The amendment extends the application deadline to May 31, 2023, and amends application requirements to include a mail-in option.
March 20, 2023
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The amendment extends the application deadline to May 31, 2023, and amends application requirements to include a mail-in option.
Today, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued an amendment to the Administrative and Legal Requirements Document (ALRD) for the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants Program to address feedback received from stakeholders. The amendment extends the deadline for States, Indian Tribes, and Territories to apply for funding to May 31, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The ALRD also amends application requirements to include a mail-in option to ensure that applicants without internet access can apply for the grants. Mail-in applications must be postmarked by May 31, 2023.
The $2.3 billion Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants Program, authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered through the Grid Deployment Office, focuses on strengthening and modernizing America’s power grid against wildfires, extreme weather, and other natural disasters that are exacerbated by climate change. 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. Priority will be given to projects that generate the greatest community benefit providing clean, affordable, and reliable energy.
The deadline extension responds to stakeholder feedback and provides additional time for States, Indian Tribes, and Territories to prepare applications. As part of continued outreach from DOE to Tribes, Tribes identified numerous unique challenges. In particular, remote Tribal communities indicated that lack of reliable internet access presents a barrier to applying for this program. As such, DOE is now offering a mail-in option for all applicants.
In addition, the new deadline also reflects a similar deadline extension made by the U.S. Treasury Department to the Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF). In February 2023, the Treasury announced that the deadline for applications to the LATCF would be extended to April 28, 2023 for eligible Tribal governments. Recognizing that applicants to DOE’s Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants Program may use LATCF funds to meet cost-match requirements, the DOE extension provides more time for both programs to be pursued.
Applications for allocated funding for the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants Program must be submitted prior to the May 31, 2023 deadline and will be processed on a rolling basis as they are received. Accordingly, applicants may submit their applications as soon as they are ready and grants may be awarded prior to May 31, 2023.