Federal Grants Available for Energy Audits

FYI. See opportunity below.

Tim

Timothy W. O'Connell Assistant to the State Director Rural Development Rural Energy Coordinator
U.S. Department of Agriculture
154 Waianuenue Ave., Room 303 Hilo, HI 96720 (808) 933-8313 (808) 933-8326 (F) Committed to the future of rural communities
www.rurdev.usda.gov


http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-12583.pdf

$2.4 million available to units of State, tribal, or local government; instrumentalities of a State, tribal, or local government; land-grant colleges and universities and other institutions of higher education; rural electric cooperatives; and public power entities for the provision of energy audits and renewable energy development assistance to agricultural producers and rural small businesses. This funding will be available in the form of grants.

The above entities are eligible to apply, however the energy audits conducted under this program are only for a rural small business or a farmer/rancher.

Applications for grants must be submitted on paper or electronically no later than 4:30 p.m., local time July 26, 2010. Neither complete nor incomplete applications received after this date and time will be considered for funding in FY 2010, regardless of the postmark on the application.

Limit per grant application is $100,000. Recipients of the audits are required to pay at least 25% of the cost of the audit.

Eligible projects directly related to conducting and promoting energy audits and renewable energy development assistance, which include but are not limited to:

(i) Salaries directly or indirectly related to the project;
(ii) Travel expenses directly related to conducting energy audits or renewable energy development assistance;
(iii) Office supplies (e.g., paper, pens, file folders); and
(iv) Administrative expenses, up to a maximum of 5 percent of the grant,
which include but are not limited to:
(A) Utilities;
(B) Office space;
(C) Operation expenses of office and other project-related equipment (e.g., computers, cameras, printers, copiers, scanners); and
(D) Expenses for outreach and marketing of the energy audit and renewable energy development assistance activities, including associated travel expenses.