Assessing Feasibility
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Assessing feasibility: Is full modernization of your entire grid feasible for your organization right now?
You’ve moved past initial internal discussions and are now focusing on defining specific needs and planning context. Key considerations may include:
- Regional and Local Plans:
- Identify relevant plans for land use, economic development, emergency response and associated data sources and agencies. Determine timeline intersections and potential collaborations for cost savings.
- Needs Assessment:
- Short and long-term planning to identify current and future residential, industrial and commercial needs, considering best and worst-case scenarios.
- Historical and Social Factors:
- Identify factors that could limit resource availability or affect community acceptance of technologies. Determine necessary resources, programs and time to address these barriers.
Funding resources to support assessing feasibility
| Opportunity | Program Objectives | Eligibility (who is eligible to apply) | Funding type (grant to community, technical assistance, loan, …) | Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) - Clean Community to Communities (C2C) Program | Accelerates the deployment of clean energy systems that are reflective of local and regional priorities. | Local governments, electric utilities, community-based groups, and others | Technical assistance | Clean Energy to Communities Program | Department of Energy | In-depth technical partnership: Multiyear partnership for cross-sector modeling, analysis, and validation paired with direct funding- Peer-learning cohorts- Expert matches: short term assistance (40-60 hrs) with one or more technical experts |
| Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) - Industrial Technology Validation (ITV) Pilots | Act as a bridge between technology vendors and manufacturing facilities, facilitating access to national laboratory resources for the objective assessment of new technologies in real-world industrial settings. The results of these evaluations are made available to the public, thereby contributing to the rapid adoption of emerging technologies in the industrial sector. | U.S. industrial sites and technology providers | Technical assistance | Industrial Technology Validation Program | Better Buildings Initiative (energy.gov) | Assesses the performance of emerging decarbonization technologies in industrial environments to explore their viability in real-world conditions. These efforts support and accelerate the deployment of high-impact technologies that will advance decarbonization of the industrial sector. |
| Office of Electricity - Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership (C-MAP) | Program supports design or deploy a microgrid that aligns with community-defined priorities to improve or to optimize existing microgrid technology. | Communities, or groups of communities, that are either developing or have developed microgrid energy systems | Technical assistance | Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership | Department of Energy | |
| Water Power Technologies Office - Marine and Hydrokinetic Resource Assessment and Characterization | Provide resource assessment charts and tables for waves, tidal streams, ocean currents, river currents, and ocean thermal gradients. | Public | Public Information Resources | Marine Energy Resource Assessment and Characterization | Department of Energy | Resource assessment charts and tables for waves, tidal streams, ocean currents, river currents, and ocean thermal gradients. |
| Water Power Technologies Office - Hydropower Resource Assessment and Characterization | Provide reports and maps that assess the total technically recoverable energy available in the nation’s powered dams, non-powered dams, and untapped stream-reaches. | Provide resource assessment charts and tables for waves, tidal streams, ocean currents, river currents, and ocean thermal gradients. | Public | Hydropower Resource Assessment and Characterization | Department of Energy | Reports and maps that assess the total technically recoverable energy available in the nation’s powered dams, non-powered dams, and untapped stream-reaches. |
| Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) - Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Technical and Project Assistance | Federal agencies | Technical assistance | FEMP Assistance Request Portal (energy.gov) | Assistance to federal agencies to formally request technical assistance from FEMP for various aspects of their operations, including fleet management, project financing, and the implementation of renewable energy projects. | |
| Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) - Solar Energy Innovation Network (SEIN) | Program dedicated to aiding communities in the creation of innovative strategies for solar energy adoption. Also, provides specialized analytical support especially for early adopters to assist other communities and organizations in adopting and implementing the insights generated by the Innovation Network. | State and local governments, community-based organizations, electric utilities, companies, nonprofits, and universities | Technical assistance | Solar Energy Innovation Network | Department of Energy | Program seeks to lower barriers to equitable solar energy adoption and increase the resiliency of the nation’s electric grid |
| Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) - National Community Solar Partnership+ (NCSP+) | Help establish objectives and address ongoing challenges, particularly in extending community solar access to underserved communities. | NCSP+ member | Technical assistance | Technical Assistance | Department of Energy | Areas for TA: - Policy, legislation, and regulation research - Project financing analysis - Outreach and engagement strategies - Program design - Technical issues |
| Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) - Clean Community to Communities (C2C) Program | Accelerates the deployment of clean energy systems that are reflective of local and regional priorities | Local governments, electric utilities, community-based groups, and others | Technical assistance | Clean Energy to Communities Program | Department of Energy | In-depth technical partnership: Multiyear partnership for cross-sector modeling, analysis, and validation paired with direct funding - Peer-learning cohorts - Expert matches: short term assistance (40-60 hrs) with one or more technical experts |
| Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) - Onsite Energy Program | Provide technical assistance, market analysis, and best practices to help industrial facilities and other large energy users increase the adoption of onsite clean energy technologies | Industrial facilities, large energy users | Technical assistance | Onsite Energy Program | Department of Energy | |
| Grid Deployment Office (GDO) - Joint Assessment of Resilience in Vulnerable Infrastructure Systems (JARVIS) | Enhance the resilience and reliability of the nation's electric grid by leveraging advanced technologies, data analytics, and innovative modeling techniques. The program seeks to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities, strengthen strategic planning, and support underserved utilities in implementing equitable, sustainable, and modern grid resilience solutions. | Electric utilities in partnership with Technical Assistance (TA) provider, which include research institutions, consulting firmsm technology companies, non-profit, for-profit organizations | Grant | TechWerx - Opportunities | |
| Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy - Renewable Energy Siting through Technical Engagement and Planning (R-STEPâ„¢) | Enhance capacity of state and local governments to effectively plan, site and permit large-scale renewable energy and energy storage projects. It aims to create a streamlined, community-oriented, and science-based siting process by providing technical assistance, fostering community engagement, and developing state-specific tools and resources. | U.S. state and local governments | Grant | Renewable Energy Siting through Technical Engagement and Planning (R-STEPâ„¢) | Department of Energy |
Engaging community in modernization planning
Community engagement is a crucial aspect of the planning process for grid infrastructure modernization. Utilities must involve the communities they serve in the decision-making process to build trust, foster transparency and ensure that the modernization efforts align with the needs and values of the community. Click below to explore community engagement resources.Â
Community Engagement
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