OEI Grant Programs
Rural Energy Startup Program Round 2—Limited Additional Funds Remain
- The Rural Energy Startup Program (RESP) Round 2, funded by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG), is accepting applications for very limited funding. At this time, approximately $42,000 remains in funding.
- Proposed projects must be completed by December 31, 2027. No time extensions beyond this time period will be available for any awarded project.
- RESP eligible applicants include 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. Clickhere to see EECBG Formula Award Recipients.
- Applicants can use the OEI Map to check whether their county or municipality is considered rural for the program by turning on the “Wisconsin Rural Region” layer and searching their project location.
- There are three types of eligible activities: comprehensive energy planning, renewable resource planning, and energy audits and building upgrades/retrofits, with no match required.
- Eligible applicants with shovel ready projects are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. The Commission will accept applications in the PSC Grant System, awarding eligible applications and projects on a first-come, first-serve basis while funds remain.
- To read more about program eligibility requirements and eligible activities, visit the links below.
Inflation Reduction Act Home Energy Rebates
- As of September 1, new program rules for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Home Energy Rebates (HER) programs have taken effect, as required by updated U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) guidance.
- The main changes to be aware of concern participation in the HEAR program, including:
- Only existing electric equipment may be replaced to be eligible for rebates for heat pump water heaters, heat pump clothes dryers, and electric cooking appliances.
- Replacement of existing gas appliances will no longer be eligible.
- Heat pumps for space heating and cooling may be installed in any home. If a fossil fuel system is currently in place, the final installed system must retain a fossil-fuel heat source (i.e., the existing furnace can remain, or a new furnace can be installed. Only heat pump costs will be rebate eligible).
- Homes must meet weatherization requirements before the installation of a heat pump.
- Homeowners interested in learning more about the IRA HER programs and participating should visit the link below.
Focus on Energy
- Focus on Energy is partnering with HomeBoost to offer an easy, do-it-yourself home energy assessment kit. Using a thermal camera connected to a smartphone and guided by the HomeBoost app, homeowners receive step-by-step guidance to complete a comprehensive assessment of their home.
- Once the assessment is complete, HomeBoost provides a personalized report with expert recommendations and energy-saving insights tailored to the home's unique characteristics.
- Homeowners can purchase the kit for just $20.
- To learn more or purchase a kit and to learn about other residential rebates and discounts, visit the links below.
Energy News
Governor Tony Evers, Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy Celebrate 2026 Clean Energy Plan Progress Report
- Governor Tony Evers, the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA), and the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy (OSCE) released of the 2026 Clean Energy Plan Progress Report, underscoring achievements made over the last year to advance the goals established by the state’s Clean Energy Plan.
- The progress report details Wisconsin’s advances in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through clean energy sources while also creating thousands of new jobs and lowering energy costs for families across Wisconsin, as well as investing in job training and apprenticeship programs in innovative industries and technologies.
- To read the full progress report or the state’s Clean Energy Plan, visit the links below.
Governor Tony Evers, Wisconsin Department of Transportation Announce Grants to Support 42 NEW Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Across Wisconsin
- Governor Tony Evers, along with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), announced that 42 locations will receive grant awards to build fast, reliable electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across Wisconsin as part of the Wisconsin Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (WEVI) program. WEVI uses federal funds from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.
- Wisconsin has been a national leader in implementing the NEVI program. Recently, the state achieved the significant milestone of funding EV charging stations at every 50-mile mark along the state’s key interstates and highways, which under program rules enables the administration to award grants to more areas of the state.
- Wisconsin is also the first to support NEVI projects on Tribal lands.
- To date, WisDOT has awarded approximately $62 million, including the first and second rounds of funding, to support a total of 120 projects throughout Wisconsin. Site locations include fuel convenience stores, restaurants, lodging, and retail/grocery stores.
- To read more about the new locations and to see a dashboard of the locations funded by the WEVI program, visit the links below.
Funding Opportunities
U.S. Department of Agriculture Powering Affordable Reliable Technology Program
- The Powering Affordable Reliable Technology (PART) Program supports affordable energy growth across America by providing loans for projects that generate or store electricity from a renewable energy resource (RER). Part of the loan may also qualify for loan forgiveness.
- Electricity produced or stored by the project may serve both rural and nonrural residents. However, at least 50 percent of the service area must be rural.
- Eligible applicants include:
- Certified electric utilities
- Distribution, generation and transmission electric cooperatives
- Federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations
- For-profit organizations
- Nonprofit organizations
- State or local governments
- Funding can be used to:
- Build new renewable energy systems or energy storage systems that will sell power through a secure agreement and do not violate existing wholesale power contracts
- Build new power lines, microgrids, transformers, and other equipment
- Upgrade existing power lines, equipment, transformers, and distribution and transmission facilities
- Cover interconnection expenses and other costs to deliver electricity, including microgrid-related costs
- Recover pre-application expenses
- This funding round will only provide awards for the construction of hydro, geothermal, or biomass energy generation, and/or storage systems charged with any energy source eligible under section 317 of the Rural Electrification Act.
- Individual awards will range between $1 million and $100 million and will support affordable power for American families, and infrastructure. Eligible projects receiving funding may be granted loan forgiveness up to 40 percent.
- A Letter of Interest is required. Letters of Interest (LOI) must be submitted by October 9, 2026.
- To learn more about the PART program and to register for the webinar, visit the links below.
U.S. Department of Energy Launches New Technical Assistance Program
- The U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) launched the Building America New Construction Support program, which will provide technical support to residential, commercial, and industrial builders.
- The program offers direct access to experts from the U.S. DOE and the U.S. National Laboratories. Builders can bring specific technical challenges to U.S. DOE and get matched with experts equipped to solve them.
- The program comes at no direct cost to builders and is open to builders of all sizes.
- Technical support areas include product design and materials innovation; advanced digital and AI-driven tools to identify design issues early and automate workflows; and factory optimization.
- To learn more about the program or to submit a technical assistance request, visit the links below.
U.S. Department of Energy Opens Sixth Annual Technical Assistance Application for Coastal, Remote, and Island Communities
- The U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) opened the sixth round of the Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (ETIPP) to help U.S. coastal, remote, and island communities become more energy resilient.
- ETIPP helps communities to assess and advance the solutions that best meet their needs.
- Eligible Organization types include:
- The applicant community is located on an island.
- The applicant community is located in Alaska.
- The applicant community is within 50 miles of a coastline (ocean or seacoast, or along the Great Lakes).
- The applicant community has a population of fewer than 50,000.
- The applicant community is a federally recognized Tribe.
- The program offers two types of technical assistance:
- Strategic Energy Planning is a 4- to 8-month effort that supports communities in developing actionable goals for their energy resilience planning. Up to $20,000 is available for funding.
- The Deep Dive technical assistance track is for communities with an existing and current energy plan (developed within the last 5 years) or specific project that fits within the scope and purview of ETIPP. The Deep Dive track can be between 12 to 24 months and will result in a thorough analysis led by national lab technical subject matter experts. Up to $50,000 is available for funding.
- There is an informational webinar on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 2 PM CT.
- Applications are due Wednesday, November 18, 2026.
- For more information about the ETIPP, visit the links below.
Learning Opportunities
Citizens Utility Board Small Business Webinar 2026 – Small Business Energy Management 101
- Join the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) of Wisconsin on Thursday, October 1, from 12 PM – 1 PM CT for an educational webinar designed to help Wisconsin small business utility customers navigate the 2026 energy landscape.
- In an era of evolving rate structures, shifting market demands, and emerging clean technology, managing energy use is more critical than ever.
- CUB will provide a roadmap for small businesses to help control their utility costs, offering an overview of how Wisconsin utilities work, and how businesses can engage in the regulatory process.
- The webinar will cover practical energy efficiency strategies for small to medium-sized businesses, organizations, and farms, exploring topics like operational optimization, fleet management, and efficiency frameworks.
- To learn more about webinar and to register, visit the link below.
Focus on Energy October Webinars and Trainings
- Join Focus on Energy for the following trainings and webinars during the month of October.
- On Tuesday, October 6 from 9 AM – 10 AM CT, attendees will learn about heat pump fundamentals such as load hours and efficiency ratings. The webinar will cover heat pump components, how heat pumps operate, how to size them, the use of AI, and more.
- On Tuesday, October 27, from 9 AM – 10 AM CT, attendees will learn about air scrubbing, removing of dust, pathogens, VOCs, CO2 and other contaminants. In this webinar, Focus will review the nature of these contaminants and examine several scrubbing techniques including air filters, UVGI and gas-phase air cleaning. The webinar will finish by introducing a few examples of innovative air scrubbing technologies and providing participants with a few air scrubbing resources.
- To learn more about the webinars and to register for the events, visit the links below.
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