• The Rural Energy Startup (RESP) program application deadline has been extended to 1:30pm CT on Friday, March 29, 2024. 
• RESP supports rural communities in taking initial steps to reduce energy use, reduce fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency. If you are a rural municipality looking to start a comprehensive energy plan, investigate renewable resource planning or want to assess and retrofit a building, you still have time to apply. 
• Review the Application Instructions, Webinars, and FAQ document on the program webpage, linked below. 

• The 2023 Energy Innovation Grant Program application period closed on March 1, 2024. 
• $7.8 million in funding is available during this application round. 85 applications were submitted requesting over $34 million.
• A review of the applications is underway, with the Commission expected to announce grant recipients in the spring of 2024. 
• Subscribe to Docket 9709-FG-2023 to receive updates. 

• The 2022 Grid Resilience Grant Program application period closed on February 16, 2024. 
• $9.7 million in funding is available during this inaugural application round. 20 applications from 17 electric utilities—12 cooperatives, four municipal utilities, and one investor-owned utility— were submitted requesting over $9.5 million.
• Application review and requests for project-specific information as part of the Phase Two application submittal is in process, with the Commission expected to make decisions on the grant awards in the spring of 2024. 
• Subscribe to Docket 9713-FG-2022 to receive updates. 

• The Wisconsin Refueling Readiness (WRR) program is designed to address the concern of fueling emergency vehicles during a power outage. Eligible applicants include private entities and municipal, county, and Tribal communities with fueling stations or bulk storage facilities. 
• About $50,000 of the $150,000 grant budget remains! Applications are being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and must be submitted to the PSC Grants System no later than 1:30pm CT on April 30, 2024. 
• Take a look at the Application Instructions and FAQ document on the program webpage, linked below. 

Focus on Energy has a full schedule of webinars being offered this spring. Dates, topics, and links to register are below: 

February 27-28: Energy Management and Technology: Fundamentals and Beyond 

March 5: Gas Cooling and Dehumidification Solutions  

March 7: Introduction to Retrocommissioning 

March 26: How to Improve Energy Efficiency in a Compressed Air System 

April 18: Fluid Motion: Achieving Energy Efficiency Pumping Systems 

April 23-24: Power Quality Considerations for Energy Efficiency Retrofits and Renewable Energy Systems 

May 9: Cooling Tower Operation and Maintenance 

Online trainings are recorded and available for one year after the live webinar airs. Check the 2024 Online Training Schedule for recorded and upcoming webinars. 

• The Daybreak Fund targets tangible solutions to reducing climate change impacts on watersheds within the Lake Michigan Basin in Wisconsin, and recently expanded to consider grant applications in Wisconsin outside of the Lake Michigan Basin.  
• In the 2024 round, Daybreak Fund is planning to award approximately $1.7 million to support climate solutions that improve water quality and create greater social equity. 
• Municipalities and local government agencies, tribes, 501(c)3 non-profit organizations, and educational institutions are eligible for funding. 
• The pre-application for this funding is due by April 10, 2024, to Daybreak Fund’s online grant platform. This is a required submittal. Please visit the links below to learn more and apply. 

• Recently the Department of Energy (DOE) released the Cybersecurity Baselines for electric utility distribution systems and distributed energy resources (DER) such as solar, wind, and storage.  
• Cybersecurity Baselines are a vetted set of recommendations for electric distribution systems and the distributed energy sources (DER) that connect to them. These baselines define the minimum set of cybersecurity controls that should be considered, without defining any specific procedures or technologies on how any specific baselines might be met.
• The guidance developed by National Associated of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) will support states, electric companies, and DER providers with establishing uniform cybersecurity baselines and prioritize cybersecurity investments across the United States. The guidelines include recommendations for assessing cybersecurity risks and prioritizing critical assets. 
• To learn more, visit the DOE Press Release and NARUC webpage below. 

• The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the appointment of 18 science, business, academic, and industry leaders to the Industrial Technology Innovation Advisory Committee (ITIAC) to help decarbonize America’s industrial sector. 
• Jolene Sheil, Portfolio Manager for Focus on Energy Program at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, has been selected for this committee. 
• The ITIAC members represent a cross-section of leaders in the U.S. industrial sector, including public and private entities, non-profit organizations, federal laboratories, labor groups, small- and large-scale industry, academia, and other federal government agencies.  
• Visit the links below to learn more. 

• The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that Wisconsin is part of a cohort of states with an accelerated timeline to apply for the IRA Home Energy Rebate Program funding. 
• Wisconsin will be applying for more than $149 million in funding for consumer rebates and program administration. Focus on Energy will be the implementer of the Home Energy Rebate Programs, while funding and managing the programs separately from the Focus portfolio.
• To learn more, please visit the links below. 

• Last month, Focus on Energy, Sun Prairie School District, Slipstream, and UndauntedK12 participated in a webinar covering how the new Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) federal funding, combined with energy utility incentives, can be leveraged towards school facility projects, including: 
• Solar energy, Energy storage, Ground-source heat pumps, Electric school buses, and EV charging equipment.  
• The webinar is geared to K-12 facility managers, administrators, and their construction teams. The recording of the webinar and the presentation slides used are now available and can be found below.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that it will be funding a total of $32,816,452 in loans and grants across eight projects in rural Wisconsin, who are participants in the Rural Partners Network (RPN) and the projects will expand access to education, business opportunities, emergency health care, and renewable energy. 
• The eight projects awarded in Wisconsin include: 
• Northwood Technical College- Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant 
• Hegg Mill LLC- Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Grant 
• Adams County Fire District- Community Facilities Grant 
• Craig Myhre dba Myville Farms- Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Grant 
• Village of Turtle Lake- Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program 
• Village of Bristol- Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program 
• Village of Junction City- Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program 
• Village of Viola- Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program 
• To view the full list of awarded projects, click here.