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Feds Launching $50M In Grants For NPO Energy Upgrades
Feds Launching $50M In Grants For NPO Energy Upgrades

The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a request for information on a pilot program focused on energy upgrades for nonprofits. The program sets aside $50 million in grants to help nonprofits purchase materials and implement building upgrades. The program, the Energy Efficiency Materials Program, is funded through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The current phase of the program seeks public comment on actions that will shrink utility costs, create healthier community spaces and reduce carbon emissions in commercial buildings. The program is geared toward bolstering nonprofits’ efforts as they move toward clean energy transitions. Program goals include identifying scalable models for energy efficiency retrofits which can be used both by the nonprofit and commercial sectors.

Data gathered from the initial request for information will be used by DOE for planning purposes to develop a potential Funding Opportunity Announcement. DOE encourages applicants that have not traditionally been the recipient of past DOE grant programs to respond to the Requests for Information (RFIs).

Once implemented, eligible nonprofits will be able to petition for individual grants of up to $200,000 for energy efficiency upgrades within their buildings.

“Nonprofits and faith communities work tirelessly to improve the overall wellbeing of people, yet many of them must spend large portions of their already tight budgets on building and energy costs,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in a statement. “These pilot investments, made possible by President Biden’s climate agenda, will put more money back into our communities and empower the nonprofit sector to contribute to our clean energy transition while continuing to do good for our local economies.”

According to notes accompanying the announcement of the request for information, nonprofits operate more than 500,000 facilities within the United States, most of which are in commercial spaces where up to 30% of energy can be wasted due to inefficiencies.

Responses to the request for information must be received by the Department of Energy by 5:00 p.m. ET, Dec. 22. Responses will only be accepted via the following email address: [email protected]

Further information, as well as the complete text of the request for information, the full list of questions and instructions on how to submit a response is available here: https://bit.ly/3EjoDCi