SGN Stimulus Tool Kit

Contents

• Introduction
• Getting informed
• Guidelines and criteria
• Getting set up
• Getting help
• Where to find money
• Block grant details
• Staying up to date

Introduction

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA 2009) includes funding to enhance energy independence and modernize infrastructure. Some of the money will flow through the states, which will evaluate proposals and issue grants. Some of it will flow through the Department of Energy (DOE), which will have its own application and evaluation process. And some of it will come in the form of loan guarantees diving Bonneville Power Administration and Western Area Power Authority increased ability to borrow money for transmission projects.

Smart Grid News has established this special page, which will be continuously updated, to provide information for those who want to (a) apply for stimulus funding or (b) track the progress of Smart Grid-related stimulus projects.

Getting informed

Several Web sites and reports are in place already with general information, overviews and (in some cases) lists of frequently asked questions:

• Recovery.gov, the official overview site
• Listing of official state government recovery sites
• DOE page for state grants
• DOE page for Smart Grid, renewable energy, clean fossil energy and biofuels
• DOE page for scientific research into energy technologies, batteries, and advanced vehicles
• Energy provisions in ARRA, prepared by the Congressional Research Service (PDF)

Guidelines and criteria

The following files provide information on and suggestions for good stimulus proposals.

• DOE’s draft Notice of Intent outlining grants and eligibility (PDF)

• Smart Grid News Stimulus Scorecard
• Smart Grid Collaborative’s proposed criteria for funding stimulus projects (PDF)

Getting set up

You must take several one-time actions to submit an application. (Allow at least 10 days.) Different programs may have different or additional requirements. Although the steps below are for state energy programs, private sector applicants are likely to face similar requirements:

1. Obtain a Dun and Bradstreet number
   Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) site
2. Complete a Central Contractor Registration
   Central Contractor Registration site
3. Register with FedConnect
   FedConnect site
4. Download the application package, forms and instructions from Grants.gov (for those proposals that fall under the grants provisions)
   Grants.gov site
   Grants.gov search page for ARRA grants

Getting help

Questions about the mechanics of applications and forms go to Grants.gov.

• Email support questions to Grants.gov
• Grants.gov support phone: 1-800-518-4726

Questions about the content of the announcements and programs go to FedConnect. You must first be registered (see above) to submit questions (and to view responses to questions from others).

• Email support questions to FedConnect
• FedConnect site
• FedConnect support phone: 1-800-899-6665

Where to find money

ARRA calls out $4.5B specifically for Smart Grid, but several other provisions are suitable for Smart Grid projects as well. In determining where to apply, be sure to research all of the other pots of money, many of which could be used to fund Smart Grid projects that contribute to the stated goals.

For instance, goals for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants include “to improve energy efficiency in the transportation, building and other appropriate sectors.” The Smart Grid is certainly an appropriate sector. What’s more, Smart Grid projects related to electric vehicles or building automation might also qualify. Likewise, money directed towards renewable energy might be applied in part to better ways to transmit that energy via a smarter grid, and advanced battery money might be used to figure better ways to use batteries to improve grid stability and reliability.

Be sure to consider all of the following sources:

• Smart Grid demonstration projects ($4.5B)
• New loan authority for Bonneville Power and Western Area Power Authority for transmission projects ($6.5B)
• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant ($3.2B)
• Transportation, including electric vehicles ($1.7B)
• Renewable energy loan guarantees ($6B)
• Research in energy efficiency, renewables, batteries and clean fossil energy ($8.4B)
• Broadband Technologies Opportunities Program ($7.2B)

Block grant details

The first grants to go out will be block grants for state energy and weatherization program. DOE has made available the following spreadsheet to show block grant allocations:

• DOE’s block grant Excel spreadsheet

Staying up to date

Bookmark this page, which will be updated as new information and Web sites appear. Then, if you haven’t already, sign up for the SGN email newsletter or the SGN RSS feed, since we will be issuing weekly updates and announcements. (By the way, our newsletter features an instant, one-click unsubscribe. If your job or your interests change, click the link at the top and bottom of every email and you will be instantly removed with no further typing or action required.)

• Bookmark SmartGridNews.com
• Enter the email address where you want the SGN alert delivered
• Sign up for an RSS feed to alert you when new stories are published