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Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Better Kentucky Plan

Building Stronger Communities​​

​“Part of Gov. Andy Beshear’s Better Kentucky Plan​ is to use the $6.5 billion allocated through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) – also known as the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act – to build stronger communities in every corner of the commonwealth. These federal dollars offer unprecedented opportunities to communities, businesses and local governments to make improvements in areas of energy efficiency, forestry, renewable energy, waste management and water. It will let Kentucky make significant progress in reclaiming abandoned mine lands, redeveloping brownfields and capping orphaned oil and gas wells.​”   - Secretary Rebecca Goodman​​

In addition to IIJA/BIL funding, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)​ provides additional state funding opportunities, as well as credits and incentives to consumers and businesses. Funding opportunities below include programs from both IIJA/BIL and IRA. 

"Building a Better Kentucky Weekly Update" ​(Aug. 29 - Sept. 11​)

Upcoming Dates

​​​See "Funding Opportunities" section for specific program application deadlines.

​Sept. 14, 2023: U.S. DOE Webinar

 Transmission Siting and Economic Development Program (2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET) ​​
For more information or to pre-register, visit DOE's ​e​v​ent ​p​age​​​​​​​.​​ 

Sept. 20​, 2023: USDA Webinar

 RUS IRA New ERA 22004 Application (2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET) ​​  
For more information or to pre-register, visit USDA's e​vent page​​​.

Approaching Deadlines...​​​​

See "Funding Opportunities" below for further details on each:

  • Sept. 15 - letter of intent​, (IRA) Empowering Rural America (New ERA), RUS-NEWERA-2023​
  • Sept. 29 - letter of intent, (IRA) Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE), RUS-PACE-2023​
  • Sept. 30 - application, (IRA) Mitigating Emissions from Marginal Conventional Wells, DE-FOA-0003109

​Funding ​Opportuni​​​​ties

Search through the following list of grants and funding opportunities for Kentucky communities, schools, and businesses. Additional information and links to guidance will be posted on this page when they become available, so check back often!

​Energy Efficiency & Resilience​

Funding Source: ​IIJA/BIL
Program Title: ​Energy Improvement in R​ural or Remote Areas​ (ERA) Fixed Award Grant Program
Purpose: ​To support small community-driven clean energy projects $500,000 to $5 million that address at least one of the resilient clean energy objectives outlined in 40103(c)(3) are addressed
Who can apply: ​State/local government; Indian Nations; non-profits; for-profits; institutions of higher education; consortia
Deadline:  July 13 (5p ET), pre-application; Oct. 12 (5p ET), full application
Where to apply: ​DOE via grants.gov (DE-FOA-0003045​)
Questions: ​ ERAGrant@hq.doe.gov​​

Funding Source: ​Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
Program Title: Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants
Purpose: To provide guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make efficiency improvements
Who can apply: Agricultural producers, small rural businesses
​​Deadlines: June 30; Sept. 30; Dec. 31
Where to Apply: ​USDA-RD via state energy coordinator
Learn More: IRA REAP webinar recording
Questions? Contact Scott Maas, USDA-RD, 859-224-7319​

Funding Source: ​IIJA/BIL
Purpose:  To increase the energy efficiency of dwellings owned or occupied by low-income persons, reduce their total residential energy expenditure and improve their health and safety
Who can apply:  Low-income households 
Deadline:  Ongoing
Where to apply:  Local Community Action Agency​
Questions? Weatherization Assistance ​Program​

Federal guidance on the following is forthcoming.  Please check back closer to the identified time period for updates.

​Forestry and Safety

Funding Source: IIJA/BIL
Program Title: Rural and Municipal Utility Advances Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance Program
Purpose: To deploy advanced cybersecurity technologies for electric utility systems and to increase the participation of eligible entities in cybersecurity threa information sharing programs​
Who Can Apply: Rural, municipal, small investor-owned electric utilities
Deadline:  TBA
Provide Input:  Public comments ​closed 12/19/2022

Federal guidance on the following is forthcoming. Please check back closer to the identified time period for updates.

​Reclamation, Remediation, and Prevention

Funding Source: ​IIJA/BIL
Program Title: Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation Program​
​Purpose: To abate problems caused by historic coal mining (pre-May 18, 1982)
Who Can Apply: registered state vendor contractors
Deadline: See each RFB for deadlines
Where to Apply: Finance Cabinet Vend​or Self Ser​vice Portal
RFB#s: RFB-85-24, Chavies Community Projects (Perry), 10/4/23
Learn More:  Ky. ​Division of Abandoned Mine Lands​
                         Contractor Workshop Slides​ / Additional Contractor Info​
Questions? Contact James Cable​, 502-564-2141​

Funding Source: IIJA/BIL
Program Title: State Orphaned Well Program​​
Purpose: To assist in activities related to plugging, remediation and reclaiming orphaned wells on state and private lands
Who can apply: Registered state vendor contractors
Deadline: TBA
Where to apply: Finance Cabinet Vendor Self Service Portal​
RFP#s: TBA
​Important:  Contractor Meeting Slides
                        DOL Da​vis-Bacon Prevailing Wage Seminars​
Learn More: ​DOI draft formula guidancepresentation, recording​
Questions?  Contact Ky. Division of Oil & Gas​, 502-573-0147

​To report orphaned wells in your area, email OrphanWells@ky.gov​. ​​​​​​

Federal guidance on the following is forthcoming.  Please check back closer to the identified time period for updates.

​Renewable Energy

Funding Source: ​IIJA/BIL
Program Title: Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs)​
Purpose: To support the development of six (6) to 10 regional clean hydrogen hubs to improve clean hydrogen production, processing, delivery, storage, end use

Who Can A​pply:  State, other industry groups/organizations
Deadline: 2023 deadline has passed
Learn More:  Kentucky Hydrogen Hub Workgroup​
                          DOE's H2Hubs Webinar Recording
Questions?  Kentucky efforts, Kenya Stump​, 502-782-7083​

​Funding Source: Inflation Reducation Act (IRA)
Program Title: Solar for All
Purpose:  To spur the deployment of residential distributed solar energy to lower energy bills and catalyze transformation in markets serving low-income and disadvantaged communities
Who Can Apply: territories, municipalities, eligible non-profits
Deadline:  Aug. 14 - notice of intent; Sept. 26 - application
Where to Apply: EPA-R-HQ-SFA-23-01
Learn More: Solar for All webpage
Questions? ggrf@epa.gov

​Federal guidance on the following is forthcoming.  Please check back closer to the identified time period for updates.

​Waste Management

Program Title: Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling
See "Advanced Energy..." under Energy Efficiency & Resilience above​​​​​

Funding Source: ​IIJA/BIL
​Program Title: Battery and Critical Mineral Recycling
Purpose: To create innovative and practical approaches to increase the reuse and recycling of batteries
Who Can Apply: Higher ed., govt., non-profit/profit, consortium, et. al.
Deadline:  TBD 2Q 2023
Where to Apply:  DOE via grants.gov
Learn More:  See Notice of Intent
Questions? BIL-Batterymanufacturing@hq.doe.gov​​​

Funding Source:  IIJA/BIL
​Program Title: Consumer Electronics Battery Recylcing, Repro​cessing, and Battery Collection
Purpose: To support the recycling of consumer electronics batteries and battery-containing devices to help build a robust domestic critical material supply chain for EV batteries in the U.S.
Who Can Apply:  Multiple, see guidance for details
​​Deadline:Aug. 17 - concept paper; Nov. 29 - application
Where to Apply​: DE-FOA-000289​7
Questions?  DE-FOA-0002897@netl.doe.gov

Federal guidance on the following is forthcoming.  Please check back closer to the identified time period for updates.

​Water

Funding Source: ​IIJA/BIL
Program Title: Clean Water State Revolving Fund
Purpose: To provide financial assistance for wastewater infrastructure, storm water, and non-point source projects
Who can apply: Projects listed on Kentucky's annual Clean Water Intended Use Plan/Priority list
Deadline: TBA
Where to apply: Local Area Development District
Learn More: Division of Water - CWSRF
Questions? Contact Carey Johnson​, 502-782-6990
                    See also Kentucky Infrastructure Authority

Funding Source: ​IIJA/BIL
Program Title: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
Purpose: To provide financial assistance to help water systems and states achieve the objectives of the Safe Drinking Water Act (1996)
Who can apply: Public Water Systems
Deadline: TBA
Where to apply: Local Area Development District
Learn More: Division of Wa​ter - DWSRF​
Questions? Contact Carey Johnson​, 502-782-6990
                    See also Kentucky Infrastructure Authority

Federal guidance on the following is forthcoming.  Please check back closer to the identified time period for updates.


​Workforce & Environmental Justice​​​

​​​Funding Source: ​IIJA/BIL
​Program Title: DOL Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program​
Purpose: To fund public-private parthnerships to develop, stregnthen, and scale promising and evicence-based training models in H-1B industries and occupations critical to meet the goals of BIL
Who Can Apply: Higher ed., state/local govt., non-profit/profit, et. al.
Deadline:  2023 deadline closed
Where to Apply:  DOL via grants.gov (FOA-ETA-23-31)
Questions? Contact Ariam Ferro​​​

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