Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002974

This Notice of Intent (NOI) signals that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through the Office of Indian Energy (Golden Field Office), planned to release a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for 2023 focused on deploying clean energy technologies on Tribal Lands. The NOI is essentially an early heads-up to help potential applicants prepare. It is not the actual solicitation, and DOE explicitly notes that details may change, that DOE will not answer questions about the NOI itself, and that no applications can be submitted under the NOI.

The planned FOA, referenced as Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands - 2023 (NOI cites DE-FOA-0002974 and also mentions DE-FOA-0002975 in the narrative), was intended to fund practical, on-the-ground projects that install or deploy clean energy generation, energy efficiency, energy storage, and integrated energy systems that improve Tribal energy costs, reliability, and resilience. The program’s core idea is deployment rather than basic research: getting equipment installed, operating, and verified in real Tribal facilities and communities.

Eligibility was aimed specifically at Tribal entities: Indian Tribes (including Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Alaska Native Village Corporations), Intertribal Organizations, and Tribal Energy Development Organizations. While the source data lists eligible applicants as "unrestricted," the text of the NOI narrows the intended applicant pool to these Tribal-aligned organizations, meaning interested parties needed to rely on the FOA language once released for the final eligibility rules and any clarifications.

Projects were organized into four Areas of Interest, giving applicants multiple pathways depending on their needs. Area of Interest 1 targeted clean energy generating systems and/or energy efficiency measures for Tribal Buildings. This could include, for example, installing solar PV on a tribal administrative building, upgrading HVAC and building controls, improving insulation, or other measures that directly reduce energy use and operating costs in specific facilities. Area of Interest 2 focused on community-scale deployments on Tribal Lands, supporting larger clean energy systems or energy storage that serve broader community needs rather than a single building, such as a shared solar project, a battery system supporting a distribution segment, or other community-serving generation and storage configurations. Area of Interest 3 emphasized resilience and emergency preparedness by supporting integrated energy systems capable of autonomous operation, meaning systems designed to run independently of the traditional centralized electric grid to keep one or more essential tribal buildings powered during outages or emergencies. This area aligns with microgrid-like solutions that can island from the grid and maintain service for critical loads. Area of Interest 4 addressed electrification for buildings that currently have no electricity service at all, supporting integrated energy systems or energy infrastructure that bring power to "unelectrified" Tribal Buildings, defined as buildings not connected to the traditional grid and not connected to any autonomous integrated energy system.

A key distinction in the NOI is how it treats grid connection status. For Areas of Interest 1 through 3, the projects were generally intended for Tribal Buildings that are either grid-connected or already connected to an autonomous integrated energy system (a system not tied to the centralized grid). Area of Interest 4 is the exception, designed specifically for situations where a Tribal Building is unelectrified, meaning it lacks both a grid connection and an existing autonomous integrated system. In practical terms, this separates typical deployment and resilience work (improving or backing up existing service) from first-time electrification challenges (bringing power where none exists).

DOE expected to make multiple grant awards under this effort. The NOI indicates an anticipated period of performance of about two to four years per award, and it includes a mandatory 12-month verification period. That verification requirement signals that DOE wanted projects not only installed but also demonstrated and measured over time to confirm performance, savings, or operational outcomes. Award sizes were expected to vary by Area of Interest, with ranges anticipated at approximately $100,000 to $2,500,000 for some areas and $250,000 to $5,000,000 for others. The source data also lists an expected number of awards around 25. While the source data includes an "AwardCeiling: 2" field, the narrative in the NOI provides the more useful and detailed expected award ranges, and the final FOA would govern the actual ceilings and floors.

Timing and submission logistics were also clearly flagged. DOE planned to issue the FOA in spring 2023, and interested applicants were encouraged to subscribe to the DOE Office of Indian Energy newsletter for notification when the FOA went live. Once released, applications would be accepted only through the IE-Exchange system (ie-exchange.energy.gov), not through the NOI or any other channel. The NOI also advises applicants to review required registrations ahead of time, since federal grant submissions often require several accounts and validation steps that can take time to complete.

Overall, the opportunity was designed to help Tribal communities move clean energy plans into implementation by funding tangible deployments: efficiency upgrades, renewable generation, storage, microgrid or islandable integrated energy systems for critical services, and electrification for buildings without power. The NOI’s main value is as a planning document, encouraging potential applicants to start shaping project concepts, lining up partners, verifying site control and building details, and preparing for the required registrations so they could respond quickly once the actual FOA was released.

  • The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent to issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0002974, Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands - 2023" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Jan 26, 2023.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 26, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
Apply for DE FOA 0002974

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