Community Renewable Energy Grant Update: Survey, Open Applications, and Advisory Committee Meeting

Click here if you are having trouble viewing this message. Community Renewable Energy Grant Update: Survey, Open Applications, and Advisory Committee Meeting   The Oregon Department of Energy is pleased to announce that the online application for the Community Renewable Energy Grant Program will open on Monday, May 23. In the meantime, the agency is: Providing materials on the program's webpage to help prepare for the application Asking you to weigh in on the program's next steps by May 18 Holding a program Advisory Committee meeting on May 20 Hosting a public webinar for potential grant applicants on May 25   Get Ready to Apply The program application portal will open on May 23. Potential applicants can now find a checklist with the items to have ready to fill out the online application. This checklist pulls from the full details laid out in the Opportunity Announcements, which can be found here: 22-001: Planning activities for a renewable and resilient project 22-002: Planning activities for a renewable project 22-003: Construction of a renewable and resilient project 22-004: Construction of a renewable project​   Share Your Views on the Timeline The online application is opening later than agency staff initially planned. Applications are currently due June 10.   We'd like to hear from interested parties about whether ODOE should extend the application deadline to provide more time to applicants. If we extend the deadline, it would mean that grant awards would also happen later than planned.   Please take our online poll here by May 18.   Note that we will launch another opportunity announcement this summer, with an application deadline in the fall.   Join Us for Upcoming Meetings The Community Renewable Energy Grant Program Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, May 20 from 9-10 a.m. Meetings are open to the public; log-in information and meeting materials will be available on ODOE's website ahead of the meeting. The Advisory Committee will provide feedback on agency plans for competitive review, as well as get an update on the program.   Potential applicants are invited to join ODOE for a webinar on Wednesday, May 25 from 9-10 a.m. to discuss the application process and get questions answered. Please register online to attend.     Additional Background If you have questions about the Community Renewable Energy Grant Program, please email community.grants@energy.oregon.gov or call 503-378-4040.   HB 2021 (2021) created a $50 million fund at the Oregon Department of Energy to provide grants for planning and developing community renewable energy and energy resilience projects. The Community Renewable Energy Grant Program is open to Oregon Tribes, public bodies, and consumer-owned utilities. Public bodies include counties, municipalities, and special government bodies such as ports and irrigation districts. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis and priority will be given to projects that support program equity goals, demonstrate community energy resilience, and include energy efficiency and demand response.   At least half of the grant funds will be awarded for projects that serve environmental justice communities, including communities of color, lower-income communities, rural communities, and others. Similarly, at least half of the grant funds will be awarded to projects that support community energy resilience. More information can be found on our webpage.       Oregon Department of Energy Leading Oregon to a safe, equitable, clean, and sustainable energy future.   The Oregon Department of Energy helps Oregonians improve the energy efficiency of their homes, provides policy expertise to prepare for Oregon's future energy needs, staffs the Energy Facility Siting Council, provides technical and financial assistance to encourage investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy resources, promotes the cleanup of the Hanford nuclear site, and ensures state preparedness to respond to emergencies at energy facilities. AskEnergy@oregon.gov  |  503-378-4040  |  550 Capitol St. NE in Salem Click here to unsubscribe or here to change your Subscription Preferences.