Grid Enhancement Grant Subaward Program in Arkansas
The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) announced up to $10.3 million in funding through the Grid Enhancement Grant. Donor Name: Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration State: Arkansas County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 07/19/2024 Size of the Grant: More than $1 million Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: DFA is seeking proposals for grid enhancement and resilience projects that will strengthen the resilience of the electric grid and/or reduce the impacts of electric outages in the state. This program leverages allocated federal funds to enhance and modernize America’s power grid against natural disasters and expand economic development. This funding is provided through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and will be allocated to projects that deliver direct benefits to Arkansans by increasing grid resilience, protecting against outages during natural disasters, and encouraging investments into the state’s grid workforce.  Objectives The funds will be used to enhance the resilience of the electric grid and prevent electric outages by addressing three objectives: Increase the Reliability of the Arkansas Electric Grid – Reduce the frequency with which the grid experiences sustained interruptions and decrease the number of customers impacted by all-hazard events, especially those customers that experience higher-than-average frequency and duration of outages. Achieve Whole Community Impact – Ensure that these Grid funds benefit Arkansans, specifically those who reside in communities that are more susceptible or vulnerable to electric power outages. Support the Development of the State’s Grid Workforce – Support the development of the state’s workforce responsible for grid enhancement projects, potentially by means of offering additional professional development and/or workforce development opportunities. Consider additional efforts to help Arkansas train, attract, and retain a skilled workforce. Eligible Projects and Investments Through this program, most of the state’s funding will be allocated to projects that strengthen the state’s electric grid through one or more of the following eligible enhancements: Adaptive protection technologies Advanced modeling technologies Fire-resistant technologies and fire prevention systems Hardening of power lines, facilities, substations, or other systems Monitoring and control technologies Relocation of power lines or reconductoring of power lines with low-sag, advanced conductors Replacement of old overhead conductors & underground cables Undergrounding of electrical equipment Use or construction of distributed energy resources (DERs) for enhancing system adaptive capacity during disruptive events, including microgrids and battery-storage subcomponents Utility pole management Vegetation and fuel-load management Weatherization technologies and equipment Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants include all Arkansas electric utilities (e.g., investor-owned electric utilities, electric cooperatives, and municipal electric utilities). Electric grid operator- Maintains reliable and secure operation of the electric grid Electricity storage operator Manages and maintains energy storage system Electricity generator- Generates electricity for public use Transmission owner or operator- Maintains efficient and reliable transmission of electricity from electricity generators to regional/local distribution operators Distribution provider -Operates and manages local and/or regional energy distribution networks Fuel supplier- Supplies fuel used to generate electricity in the state For more information, visit DFA.
Award Range
Not specified - $1,000,000
Total Program Funding
$10,300,000
Number of Awards
Not specified
Matching Requirement
Yes - Cost Match: Applicants must provide details of the cash or in-kind cash value of all proposed cost match to fulfill the project. This will be a component within the budget section. Cost match includes: • Cash Cost Match: Encompasses monetary contributions to the project made by the applicant or third party (entities/individuals that do not have a role in delivering the project) for all costs incurred and paid during the project. • In-Kind Cost Match: Encompasses contributions to the project where a value of the contribution can be readily determined and verified, but where no actual cash is transacted (e.g., volunteer personnel hours, donation of space or use of equipment, etc.). Match Requirements: Under this program, U.S. DOE calculates cost match for small3 utilities and large4 utilities as a percentage of the Federal funds only, rather than the Total Project Cost. For simplicity, DFA has calculated the following cost match percentages for any Total Project Cost: • Small: Total cost match (to be provided by the applicant) would equal 32.9% of any project cost. The subaward would be equal to 67.1% of the project cost. • Large: Total cost match (to be provided by the applicant) would equal 53.7% of any project cost. The subaward would be equal to 46.3% of the project cost.
Eligible Applicants
Additional Requirements
Eligible applicants generally include all Arkansas electric utilities (i.e., investorowned electric utilities, electric cooperatives, and municipal electric utilities). Please see the comprehensive list of eligible entities below: • Electric grid operator: Maintains reliable and secure operation of the electric grid • Electricity storage operator: Manages and maintains energy storage system • Electricity generator: Generates electricity for public use • Transmission owner or operator: Maintains efficient and reliable transmission of electricity from electricity generators to regional/local distribution operators • Distribution provider: Operates and manages local and/or regional energy distribution networks • Fuel supplier: Supplies fuel used to generate electricity in the state
Geographic Eligibility
All
Application Opens
June 3, 2024
Application Closes
July 19, 2024