Authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered through the Grid Deployment Office (GDO), the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants program is designed to strengthen and modernize America’s power grid against wildfires, extreme weather, and other natural disasters that are exacerbated by the climate crisis.
The program will distribute funding to states, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes, including Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Alaska Native Village Corporations, over five years based on a formula that includes factors such as population size, land area, probability and severity of disruptive events, and a locality’s historical expenditures on mitigation efforts. The states, territories, and tribes will then award these funds to a diverse set of projects, with priority given to efforts that generate the greatest community benefit providing clean, affordable, and reliable energy.
On September 28, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that 11 states, 2 territories, and 20 tribal nations will receive a combined total of $167.7 million as the eighth cohort of Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants. To date, GDO has awarded 48 states, 49 tribal entities, three territories, and the District of Columbia a combined total of more than $748 million. Learn more about the awardees.
The Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants awards are made on a rolling basis as applications are received. The FY 22 and FY 23 application deadline for Indian tribes, including Alaska Native Corporations, closed on August 31, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The FY 22 and FY 23 application deadline for states and territories closed on May 31, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Application Resources
- Application forms and templates
- Allocation of grants to states and tribes
- Administrative and Legal Requirements Document
- Application and administrative frequently asked questions
(Updated June 21, 2023) - Application Guidance Videos for the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants Programs
These videos provide guidance on the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grant application process, including what you need to know before applying, registration and pre-application requirements, necessary forms, and steps after submission. - Example Program Narrative
- Grid Resilience Formula Grants Fact Sheet - Indian Tribes
(Updated June 2023) - Recording and presentation materials from informational webinar
Note: Since the original recording, the deadline to apply for both Year 1 (FY22) and Year 2 (FY23) of funding was extended to May 31, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET, for states and territories and August 31, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET, for Indian tribes including Alaska Native Corporations. Indian tribes, including Alaska Native Corporations, were eligible to submit a single application as a Tribal Consortium. Additionally, a mail-in option became available. Mail-in applications must have been postmarked by the deadline.
Post-Award Resources
Technical and Other Assistance
To learn about technical and other assistance options that GDO provides, please visit Request Grid Resilience Assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section is an abridged version of information which can be found at NETL: Formula Grants to States and Indian Tribes for Preventing Outages and Enhancing the Resilience of the Electric Grid.
What exactly is a formula grant?
A formula grant is a non-competitive funding opportunity to a specific group of applicants, in this case to states and Indian tribes. A formula is used to allocate funds to the eligible applicants.
How much money am I eligible for?
For this program, the formula was based on five factors: population, area, probability of disruptive events, severity of disruptive events, and expenditure on mitigation efforts. The formula allocations and formula data sources are publicly available.
What do I need to do prior to preparing an application?
Prior to preparing your application you will need to issue a public notice and conduct a public hearing to receive input on the criteria, strategies, and methods you plan to use when determining and implementing your grid resilience projects.
How do I apply?
The application process is outlined in the Administrative & Legal Requirements Document (ALRD) on DOE’s FedConnect. Additional information and tutorials for completing and submitting the application are available above.
How long does it take to fill out the application?
The application process has been streamlined to minimize the number of forms and amount of information that needs to be provided with the application. The Program Narrative submitted with your application, which describes the strategy for selecting and implementing resilience projects (estimated to be 5-15 pages), will require the most time to prepare. The Program Narrative also must include a summary of the public notice and hearing that was held to allow public input into these strategies.
How much money will I need to spend?
States and Indian tribes will need provide a 15 percent match on the Federal allocation. However, the 15 percent could be met in part by things like the salary paid to the staff that work on the project. Additionally, should the state or Indian tribe issue subawards for resilience projects, the entity receiving those funds must provide a 100 percent match (or 1/3 match for “small utilities”), as explained in the ALRD. Organizations chosen during the state or tribe’s selection process will need to contribute up to a 100 percent match, depending on the type of organization.
What happens after an award is made?
Depending on how an eligible applicant determines distribution of funds (which is addressed in the application process), sub-awards to eligible entities could be established that addresses specific resilience criteria outlined in the application.
When are the applications due?
Applications for states and territories closed on May 31, 2023. Applications for tribal entities closed on August 31, 2023. Applications will be processed on a rolling basis as they are received. Mail-in applications must be postmarked by the respective deadline.
When will I receive my allocation?
The Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants awards are made on a rolling basis as applications are received. You will be contacted by the administration team once your application has been processed.
Who do I contact if I have questions?
Once you have registered in FedConnect, you may submit questions to the administration team for this.
If you have additional questions, please reach out to us at GDOTribalAssistance@hq.doe.gov and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.
- Visit the Grid and Transmission Program Conductor to see which financing program is right for you.
- Check out the State and Tribal Resource Hub for more valuable information for communities.