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Rural and remote areas often have higher energy costs and burden, less resilient energy systems, and fewer alternatives for accessing clean energy compared with their urban counterparts. Furthermore, small communities do not always have the available time, money, or other resources to pursue clean energy options. This program serves communities of 10,000 people or fewer. Applicants must propose projects that support at least one of these eligible activities: A. Improving overall cost-effectiveness of energy generation, transmission, or distribution systems; B. Siting or upgrading transmission and distribution lines; C. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation in rural or remote areas; D. Providing or modernizing electric generation facilities; E. Developing microgrids; and F. Increasing energy efficiency. Applications may include any technology that meets these eligible activities, as long as those technologies are commercially available. Applicants must choose one of the four topic areas for their project’s application. For further information, please see the Full Funding Opportunity Announcement at https://oced-exchange.energy.gov/. All application materials must be submitted through the OCED Funding Opportunity Exchange.
Funding Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0003428. Assistance Listing: 81.255. Funding Instrument: CA. Category: EN. Award Amount: $2M – $50M per award.
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Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Eligible applicants: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility. The following entities are eligible to apply: (1) Indian Tribes; (2) state and local governmental entities; (3) nonprofit organizations; and (4) for-profit organizations. This program serves rural and remote communities with 10,000 people or fewer. Cost sharing or matching funds are required. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows $2M – $50M per award. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
The published deadline was August 28, 2025, which has passed. Check the official notice for any future application windows before investing time in a proposal.
Yes — Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas – Fiscal Year 2025 Release is offered by Headquarters and this listing comes from Grants.gov, an official U.S. federal source. Federal applications generally require registrations (for example SAM.gov or an agency submission portal), so allow extra lead time.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
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Innovative technologies and solutions to improve wind energy systems supporting the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan on wind is sponsored by European Commission — Horizon Europe. Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes: Advance in the achievement of the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan’s research and innovation priorities and targets for wind energy; Efficient and effective support to wind energy research and innovation through alignment and cooperation among different actors, avoiding fragmentation of efforts; Energy producers and consumers benefit from increased performance of wind energy technologies with the focus on efficiency and flexibility, reduced cost, improved reliability and sustainability, operation and maintenance, safety, robustness and security during all stages of the lifetime of a wind energy farm from installation, operation and maintenance to decommissioning; Increased contribution of wind energy to the energy system, with minimal impacts on health and the environment (notably biodiversity and pollution) and at the lowest possible cost. Scope: The action contributes to address the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan’s research and innovation priorities and targets for wind energy, as defined by the Implementation Working Group (IWG) on wind energy, the European Technology and Innovation Platform on wind energy (ETIP Wind) [1] and the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) joint programme on wind energy [2] . The activities carried out by the project will pertain to the following priority R&I areas: Industrialisation, scale-up and competitiveness: mass production supported by automation and reliable supply chains, design for large volume manufacturing and deployment, design for reliable and lasting products and improved construction and installation methods, digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) in industrial environment. Optimisation and further digitalisation of operation and maintenance: integration of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, advanced repair methodologies and new sensor technologies, interoperability among wind farm sub-systems, advanced communication technologies and cybersecurity, innovative component replacement solutions and quick connect/disconnect systems for mooring lines and inter-array cables. Wind energy system integration: definition and modelling of future system needs, advanced grid capabilities, interoperability, solutions to effectively manage curtailment, integration with energy storage technologies and hybrid plants, distributed wind energy. Sustainability and circularity: material substitution for decarbonisation, material reduction, recycling methods, lifetime extension via re-using, refurbishing and re-purposing, new decommissioning tools and methods and solutions to minimise the environmental and biodiversity impacts and optimise the socio-economic impacts. Floating offshore wind: development and demonstration of innovative technologies for offshore floating wind. Development of optimised floating wind energy systems through the integrated design of the different elements of the system, including the floater and the generation part. Research and technology infrastructures for wind energy: upgrade of existing and establishment of new infrastructures and test centres for the sector. An area of particular interest in this domain are large-scale testing facilities for offshore floating wind energy systems. Wind energy systems interactions with climate, atmosphere, ocean and geophysics: geophysical characteristics measuring and modelling, wake effect model development, climate change impact analysis Environmental and social aspects, coexistence: evolution of environmental impact assessments, spatial planning, biodiversity solutions, reduced pollution (e.g. noise and vibration, pollution due to erosion of the blades), design and implementation of practices and platforms that facilitate inclusive communication and stakeholders’ involvement, tools to map stakeholder concerns and development of practical approaches to lifecycle public participation, socialisation of win Programme areas: Horizon Europe (HORIZON), Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, Climate, Energy and Mobility, Energy Supply
Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans and Grants is sponsored by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development. The REAP program provides financial assistance in the form of guaranteed loans and grants to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or energy efficiency improvements. While primarily aimed at agricultural producers and rural small businesses, some K-12 schools in rural areas may be eligible if they meet the definition of a rural small business or agricultural producer.
Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Grants and Guaranteed Loans is sponsored by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA Rural Development). REAP provides grants and guaranteed loans to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements. This can include high-efficiency HVAC systems, insulation, lighting, and other energy-efficient equipment. While school districts are not directly listed as eligible, the program's focus on rural small businesses and agricultural producers could potentially include some school district-related entities or partnerships in rural areas if they meet the specific eligibility criteria. The program is governed by a multi-year Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) covering FY 2025, 2026, and 2027.