Funding and Incentives

Request for Proposals for Innovative Renewable Energy Demonstration Project for Texas ISD

Closing Date: Friday, August 14, 2009 CDT

State Energy Conservation Office (SECO)has announced its Request for Proposals (RFP #194d) and invites proposals from qualified, interested independent school districts (ISD) and campuses to create and install an innovative renewable energy demonstration project and provide educational and related services to support the project.

View the proposal.

Notice of Request for Proposals for Projects to be Funded from the Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division, Healthy Indoor Environments Projects for Region 6

Closing Date: 06/16/2009, 5:00 p.m. Central Daylight Savings Time (CDT)

EPA Region 6 is soliciting proposals from eligible organizations to fund projects to reduce the public’s exposure to common indoor environmental hazards and address at least one of the following program priority areas:

1. Outreach and training projects that result in effective Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) management practices in schools;
2. Education of asthmatics and/or their caregivers concerning environmental triggers through home, daycare, community, and school interventions; or
3. Training of healthcare professionals, community workers, and other trained individuals on environmental management of asthma so they can counsel people with asthma.

Projects must occur within the states of EPA Region 6 – Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and/or Texas. Funding available is approximately $150,000 for grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000.

Proposals must be postmarked (if sent by hard copy) or received by EPA Region 6 through e-mail by the closing date and time. No late proposals will be accepted. The closing date and time is 06/16/2009, 5:00 p.m. Central Daylight Savings Time (CDT). For any questions concerning submission, please contact Stacy Murphy at 214-665-7116 or by email at murphy.stacy@epa.gov.

Funding Opportunities

DOE to Award $3.2 Billion in Energy Efficiency Block Grants

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will provide formula grants for projects that improve energy efficiency and reduce fossil fuel emissions. Funding is based on a formula that accounts for population and energy use, and to ensure accountability, DOE will provide guidance to grant recipients and require them to report on the number of jobs created or retained, energy saved, renewable energy capacity installed, greenhouse gas emissions reduced, and funds leveraged. See the Web site for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program.

Incentive Programs

Federal & State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency

The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) gives information on state and federal efficiency incentives by state, technology type, and incentive type with links to program web sites, legislation, tax credits and deductions, rebates, grants, low-interest loans, property and sales tax exemptions, and bond programs.

Energy Policy Act of 2005 Tax Credits

Several articles on the Energy Policy Act of 2005 Tax Credits.

Renewable Energy Incentives

• Solar Incentives
• Wind Incentives
• Ethanol Incentives
• Biodiesel Incentives

Financial Assistance

Renewable Fuels Foundation Grants

The RFF seeks to provide funding to universities and non-profit organizations, such as research consortiums, in the United States. RFF reserves the right to determine, at its sole discretion, the eligibility of a project for support.

The Borrower's Guide to Financing Solar Energy Systems: A Federal Overview

This U. S. Department of Energy document provides information that can assist assist both lenders and consumers in financing solar energy systems, which include both solar electric (photovoltaic) and solar thermal systems. The guide also includes information about other ways to make solar energy systems more affordable, as well as descriptions of special mortgage programs for energy-efficient homes.

DOE/EERE Financial Opportunities Web Site

The U. S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) works with business, industry, universities, and others to increase the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. One way EERE encourages the growth of these technologies is by offering financial assistance opportunities for their development and demonstration. Also see Doing Business with the Department of Energy and Types of Financial Assistance to learn more about EERE funding mechanisms.

USDA Energy Matrix

The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has many programs that help farmers, other rural residents, and the nation respond to energy-related issues and opportunities. These range from basic scientific research to the development and commercialization of new technologies. This USDA web site offers comprehensive information on energy-related programs, funding opportunities, and technical support across all USDA agencies and offices.

USDA Renewable Energy Energy Efficiency Program

Section 9006 of the 2002 Farm Bill requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create a program to make direct loans, loan guarantees, and grants to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to purchase renewable-energy systems and make energy-efficiency improvements. This program is known as the Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program. Eligible renewable energy projects include wind, solar, biomass and geothermal. It includes hydrogen derived from biomass or water using wind, solar or geothermal energy sources. During Fiscal Year 2006, Texas provided nearly 1.7 million for this program. For further information contact the USDA Rural Development at (254) 742-9780. Also see USDA Energy Initiatives, and the USDA Rural Development Texas State Office.

USDA Biobased Products and Bioenergy Program

The goal of the USDA Biobased Products and Bioenergy Program is to finance technologies needed to convert biomass into biobased products and bioenergy in a manner which is cost-competitive in large national and international markets. Loans for biomass conversion into biobased products and bioenergy are eligible for financing under the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program.

Financial Opportunities for Inventors

Inventors may seek DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy funding for energy efficiency or renewable energy technologies through two routes explained at this web site: the Inventions and Innovation Program and unsolicited proposals.

Strategic Environmental Project Pipeline Foundation (StEPP)

The StEPP Foundation's primary mission is to increase the number of energy efficiency, renewable energy and pollution prevention projects implemented for the benefit of the public. The StEPP Foundation provides project oversight to enhance the success of projects increasing the number of energy efficiency, clean energy and pollution prevention projects implemented at the local, state and national levels for the benefit of the public.

DOE's FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) provides funding opportunities for advanced vehicle technology projects that are aimed at removing technical and cost barriers. Much of the funding available to the FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program is distributed to private firms, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, Native American organizations, and individuals through competitive solicitations.