Alaska Program and Application
The Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) submitted its application to the United States Department of Energy (DOE) – Grid Deployment Office (GDO) on April 18, 2023. On August 4, 2023, DOE’s GDO announced the award of the $22.1 million formula grant applied for by the AEA. This award covers the federal funding allocated for the first two initial years of the program, with $12.1 million and $10 million awarded for Federal fiscal years 2022 and 2023, respectively. This federal funding award was also matched via a required 15 percent state match of $3.6 million, as stated in Section 40101(d) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). AEA is currently reviewing its Request for Applications (RFA) and associated evaluation criteria for use in awarding sub-grants to applicants. AEA anticipates launching its RFA in the fourth quarter of 2023. A DOE-published fact sheet regarding this initial award of $22.1 million can be read here. The DOE-stated deadline for applications for Indian Tribes and other tribal entities was August 31, 2023. AEA is not administering those tribal entity applications for DOE formula allocations made directly to tribal entities.
Grid Resilience Formula Grant Program
The Grid Resilience Formula Grant Program, funded through Section 40101(d) Formula Grants to States & Indian Tribes of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), will be administered through the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA), as designated by Governor Mike Dunleavy. The national program provides $2.5 billion in formula grants to States and Indian Tribes to improve electric grid infrastructure resiliency against disruptive events. AEA’s administration of the Program mainly pertains to those Federal allocations to the State of Alaska over the Program’s five-year funding period; Alaska’s Tribal entities have been allocated their funding directly under the program. Alaska has been awarded $22.1M in formula grant funds, for the first two federal fiscal years of funding. Alaska is estimated to receive approximately $60 million over the five-year Program period. AEA plans to issue grant funds via a competitive sub-award process. As per the requirements of this funding opportunity, the State of Alaska has provided the mandatory 15 percent match for prime recipients. However, an additional one-third (1/3) match will be required for those selected sub-applicants, based on the total grant funds requested.
Eligible entities that may apply for sub-awards under this Program include electric grid operators, electricity storage operators, electricity generators, and transmission owners or operators holding a Certificate of Public Necessity and Convenience, issued by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.
Eligible activities to improve the resiliency of the electric grid infrastructure against disruptive events may include but are not limited to relocating or reconductoring powerlines; improvements to make the grid resistant to extreme weather; increasing fire-resistant components; implementing monitoring, controls, and advanced modeling for real-time situational awareness; and integrating distributed energy resources like microgrids and energy storage. DOE guidance explicitly prohibits the construction of (1a) a new electric generating facility, (1b) a large-scale battery-storage facility that is not used for enhancing system adaptive capacity during disruptive events, or (2) cybersecurity. The period of performance for these sub-award grants is set at five (5) years with a potential single extension, at DOE’s discretion, of an additional five years, or less depending on the amount of time necessary to complete all efforts at the stated sub-award.
AEA is currently reviewing its RFA and associated evaluation criteria for use in awarding sub-grants to applicants. AEA anticipates launching its Request for Applications in the fourth quarter of 2023. Please note that those applications selected by AEA for an award must be approved by DOE before any award is officially issued. Prospective applicants: please note that when submitting a project schedule with your application, the proposed project schedule should allow for varying times for DOE officials to review the application, and request additional information or consultation prior to the required DOE approval.
Public Participation — Grid Resilience Program
AEA solicited requests for public participation throughout the application process. Over the course of developing the application, AEA hosted four public meetings to solicit any comments and/or questions relating to AEA’s application to U.S. DOE’s Section 40101(d) Formula Grants to States, as Federally funded via the IIJA. Recordings of these meetings are available by accessing the links provided below:
Public Meeting #1: September 7, 2022
Public Meeting #2: September 13, 2022
Public Meeting #3: December 13, 2022, 1-2 p.m.
Public Meeting #4: January 12, 2023, 10:30-11:30 a.m
Materials
End of Public Comment Period
- Thursday, January 26, 2023
For additional information or to provide comments, please email: