Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant

• The Department of Energy (DOE) has released a new EECBG Competitive Program which is open for local governments that were not given direct allocations.
• Interested parties must submit concept papers to DOE by June 5, 2023.
• For more information about the competitive program, view the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and application materials on the Infrastructure Exchange.
• For local governments and Tribal Nations with direct allocations, pre-award information sheets are now due to DOE by July 31, 2023.
• Need some help with application materials? Check out tools and resources from the Local Infrastructure Hub’s EECBG grant application boot camp.  

• Focus on Energy is recruiting commercial facilities to test the integration of lighting controls with Building Automation Systems (BAS) to achieve deep energy savings.
• Visit the Integrated Controls Pilot webpage for details and participation requirements. 

• The DOE recently launched the energy savings hub to help American consumers keep track of the tax credits and upcoming rebate programs available to them for clean energy or energy-efficient products and upgrades.  
• These tax credits and rebate programs are offered through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
• Please visit the link below to learn more from DOE.

• The Office of Energy Innovation recently made updates to the Grid Resilience 40101(d), Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG), and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) sections. 
• New funding information resources from the National Governors Association and Rocky Mountain Institute have also been added.

• Governor Evers recently signed Executive Order #195, which created the Green Ribbon Commission on Clean Energy and Environmental Innovation to advise on the establishment of a Green Innovation Fund and to investigate potential sources of financing from both public and private sources.
• To view the Executive Order visit the link below.

• DOE recently announced a first-of-its-kind investment to fund energy-efficiency improvements for the nonprofit sector. 
• The goal of this program is to reduce carbon emissions and lower utility costs at buildings that are owned and operated by 501(c)(3) nonprofits. 
• Visit the Renew America’s Nonprofits website and DOE’s Notice of Intent for more information. 

• The Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) recently issued $50 million in grant funding for Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Program.
• This program is to help deploy community-driven clean energy solutions in rural and remote areas across the country.
• This is a new funding opportunity from the ERA program that will award grants between $500,000 to $5 million and requires no cost-share from recipients. Please visit the link below to learn more.
• An information webinar will be held May 30, 2023 at 1pm C.T. Please visit the registration link below to register.

• The project implementation phase of the 2022 round of the Energy Innovation Grant Program (EIGP) was recently kicked off with an onboarding webinar for Grantees held on April 27th. Webinar slides are available on the EIGP website for those who were unable to attend. 

• The DOE Office of State and Community Energy Programs recently released the Winners of the Phase 1 Energy Champions Leading the Advancement of Sustainable Schools Prize (Energy CLASS Prize).
• The Energy CLASS Prize is a two-phase, $4.5 million competitive award promoting energy management in school districts across America.
• Out of the 25 winners, two were school districts in Wisconsin: Elkhorn Area School District and Milwaukee Public Schools.
• The awardees will each receive a $100,000 cash prize as well as coaching and skills development from professionals in the newly-established Energy CLASS Prize Training Network. At the end of Phase 2, the awardees are also eligible to be awarded an additional $50,000 in funding based on their performance.
• To view the additional school districts awarded please visit the link below.