Brendan PierpontMay 24, 2023
Nice summary of USDA's new IRA programs to support rural co-ops clean energy transition: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/utilities/rural-electricity-is-getting-its-biggest-boost-since-fdr-heres-how
Rural electricity is getting its biggest boost since FDR — here's how

The Inflation Reduction Act earmarked $10.7B to make rural energy cleaner and more affordable. Now we have the details on how exactly the program will work.

Canary Media
Show threadChris Nelder 🤘

@brendanp Thanks for boosting that - Nice work by Jeff, I agree.

I just wish there were some way for communities, not just utilities, to access funds as easily to help them build out their own microgrids, VPPs, etc. But many small communities aren't big enough to even have the capacity to write a successful grant or loan application, let alone navigate the federal programs bureaucracy to even find the opportunities. I have flagged this to @JigarShah but haven't found a viable solution yet...

May 24, 2023 at 5:51pmWeb
Show threadBrendan PierpontMay 24, 2023

@chrisnelder @JigarShah Absolutely agree. The Rural Energy For America also got a boost in IRA (and USDA rolled that new funding into the program pretty quickly) - that one has broader eligibility: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/energy-programs/rural-energy-america-program-renewable-energy-systems-energy-efficiency-improvement-guaranteed-loans

But, the local capacity for writing grants, or even figuring out which grants to apply for is a huge gap. Big role for project developers, NGOs, government agencies to help communities access these resources.

Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants

The program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements.

Rural Development
Show threadChris Nelder 🤘May 24, 2023
@brendanp @JigarShah That's one way to do it, but IMO, relying on NGOs and philanthropy to provide that capacity is an expensive, slow, and ineffectual way to go about it.

Why should EJ communities have to wait for their utilities to do what they don't want to do? Why should programs be aimed at utility incumbents? Why look at DERs as a problem to be accommodated, or bolted-on to the existing paradigms, rather than as priority resources because the grid should be rebuilt from the bottom-up?
Show threadDmurphyMay 25, 2023
@chrisnelder @brendanp @JigarShah
I agree. As someone who lives in a small, rural town, I can say for sure there is zero capacity for additional grant writing, coordinating with NGOs, or whatever else. We are so busy trying to get money to deal with asbestos abatement in derelict buildings and things like that. Definitely need a way to execute this so that the burden doesn't fall to local (generally volunteer) policy-makers.