The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) Energy Unit is offering grants for communities to improve energy management and accelerate the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy for local governments and tribes.
Donor Name: Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE)
State: Michigan
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/30/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
Program Objectives
- Assist in advancing local governments’ energy-related activities,
- Promote energy planning to ensure strategic implementation of energy-related activities,
- Promote energy benchmarking and auditing to increase understanding of energy use,
- Promote energy efficiency upgrades in appliances, lighting, and building envelopes to reduce energy use and costs,
- Promote the adoption of renewable energy systems to reduce energy costs and improve public and environmental health,
- Promote community engagement, outreach, and education to increase public awareness and involvement in energy-related activities.
Program Priorities
- Showcasing energy waste reduction and/or renewable energy as an affordable, reliable, adaptable, and environmentally protective solution for Michigan’s energy future. Energy waste reduction, as defined in Public Act 342 of 2016, includes energy efficiency, load management, and energy conservation.
- Use of energy audit/assessment results, from a recognized provider such as the RESTART program to guide energy efficiency investments.
- Driving down the installed cost/watt for renewable energy in Michigan.
- Increasing accessibility to renewable energy and/or energy waste reduction and the associated benefits for a broad range of end-users.
- Strategic deployment of renewable energy and/or energy waste reduction across the state that leverages regional strengths and opportunities.
- Increasing opportunities for business investment, talent enhancement, state branding, and community vitality.
- Support the goals of the MI Healthy Climate Plan.
Funding Information
A minimum of $150,000 in funding is expected to be available for this program now, with additional funding expected to be available upon the U.S. Department of Energy’s approval of EGLE’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program application. The maximum grant award is $25,000 per applicant. EGLE reserves the right to issue awards/award amounts reflecting program priorities.
Period of Performance
The State anticipates the grant period will begin January 1, 2024, and will end August 31, 2025.
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects must involve/address energy management, energy efficiency, and/or renewable energy. Potential projects may include, but are not limited to, updating plans, policies, and/or ordinances to include energy systems, green building standards, climate change adaptation and resiliency; benchmarking energy usage, water usage, and greenhouse gas emissions; ASHRAE Level I or II audits; energy efficiency upgrades; renewable energy projects; public engagement and/or outreach; training; workshops.
Eligibility Criteria
For the SEP portion of the funds, any local government, tribal government, or other public service entity physically located in Michigan is eligible to apply. For the EECBG portion of the funds, any local government, tribal government, or other public service entity physically located in Michigan that did not receive direct EECBG funding allocations is eligible to apply. At least 40 percent of the program funding will be granted to entities located in disadvantaged census tracts according to the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. Former Community Energy Management Program recipients must wait at least one program year following their most recent award before being eligible to apply again.
For more information, visit EGLE.
