Developing clean energy projects: Funding and technical assistance for capacity building
December 23, 2024
What is capacity building?
Capacity building is a method of empowering government, nonprofit, workforce, and community organizations by providing funding, technical assistance, and support for developing and strengthening skills, tools, resources, and capabilities.
Federal funding opportunities for capacity building to engage around developing projects
There are federal programs designed to support state and local capacity building by providing training and technical assistance, facilitating regional partnerships, and supporting workforce development. In addition, there are federal programs to support and fund local organizations to provide technical assistance to stakeholders and local groups in their regions. This resource includes federal programs and funding opportunities under three main categories:
- Local Energy/Infrastructure Planning
- Local Health/Environmental Impacts/Monitoring
- Workforce Development
In addition, EPA has approximately $81 million in non-competitive direct award funding for eligible state, local, Tribal, and territorial air agencies to establish new ambient air monitoring sites, and maintain, operate, or upgrade existing ambient air monitoring networks. The networks provide data to inform decision making that protects human health and the environment. Approximately $2 million of funding is also available to support the deployment and operation of air quality sensors in low-income and disadvantaged communities across the United States.
Capacity funding
| Program Name | Category | Agency/ Department | Total Funding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Energy to Communities Program | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOE, EERE | $50 million annually through appropriations | Connects local governments, electric utilities, community-based groups, and others with experts from DOE’s national laboratories. |
| Regional Initiative for Technical Assistance Partnerships (RITAP) | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOE, FECM | $44,500,000 | Nine selected projects will establish partnerships that include stakeholders with extensive technical, managerial, regulatory, and business expertise specific to carbon transport and storage. Each partnership will focus on a particular region where multiple carbon storage projects are expected to be deployed and provide project developers, regulators, community advocacy groups, labor organizations, and other affected stakeholders with objective, unbiased technical assistance within that region. |
| Clean Communities Investment Accelerator | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | EPA | $6 billion | Five grant recipients were selected to establish hubs that provide funding and technical assistance to community lenders working in low-income and disadvantaged communities, providing an immediate pathway to deploy projects in those communities while also building capacity of hundreds of community lenders to finance projects for years. |
| Solar for All | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | EPA | $7 billion | 60 grant recipients will create new or expand existing low-income solar programs, which will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to benefit from distributed solar energy. |
| Rural Energy Pilot Program | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | USDA | $10 million | Financial assistance for rural communities to support community energy planning, capacity building, and technical assistance; community efficiency and weatherization; and installation and equipping of community-scale renewable energy technologies and systems. |
| Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOE, OCED | $1 billion | Financial investment, technical assistance, and other resources to advance clean energy demonstrations and energy solutions that are replicable and scalable. |
| National Clean Investment Fund | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | EPA | $14 billion | Three grant recipients are establishing national clean financing institutions that deliver accessible, affordable financing for clean technology projects nationwide. These recipients are partnering with private-sector investors, developers, community organizations, and others to deploy projects, mobilize private capital at scale, and enable millions of Americans to benefit from the program through energy bill savings, cleaner air, job creation, and more. |
| Thriving Communities | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOT | $23,600,000 | The awarded National Capacity Builders will support a total of 52 communities in 35 states and the Regional Capacity Builders will support 60 communities in Alaska, Colorado, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, and West Virginia. A total of 112 communities will receive support through the second round of the program, bringing the total number of communities supported to 176 across the two program years. |
| Transmission Siting and Economic Development Grants Program | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOE, GDO | $760,000,000 | Advance critical transmission projects by accelerating siting and permitting while supporting economic development efforts in communities impacted by transmission construction and operation. |
| Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOE, EERE | Not a particular dollar amount – part of larger EERE | Technical assistance to competitively selected remote and island communities seeking to transform their energy systems and increase their energy resilience. |
| Renewable Energy Siting Through Technical Engagement and Planning (R-STEP) | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOE, EERE | $21,600,000 | Expands the decision-making capacity and expertise of state and local governments around large-scale renewable energy planning, siting, and permitting. |
| SolSmart | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOE, EERE | Not a particular dollar amount – part of larger EERE | National recognition and technical assistance program for local governments, which seeks to drive greater solar deployment and make it possible for more American homes and businesses to access affordable and renewable solar energy to meet their electricity needs. The program also provides technical assistance and shares best practices with communities seeking national recognition for cutting red tape and improving local solar market conditions. |
| Charging Smart | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOE, EERE | Not a particular dollar amount – part of larger EERE | Supports local governments with free technical assistance and recognizes their improvements in planning, zoning, and for permitting distributed energy generation. |
| Clean Cities and Communities Technical Assistance | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOE, EERE | Not a particular dollar amount – part of larger EERE | Connects transportation stakeholders with objective information and experts to assist with alternative fuels, fuel economy improvements, and emerging transportation technologies. |
| Distributed Wind Smart | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOE, EERE | Not a particular dollar amount – part of larger EERE | National designation program that recognizes communities that have taken key steps to address local barriers to distributed wind (DW) energy and foster the growth of DW markets. |
| Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X) | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOE, EERE | Not a particular dollar amount – part of larger EERE | Offers technical assistance to directly support stakeholders in improving interconnection practices and processes for electricity distribution and transmission systems. The technical assistance is specific to the interconnection of clean energy technologies including solar, wind, storage, or electric vehicle charging facilities, or a hybrid integration of these technologies. |
| Onsite Energy Technical Assistance Partnerships (TAPs) | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOE, EERE | Not a particular dollar amount – part of larger EERE | Provides direct technical assistance to industrial facilities and other large energy users with identifying and implementing technology options for achieving site-specific energy objectives. |
| Regional Transmission Planning Support for States | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOE, GDO | N/A | Technical assistance to states to participate in the six-month state engagement period required under FERC Order No. 1920. TA can include: targeted education, tailoroed consultations, and peer-sharing cohorts. |
| Regional Energy Democracy Initiative (REDI) | Local energy/ infrastructure planning resources/ maps | DOE, EJE | $5 million | Technical assistance and capacity building program intended to help communities meaningfully engage in the design and implementation of community benefits associated with DOE funded projects in Texas and Louisiana in the U.S. Gulf South region. |
| Community Change Grants | Local health/ environmental impacts/monitoring resources | EPA | $2 billion | Funds activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges. |
| Community Safety Grants | Local health/ environmental impacts/ monitoring resources | PHMSA | $1 million | Enhances the capability of communities to prepare for and respond to hazmat accidents and incidents and supports the training of state and local enforcement personnel who are responsible for enforcing the safe transportation of hazmat. |
| RAMP Initiative | Workforce | DOE, Office of Policy | Not a particular dollar amount | Seeks to catalyze effective, inclusive workforce strategies to prepare and connect local workers to good jobs on large clean energy infrastructure and supply chain projects funded the Invest in America suite of laws (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPS and Science Act) in target geographies. |
| ISEED Collaborative | Workforce | DOE, EERE | $3 million | Provides assistance to partners across the manufacturing sector to help grow the readiness of the workforce needed to decarbonize the U.S. industrial sector. |
| Workforce Development and Business Owner Training Programs | Workforce | DOE | $250 million | Grants to train a qualified and diverse clean energy workforce. will help states, nonprofits, and industry prepare workers and businesses to deliver the energy efficiency and electrification projects that will decarbonize buildings. |
| Transit Workforce Center | Workforce | DOT | $5 million | Technical assistance center to directly support public transit workforce development. Its mission is to help transit agencies recruit, hire, train, and retain a diverse workforce needed now and in the future. The TWC will also help address the national transit worker shortage by providing technical assistance activities geared towards developing frontline transit workers’ skills and recruiting workers to transit careers through various programs, such as apprenticeships, and partnerships. |
Technical assistance providers
| Name | Program (if applicable) |
|---|---|
| Battelle Memorial Institute | RITAP |
| Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University | RITAP |
| Carbon Solutions LLC | RITAP |
| Texas Tech University | RITAP |
| University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center | RITAP |
| The University of Texas at Austin | RITAP |
| The University of Utah | RITAP |
| University of Wyoming | RITAP |
| Western Michigan University | RITAP |
| Opportunity Finance Network | CCIA |
| Inclusiv | CCIA |
| Justice Climate Fund | CCIA |
| Appalachian Community Capital | CCIA |
| Native CDFI Network | CCIA |
| Executive Office of the State of New Hampshire | Solar for All |
| Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources | Solar for All |
| Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources | Solar for All |
| The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection | Solar for All |
| The Maine Governor’s Energy Office | Solar for All |
| Vermont Department of Public Service | Solar for All |
| Alaska Energy Authority | Solar for All |
| Oregon Department of Energy | Solar for All |
| Washington State Department of Commerce | Solar for All |
| Bonneville Environmental Foundation | Solar for All |
| Tanana Chiefs Conference | Solar for All |
| New Jersey Board of Public Utilities | Solar for All |
| New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) | Solar for All |
| Puerto Rico Office of Management and Budget (Oficlna de Gerencia y Presupuesto de Puerto Rico). | Solar for All |
| U.S. Virgin Islands Energy Office | Solar for All |
| District of Columbia Government | Solar for All |
| Maryland Clean Energy Center | Solar for All |
| Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority | Solar for All |
| Virginia Department of Energy | Solar for All |
| West Virginia Office of Energy | Solar for All |
| Department of Environment & Conservation Tennessee | Solar for All |
| Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet | Solar for All |
| North Carolina Department Of Environmental Quality | Solar for All |
| South Carolina Office of Resilience | Solar for All |
| Hope Enterprise Corporation | Solar for All |
| Solar and Energy Loan Fund of St. Lucie County, Inc. (“SELF”, as coalition lead) | Solar for All |
| The Capital Good Fund | Solar for All |
| Illinois Finance Authority | Solar for All |
| Minnesota Department of Commerce | Solar for All |
| State of Michigan, Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy | Solar for All |
| State of Ohio Office of Budget and Management State Accounting | Solar for All |
| Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation | Solar for All |
| Indiana Community Action Association, Inc. (IN-CAA) | Solar for All |
| New Mexico Energy, Minerals, & Natural Resources Department | Solar for All |
| State of Louisiana, Department of Natural Resources | Solar for All |
| Harris County | Solar for All |
| Hope Enterprise Corporation | Solar for All |
| The Missouri Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority | Solar for All |
| Center for Rural Affairs | Solar for All |
| Colorado Energy Office | Solar for All |
| Utah Office Of Energy Development | Solar for All |
| Bonneville Environmental Foundation | Solar for All |
| Coalition for Green Capital | Solar for All |
| Executive Office of the State of Arizona | Solar for All |
| Government of Guam – Department of Administration | Solar for All |
| Hawaiʻi Green Infrastructure Authority | Solar for All |
| The California Infrastructure Economic Development Bank (Ibank) | Solar for All |
| Nevada Clean Energy Fund | Solar for All |
| Hopi Utilities Corporation | Solar for All |
| Inclusive Prosperity Capital, Inc. | Solar for All |
| Groundswell Inc. | Solar for All |
| Midwest Tribal Energy Resources Association Inc. | Solar for All |
| Growth Opportunity Partners | Solar for All |
| Clean Energy Fund of Texas | Solar for All |
| Oweesta Corporation | Solar for All |
| Three Affiliated Tribes (The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation)) | Solar for All |
| GRID Alternatives (Western Indigenous Network Solar For All) | Solar for All |
| GRID Alternatives (Solar Access for Nationwide Affordable Housing Program) | Solar for All |
| Climate United Fund | National Clean Investment Fund |
| Coalition for Green Capital | National Clean Investment Fund |
| Power Forward Communities | National Clean Investment Fund |
| Community Connectors | Smart Growth America |
| International Transportation Learning Center | DOT |
