FY 2023 Energizing Insular Communities Program

Background
The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) is requesting proposals for its Energizing Insular Communities (EIC) Program. This program provides grant funding for sustainable energy strategies that mitigate climate change, reduce reliance and expenditures on imported fuels, develop and utilize domestic energy sources, and improve the performance of energy infrastructure and overall energy efficiency in the territories.

Grant Details
The EIC Program requires proposals to be directly tied to updated and in-use strategic energy plans, energy action plans, or integrated resource plans. The proposals should provide a title, detailed narrative description, budget for each proposed project, complete timeline demonstrating the project can be accomplished within 36 months, a copy of the territory’s current energy plan, applicable SF-424 grant application forms, and a project abstract. Eligible technologies for energy supply and energy efficiency projects include solar, wind, geothermal, waste to energy, biogas, energy storage, transportation and grid feasibility studies. The program also funds projects such as distributed solar, utility-scale solar, integrated resource planning, wind turbines, energy efficiency improvements (lighting, air conditioning), plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles and supply equipment, net metering policies, debit meters, backup battery systems, microgrids, grid stability and integration studies.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants are local government entities, utilities, semi-autonomous agencies, and educational institutions located in the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Period of Performance
The project must be accomplished within 36 months (inclusive of required NEPA compliance). OIA anticipates that grant recipients and projects will be selected in the summer of 2023.

Grant Value
The total value of the grant is not specified in the document.

Place of Performance
The specific geographic location(s) where the grant will be performed are the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.