsin.
New Business Tool Makes It Easier to Get Started with Energy Savings
- Finding the right energy solutions just got simpler. Focus on Energy has launched a new Business Resource Tool designed to help businesses quickly find the information and support they need.
- The new tool offers a streamlined way to explore incentives, connect with energy advisors, and identify energy-saving opportunities. By simplifying the process, businesses can more easily reduce energy use, lower operating costs, and take the next step toward improved efficiency.
- To get started, visit the Business Resource Tool link below.
Energy News and Research
OEI Launches Geothermal Webpage
- The Office of Energy Innovation (OEI) recently launched its Geothermal technical assistance page to support stakeholders looking to learn more about this topic.
- Geothermal heating and cooling use stable ground temperatures to provide an efficient heating or cooling option for homes and businesses when combined with a geothermal heat pump.
- The webpage describes the two types of geothermal, geothermal heating and cooling, challenges and benefits to geothermal, geothermal activities in Wisconsin, and potential rebates for geothermal systems.
- To learn about geothermal, visit the links below.
Funding Opportunities
Wisconsin Department of Transportation is Accepting Submissions for the Wisconsin Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (WEVI) Connecting Corridors Request for Proposals
- The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is now accepting applications to expand the coverage of federally funded electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Wisconsin to include heavily traveled U.S. and state highway corridors.
- On May 26, 2026, WisDOT released its WEVI Connecting Corridors Request for Proposals (RFP) document and the WEVI Connecting Corridors submission packet.
- WisDOT is currently accepting project proposals through Friday, July 24, 2026.
- Wisconsin currently has approximately $40 million available in unobligated funds for the program. Funding covers up to 80% of eligible costs. Prospective grantees are required to provide a minimum 20% match of the eligible costs from non-federal sources.
- Eligible applicants are:
- Private businesses, including corporations, partnerships, companies, or nonprofit organizations authorized to do business in Wisconsin
- Tribal organizations (as defined in Title 25 US Code Section 5304 (I))
- To learn more about the WEVI program and the RFP, visit the links below.
U.S. Department of Energy Announces $11.3 Million for Partnerships for Academic-Industry Career Training (PACT) Initiative
- The U.S. Department of Energy’s (U.S. DOE) Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office and Office of Indian Energy announced up to $11.3 million in federal funding available to institutions of higher education, including up to $2.3 million exclusively for Tribal Colleges and Universities, to train the next generation of America’s energy workforce.
- PACT will facilitate the development of hands-on training and credentialling programs in skillsets supporting the production of natural gas, oil, coal, and geothermal energy by establishing regional academic-industry consortia.
- There are two topic areas applicants can apply for:
- Topic A - Enhance: applicants seeking resources to enhance their existing training program(s) or reorient them to focus on energy careers.
- Topic B - Establish: applicants seeking resources to establish a new training program to focus on energy careers.
- Consortia will develop hands-on training and credentialling programs for occupations that address a regional need for workforce in one or more of the following technology areas:
- Integration, safe use, and maintenance of oil, natural gas, coal, and geothermal energy technologies
- Using carbon dioxide to improve hydrocarbon recovery
- Produced water treatment and disposal
- Power generation for data centers or remote operations
- Technologies that enable any of the above technology areas, including but not limited to:
- Construction related to the building-out of facilities or infrastructure
- Applying and using artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Geographic information systems
- Each awarded consortium must include:
- At least one (1) two-year IHE (e.g., vocational schools, trade schools, technical colleges, community colleges, TCUs).
- At least two (2) industry employers.
- At least one (1) workforce development entity.
- The consortium may include additional eligible partners
- There will be two office hour sessions to learn about the funding:
- Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 2 PM – 3 PM CT
- Tuesday, July 9, 2026, at 2 PM – 3 PM CT
- Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, July 17, 2026, by 4 PM CT.
- To learn more about the funding opportunity and to apply, visit the links below.
U.S. Department of Energy Announces $3.5 Million Available to Strengthen Microgrids in Remote Regions
- The Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership (C‑MAP), led by the U.S. Department of Energy's (U.S. DOE) Office of Electricity (OE) is offering up to $2.5 million in direct project support and approximately $1 million in technical assistance to build or enhance microgrids serving remote or isolated communities, as well as tribes.
- This funding opportunity will help energy providers and local governments improve microgrid systems that deliver affordable, reliable, and secure electricity in remote areas with high energy costs and poor grid reliability.
- Microgrids generate, store, and manage electricity within a defined boundary and can operate either independently or in coordination with the larger grid, providing a local solution to power disruptions.
- Selected projects will receive $200,000–$575,000 in direct funding, along with up to 24 months of technical and administrative support from national laboratories and community partners. Awardees will develop replicable microgrid models and advance OE supported research toward commercialization.
- There are five possible topic areas:
- Regional Microgrid Coordination: Supporting regional collaboration to improve reliability, resilience, security, and affordability for community-based microgrids
- Microgrid Integration with Large Load Energy Consumers: Providing resources to allow local utilities to work more closely with consumers with high energy needs
- Microgrid Development: Assisting detailed design efforts for major upgrades of new or existing microgrid energy systems
- Microgrid Transformation: Providing direct support for the implementation of innovative microgrid improvements
- Microgrid Assessment for Industrial or Other Large Load Energy Consumers: Assisting large energy consumers considering implementation of an advanced microgrid energy system.
- Applicants must be in areas of the United States with no more than 10,000 people where electricity prices are high. Eligible lead applicants include:
- Nonprofit entities supporting community based microgrid energy systems in remote areas of the U.S., including energy cooperatives
- Local governmental entities
- Federally recognized American Indian or Alaska Native Tribe or village
- S. businesses with the required SAM registration and DUNS number are also eligible under Topic Area 5
- Proposals are due Thursday, July 2, 2026, by 3 PM CT.
- For more information about the funding opportunity or to learn more about microgrids, visit the links below.
U.S. DOE’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation Requests Public Feedback on Initiative to Drive Industrial Innovation through Private Capital
- The U.S. Department of Energy’s (U.S. DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) announced a request for information (RFI) on how to facilitate cooperation between private-sector investors and U.S. DOE-supported technology developers. Responses to this RFI will inform the design of a new program concept: the Industrial Technology Capital Connector (ITCC).
- The ITCC will serve as a matchmaking program that accelerates the commercialization of American industrial technologies by empowering the private sector to actively participate in research and development (R&D).
- U.S. DOE is seeking input from capital providers (venture capital, angel investors, financial institutions) and adjacent organizations (incubators, accelerators, venture studios), as well as industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders.
- The RFI requests feedback on the following topics: (1) capital providers' perspective on the ITCC, (2) capital providers' familiarity with U.S. DOE funding, technical assistance, and technology analysis programs, and (3) how to better align R&D funding and technical assistance programs with capital provider’s interests.
- Feedback is due to U.S. DOE by July 10, 2026, by 4 PM CT.
- To review the RFI and provide feedback, visit the links below.
Learning Opportunities
Focus on Energy Trainings on Compressed Air Fundamentals
- Focus on Energy is hosting two training courses in June on compressed air fundamentals at Moraine Park Technical College at its Fond du Lac Campus. The trainings are designed to help and teach facility engineers, operators, and maintenance staff how to achieve 15-25 percent cost savings and provide in-depth technical knowledge on industrial compressed air systems.
- The first training is on Tuesday, June 16, from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM CT. This training will help participants:
- Calculate the energy cost of compressed air in their facility.
- Improve compressed air system efficiency and reliability.
- Identify inappropriate uses of compressed air.
- Establish a baseline by which they can measure improvements in compressed air performance and efficiency.
- Match system supply to actual production requirements for pressure and flow.
- Find and fix leaks.
- Establish a leak prevention program.
- Control compressed air more effectively to improve productivity and profitability.
- The second training is over two days, beginning on Wednesday, June 17, from 8 AM to Thursday, June 18 at 4:30 PM CT. This training well help participants:
- Collect and use data and tools to assess the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of a compressed air system.
- Develop and use a system profile.
- Implement a system maintenance program.
- Address air quality, highest pressure requirements, and high-volume intermittent applications.
- Understand complex control system strategies.
- Align the supply side to demand side operation.
- Explain the value of heat recovery.
- Sell compressed air improvement projects to management successfully.
- Both trainings are no cost, but registration is required by June 10, 2026.
- To learn more about the trainings and to register, visit the links below.
WPS Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Summit
- Join WPS and Slipstream on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay from 7:30 AM - 12:30 PM CT for a half-day event focused on energy efficiency and sustainability.
- Take part in a series of workshops on the latest technologies and best practices in building energy efficiency and sustainability. Wrap up the day with an exclusive tour of Lambeau Field (space is limited).
- Sessions will include:
- Recovering Industrial Waste Heat: Real-World Strategies for Steam Recovery and Energy Savings
- Improving the Performance of Industrial Process Cooling
- Lambeau Field Energy Conservation Measures
- Advance registration is required.
- To learn more about the event and to register, visit the link below.
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