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ClosedOpportunity RD-RUS-HECG20

Assistance to High Energy Cost Communities

Rural Utilities Service · Department of Agriculture

At a glance

Assistance to High Energy Cost Communities is a closed federal grant opportunity from the Rural Utilities Service (Department of Agriculture). The application deadline was April 27, 2020. Individual awards are listed as $100K – $3M, with about 10 awards expected and $10M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts and 11 more. Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 10.859 (Assistance to High Energy Cost Communities).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

  1. Feb 27, 2020Posted
  2. Apr 27, 2020Application deadline
Posted
Feb 27, 2020
Close date
Apr 27, 2020
Award floor
$100,000
Award ceiling
$3,000,000
Est. total funding
$10,000,000
Expected awards
10
Cost sharing
Not required
Funding instrument
Grant
Opportunity category
Discretionary

Who can apply

  • State governments
  • County governments
  • City or township governments
  • Special district governments
  • Independent school districts
  • Public colleges & universities
  • Federally recognized tribal governments
  • Public & Indian housing authorities
  • Native American tribal organizations
  • 501(c)(3) nonprofits
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status
  • Private colleges & universities
  • Individuals
  • For-profit organizations (not small businesses)
  • Small businesses
  • Others (see notice)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

Individuals may apply on behalf of unincorporated community organizations. Awards will not be made directly to individuals. Eligible applicants also include sole proprietorships, legally organized for-profit or nonprofit organizations such as, but not limited to, a corporation, association, partnership (including a limited liability partnership), cooperative or trust. Applicant must be located in the United States, a U.S. Territory or other area authorized by law to participate in programs of the Rural Utilities Service or under the Rural Electrification Act

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the availability of up to $10 million in competitive grants to assist communities with extremely high energy costs. The grant funds may be used to acquire, construct, or improve energy generation, transmission, or distribution facilities serving communities where the average annual residential expenditure for home energy exceeds 275% of the national average. Eligible projects also include on-grid and off-grid renewable energy projects and the implementation of energy efficiency and energy conservation projects for eligible communities. Projects cannot be for the primary benefit of a single household or business. Grant funds may not be used for the preparation of the grant application, operating costs, or for the purchase of any equipment, structures, or real estate not directly associated with the provision of community energy services.

Additional information from the agency ↗

Full announcement & documents

The full announcement has the complete rules — page limits, required attachments, evaluation criteria and any letter-of-intent dates. Files download directly from Grants.gov.

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

Reported obligations under ALN 10.859

Historical data · not a prediction
FY24$7.31M
FY25$20.6M
FY26$8M est.
Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 10.859. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Who was funded under ALN 10.859

Historical data · not a prediction

Since October 1, 2023, 19 grant awards had funding actions under Assistance to High Energy Cost Communities. These are program-wide awards, not awards from this specific notice.

  1. ALASKA ENERGY AUTHORITY$10.3M
  2. ALASKA VILLAGE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE INC.$6.06M
  3. CITY OF TENAKEE SPRINGS$3M
  4. CITY OF NOME$2.91M
  5. DENA NENA HENASH$2.8M
Recipients, states, recent awards and sub-awards →Source: USAspending.gov.

Agency contact (as published)

Robin L Meigel Finance Specialist
robin.meigel@usda.gov
202 720 9452

Quick answers

Who is eligible to apply for “Assistance to High Energy Cost Communities”?

The official notice names these applicant types as eligible: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public colleges & universities, Federally recognized tribal governments, Public & Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, Private colleges & universities and 4 more. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How much funding is available through “Assistance to High Energy Cost Communities”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as $100k – $3m, total estimated program funding is $10,000,000 and the agency expects to make about 10 awards.

How do I apply for “Assistance to High Energy Cost Communities”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity RD-RUS-HECG20), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.