On Feb. 27, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy announced $50 million in funding to deploy clean energy projects on tribal lands. Individual awards for clean energy projects will range from $100,000 to $5 million, depending on the area of interest. The DOE anticipates making 10 to 20 awards during this round.

Eligible projects (“Areas of Interest”) include:

(1) installation of clean energy generating systems and/or energy efficiency measures for tribal buildings;

(2) deployment of community-scale clean energy generating systems or community energy storage deployment;

(3) installation of integrated energy systems for autonomous operation (independent of the traditional centralized electric power grid) to power a single or multiple essential tribal buildings during emergency situations or a substantial number of essential tribal buildings for tribal community resilience; or

(4) to power unelectrified tribal buildings through integrated energy systems or energy infrastructure.

For this grant opportunity, the DOE will require a 20% recipient cost share. However, the DOE may allow a reduced cost share down to 10% based on poverty rate and median household income of the tribal community relative to the statewide median household income.

Applications are due May 30, 2024, at 5:00 PM EST.

Godfrey & Kahn Assistance

Godfrey & Kahn has assisted tribes and tribal entities with the preparation of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy-efficient housing and related grant applications that have resulted in total awards of more than $15 million. We have also assisted tribes in packaging federal grants with other grants and tax incentives, including federal tax credits for renewable energy projects and utilizing “Elective Pay” for tax-exempt entities, state and/or utility grants, New Market Tax Credits, or other private funding to drive down the cost of energy-related projects. Deploying these strategies often results in the construction of projects with no upfront capital costs. With the Inflation Reduction Act providing numerous expanded funding opportunities available to tribes and tribal entities, we can work with you to help fully fund numerous clean energy projects.

For more information about these significant grant opportunities and how to utilize them to meet your Tribe’s energy goals, please contact a member of our Tribal Governments practice.