Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas

The Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas Program is designed, in consultation with the Department of the Interior, to provide financial assistance to improve, in rural or remote areas of the United States, the resilience, safety, reliability, and availability of energy and environmental protection from adverse impacts of energy generation.

Overview

Office:

Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations

New Program:

Yes

Funding amount:

$1,000,000,000

Funding Mechanism:

Grant, Cooperative Agreement, or Other

Recipients:

Industry Partners, Utilities, National Laboratories, Universities, State and Local Governments, Community Based Organizations, Tribal, Environmental Groups and cities, towns, or unincorporated areas with populations of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants.

Period of Availability:

$200,000,000 appropriated annually for fiscal years 2022 through 2026 (to remain available until expended)

More Information

Eligible Uses

Overall cost-effectiveness of energy generation, transmission, or distribution systems;
Siting or upgrading transmission and distribution lines;
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation by rural or remote areas;
Providing or modernizing electric generation facilities;
Developing microgrids; and
Increasing energy efficiency.

Program Announcements

Learn more about the $15M Energizing Rural Communities Prize and read the announcement here.
View the Request for Information
Read the Press Release announcing the Request for Information

Next Milestone

Opening in February 2023: $15 million in funding for the Energizing Rural Communities Prize.
The Request for Information is now closed. The deadline to submit a response to the RFI has passed.

More Resources

Access the Rural or Remote Area Geospatial Dashboard tool and watch the video tutorial of the geospatial dashboard.

OCED held three public workshops to hear directly from state, local and Tribal governments, utilities, private sector project developers, and others in rural and remote communities on the energy challenges and types of projects that can improve their energy systems as part of the development of the ERA program.

Follow the links below to view the video recordings from OCED’s ERA Virtual Workshop:

OCED ERA Virtual Workshop Slides Day 1

OCED ERA Virtual Workshop Day 1

OCED ERA Virtual Workshop Slides Day 2

OCED ERA Virtual Workshop Day 2