Smart Grid Investment Program

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released the Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) for the Smart Grid Investment Grant Program and the Smart Grid Demonstrations Program.

Please note that authorizing legislation in sections 1304 and 1306 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 states “[n]o person or entity participating in any demonstration project conducted under this subsection [Regional Demonstration Initiative] shall be eligible for grants under section 1306 “Federal Matching Fund for Smart Grid Investment Costs” [Smart Grid Investment Grants] for otherwise qualifying investments made as part of that demonstration project.” Applicants can submit separate applications to both programs, or multiple applications to each program, but they must be for distinctly different projects and they cannot involve the use of federal funds from both programs in a single project.

DOE Smart Grid Investment Program

Click here for the full FOA

Click here for the FAQ

The DOE Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability has released a FOA for approximately $3.4 billion for to accelerate the modernization of the electric transmission and distribution system and promote investment in smart grid tools and technologies in the areas of:

Equipment Manufacturing
Customer Systems
Advanced Metering Infrastructure
Electric Distribution Systems
Electric Transmission Systems
Integrated and/or Crosscutting Systems

The funds will be awarded for two project categories:

Smaller projects in which the federal share would be in the range of $300,000 to $20,000,000.
Larger projects in which the federal cost share would be in the range of $20,000,000 to $200,000,000.

Approximately 40% of the funding will be allocated for smaller projects, while approximately 60% will be allocated for larger projects.

The period of performance is 3 years, with a preference for shorter time frames.

The minimum cost share is 50% and must come from non-Federal sources.

Eligible applicants include individual organizations as well as teams. Eligible applicants include:

electric power companies
- investor-owned utilities
- municipal utilities and public utility districts
- electric cooperatives
- other types of load serving entities
- regional organizations such as independent system operators, transmission organizations, and coordinating councils
- national-level utility organizations
state, county, local, or municipal government agencies
universities and colleges
electricity consumers singly or aggregated together, including residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customer classes
appliance manufacturers, electrical equipment manufacturers, software providers, and communications and information services providers
other private companies including but not limited to retail electricity suppliers, energy services companies, independent power producers, demand response services providers, metering services providers, project developers, electricity marketers, and consultants

There are three application deadlines. DOE cannot predict at this time that funds will remain available beyond awards provided after the first due date. Please note that a Letter of Intent is requested, but not required.

Letter of intent Due Date	Application Due Dates
July 16, 2009	August 06, 2009
October 23, 2009	November 04, 2009
February 10, 2010	March 03, 2010

Click here for the full FOA

Or visit at FedConnect at www.FedConnect.net (search for Reference Number “DE-FOA-0000058”).

DOE Smart Grid Demonstrations

The DOE Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability has released a FOA for approximately $615 million to support regionally unique demonstrations to verify smart grid technology viability, quantify smart grid costs and benefits, and validate new smart grid business models, at a scale that can be readily adapted and replicated around the country and advancements in grid-scale energy storage are needed. It is anticipated that 8-12 awards for up to $100 million will be made for regional Smart Grid demonstrations and 12-19 awards will be made for energy storage. The funding available for energy storage awards ranges from $25 million to $60 million depending on the specific Area of Interest.

The period of performance is 3 to 5 years. The minimum cost share is 50%. Eligible applicants are all types of domestic entities, including companies, non-profits, institutions of higher education, and local and state governments.

The application deadline is August 26.
Click here for the full FOA

Or at FedConnect at www.FedConnect.net (search for Reference Number “DE-FOA-0000036”).