Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (Office of Indian Energy) issued two Notices of Intent (NOIs) to release a combined $30 million in Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) later this summer.
The first NOI will support Tribal clean energy planning and development, and the second NOI will support Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) planning to transition to clean energy.
Through these planned FOAs, the Office of Indian Energy will continue its effort to advance Tribal energy sovereignty and maximize the deployment of clean, reliable, affordable, and local energy solutions.
“These planned FOAs are intended to provide Tribes and Tribal entities funds and resources to begin planning for the clean energy transition and to catalyze Tribal energy project plans that will lead to clean energy hardware installations,” said Office of Indian Energy Director Wahleah Johns. “Our hope is that by funding these initial steps, the foundation will be laid by Tribes and Tribal entities to find energy solutions that work for their communities.”
DOE anticipates issuing the following two Tribal energy funding opportunities in late summer 2024.
Tribal Clean Energy Planning and Development NOI (DE-FOA-0003400)
This planned FOA will solicit applications for the planning, assessment, and development of clean energy projects on Tribal buildings or Tribal lands. Specifically, the Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes, which include Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Village Corporations, Intertribal Organizations, and Tribal Energy Development Organizations, to:
- Conduct Tribal clean energy planning
- Comprehensively assess the feasibility and viability of deploying clean energy technology on Tribal lands, or
- Conduct clean energy project design and development activities for deployment on Tribal buildings or Tribal lands.
Under the planned FOA, the Office of Indian Energy anticipates making approximately $25 million available with awards that range from $100,000 to $2,500,000.
A 10% recipient cost share is anticipated to be required under the planned FOA. However, the Office of Indian Energy may provide an opportunity for eligible applicants to request a cost share reduction from 10% to 0% based on poverty rate and median household income of the Tribal community relative to the statewide median household income.
Download the NOI (DE-FOA-0003400) for Tribal Clean Energy Planning and Development – 2025.
TCUs Planning for Clean Energy Transition NOI (DE-FOA-0003402)
This planned FOA intends to provide financial support to TCUs to plan the transition of their campuses to clean energy. The Office of Indian Energy will only consider applications from TCUs. Applications from a consortium of TCUs will be accepted but must be submitted by a single TCU acting as the applicant and representing the consortium.
Under the planned FOA, the Office of Indian Energy anticipates making approximately $5 million available with awards that range from $100,000 to $250,000 for planning grants. No recipient cost share is anticipated under the planned FOA.
Download the NOI (DE-FOA-3402) for Tribal Colleges and Universities Planning for Clean Energy Transition – 2025.
Learn More About Office of Indian Energy Investments
In partnership with Native communities, the Office of Indian Energy will continue to build on its efforts to accelerate the deployment of energy infrastructure on Tribal lands through these planned FOAs. In addition to the $75 million committed to Tribal energy projects selected in 2023, between 2010 and 2022, the DOE Office of Indian Energy invested over $120 million in more than 210 Tribal energy projects implemented across the contiguous 48 states and Alaska.
These projects, valued at more than $215 million, are leveraged by over $93 million in recipient cost share. Please see the DOE Office of Indian Energy’s Tribal Energy Projects Database for a map and summaries of these competitively funded projects.
Find more information about past funding opportunities and learn more on the DOE Office of Indian Energy website.