The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) is now accepting applications for the Microgrids for Community Resilience (MCR) Planning Grants.
Donor Name: Colorado Department of Local Affairs
State: Colorado
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/31/2023
Size of the Grant: $36,000
Details:
The Microgrids for Community Resilience (MCR) grant program is designed to build community resilience regarding electric grid disruptions through the development of microgrids. The MCR grants will be awarded to cooperative electric associations and municipally owned utilities to establish microgrid resources for rural communities.
The microgrids funded through this opportunity will support community-level resilience to reduce impacts during electric grid disruptions.
Funding Information
- The following reflects only HB22-1013 funding that is appropriated for Year 1 (awards made in CY 2023). Any unused funding will roll over into Year 2.
- $399,000 is appropriated for this cycle.
- Applications should not exceed the maximum award of $36,000.
- At least 25% local match is required
- In kind contributions are not eligible as match for planning grants
- Project funding must be spent and closed out ahead of the HB22-1013 program’s expiration by June 30th, 2026.
- DOLA will provide an award or denial letter in May 2023.
Types of Eligible Planning Projects
All applications must propose planning for microgrid resources that increase the community’s resilience regarding interruptions to the electric grid that can be caused by severe weather or natural disaster events. Through this funding opportunity, applicants may pursue the following eligible activities.
Engineering, planning, pro forma, or feasibility/scoping studies that:
- Have an associated implementation/action plan, which creates a roadmap for utilities/communities
- Establish one or more community’s potential for microgrid projects, including scale, size, and cost
- Evaluate existing infrastructure risks and vulnerability and develop recommendations to integrate resiliency into forthcoming microgrid-related projects
- Integrate and incorporate supplemental plans, such as:
- Vulnerability assessments (socioeconomic, infrastructure, climate/extreme weather)
- Engagement to understand community need associated with anchor institutions and essential infrastructure
- Microgrid-tied resources and energy efficiency assessments, reports, or recommendations (e.g., energy efficiency and demand side management, energy performance contracting, and existing or planned distributed energy resources)
Eligibility Criteria
- Cooperative electric associations and municipally-owned utilities are eligible to apply.
- Proposed microgrid project(s)/plans must serve one or more eligible rural communities located within the applicant’s service territory.
- Rural communities are defined as a county with a population of less than 50,000 or a municipality/unincorporated area with a population of less than 25,000. You may refer to the Populations of Colorado Counties, Municipalities, and Unincorporated Areas for clarity on the definition of rural. The population criteria applies to the community/communities that the microgrid serves and is located in. If an electric cooperative or municipal utility serves a broad service area that covers multiple jurisdictions, the application and definition of rural should align with the project’s particular location. For example, the application should refer to each municipal population served, rather than the county, population as a whole.
- Eligible communities must be experiencing significant risk due to at least one of the following: a) extreme weather/climate threats risk and vulnerabilities; b) socioeconomic/environmental justice risk and vulnerabilities; c) infrastructure risk and vulnerabilities. Applicants will be asked to include data and narrative in applications reflecting various risks and vulnerabilities. DOLA has created the MCR Climate & Social
- Risk & Vulnerabilities Mapping Tool to support applicants in understanding and documenting their risks and vulnerabilities as required in the application process. As part of the legislative mandate, the MCR program will incorporate measures of vulnerability into their selection criteria.
- Proposed microgrid project(s)/plans must center around strengthening resilience to community-based anchor institutions and/or essential infrastructure. Community anchor institutions are schools; libraries; hospitals or other health-care facilities; law enforcement, emergency medical service providers, or other public safety agencies; government offices; community organizations that support marginalized communities; or other critical community service facilities.
- Proposed microgrid project(s)/plans that have a higher reliance on non-fossil-fuel-based generation will be prioritized.
For more information, visit DOLA.
