Inactive

On February 15, 2023, three Requests for Proposals (RFP) will be released by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), supported by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Ren... On February 15, 2023, three Requests for Proposals (RFP) will be released by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), supported by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). These RFPs will offer the opportunity to engage in In-Depth Technical Partnerships to support teams through a combination of direct funding and targeted technical assistance from the Department of Energy’s national laboratories to achieve clean energy systems that are secure, reliable, resilient, affordable, and reflective of local and regional priorities. A community can consist of Tribes, cities, towns, or counties, so long as they are served and governed by the local government organization that is a part of the applying team. One RFP will be released for Clean Energy to Communities (C2C), offering 2-3 awards each of up to $500,000 in subcontracting funding for teams. Each award will be accompanied by up to $3,500,000 of technical assistance from one or more national laboratories Teams will also receive technical assistance from DOE’s national labs. This RFP focuses on clean energy topics and is open to communities of all types. Two additional RFPs will focus on clean energy in the context of Energysheds.[1] These will each offer a single award of $3,000,000 in subcontracting funding for teams. Each award will be accompanied by up to $1,500,000 of technical assistance from one or more national laboratories. One of the Energysheds RFPs will be aimed at metropolitan communities, and the other at rural communities. [1] The concept of an “Energyshed” is loosely analogous to that of a watershed. Energyshed considers energy loads, sources of generation, and transmission and distribution networks within a broader footprint. Similar to a watershed, an Energyshed includes multiple connected geographic areas, communities, utilities, coordinating bodies, and/or jurisdictions. Energyshed represents a valuable framework for considering how to achieve locally-driven clean energy goals. Energyshed allows consideration of both community-specific needs and challenges as well as the broader energy landscape. It can also illustrate and improve how benefits and impacts of energy systems are shared across and between geographical areas, ultimately leading to more resilient, affordable, and equitable decarbonized energy systems. See previous Energyshed related initiatives from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE): From Watershed to Energyshed: Determining the Implications of Place-Based Generation Workshop and Energyshed—Exploring Place-Based Generation Funding Program. See Pre-Solicitation Notice Amendment 1 for Q&A's.