Through this R-STEP Opportunity, The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is requesting applications from state-based collaboratives aiming to increase state and local capacity for large-scale renewable energy planning and siting. R-STEP will also serve as a platform for Collaboratives to share learnings and best practices with other stakeholders.
A single application should be submitted by a team of organizations interested in working together to form a collaborative. DOE highly encourages state energy offices (or equivalent state agencies) and university extension offices to lead or participate in applications but recognizes that the organizations best suited to perform these activities will vary from state to state. Applicants are encouraged to team with other organizations including, but not limited to: Tribal governments, universities, non-governmental organizations, and community-based organizations. DOE also recommends that teams include organizations familiar with the needs of local communities in the state. They should have experience providing educational or technical assistance services to local communities and have technical expertise on renewable energy siting topics (e.g., environmental impacts, tax policies, land use, zoning ordinance development).
Applications should:
1. Focus on plans to establish or expand a state-level initiative that improves decision-making by state, local, and/or Tribal governments on large-scale renewable energy planning, siting, and permitting;
2. Prioritize equitable and inclusive community engagement both to identify local needs and disseminate technical resources; and
3. Be submitted by cross-disciplinary collaboratives with experience engaging local communities and technical expertise on siting issues.
Applicants can request up to $2 million to execute proposed activities over the course of up to 3 years (36 months).
Applications should primarily focus on activities that expand the planning and evaluation capacity of state and local decision makers regarding the siting of large-scale wind, solar, and battery energy storage infrastructure. Where there is appreciable need within a state, proposals may include activities related to other clean energy technologies, such as geothermal power, agrivoltaics, offshore wind, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Applicants must provide sufficient detail and reasoning to justify the technologies included in the scope of activities. In addition, applicants are encouraged to consider whether and how software tools, including those that utilize machine learning (ML) or similar technology, could improve the efficacy, speed, and/or environmental justice outcomes of renewable energy planning, siting, and permitting.