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December 20, 2023
Welcome to the Office of Infrastructure weekly newsletter. If you have items to share, please email us. Feel free to forward or reach out to be added to our list.
The office of Infrastructure weekly email will be taking a break on December 27th and January 3rd. Wishing you and yours safe travels and the best, brightest start to the New Year!
The Arctic Energy Office launched the Arctic Energy Ambassadors program, a call for Alaska-based, community-driven energy experts who will work to communicate their regional energy needs, challenges, and ideas while sharing available Department of Energy resources to better engage this critical area of the globe. Learn more about this work and other key 2023 successes in a new message from Director Erin Whitney.
Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) Discretionary Grant Deadline Calendar (Updated 12/20/2023)
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Upcoming Events:
If you have an infrastructure or workforce development event or website you would like us to share, please email us!
Now – Thur, Jan 4, 2024, Alaska DOT&PF Meetings & Online Open House re: Seward Highway MP 98.5–118, Bird Flats to Rabbit Creek, Click here: Safer Seward Highway for all details and on-line meeting links.
Fri-Sat, January 12 – 20, 2024 - USDA and Dept. of Energy Hosting Listening Sessions on American Farms, Rural Benefits: How Clean Energy Siting Outcomes Can Benefit Farmers, Rural Americans, Online.
Wed, January 24, 2024, 11 AM – Anchorage Economic Development Corp 2024 Economic Forecast Lunch, Dena’ina Center, Anchorage, AK
Wed-Thur, February 21-22, 2024 – Energy Efficiency NOW: Energy Performance Training, Anchorage Downtown Marriott, Anchorage, AK
Tue-Fri, February 27-March 1, 2024 - "Managing Floodplain Development through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)" course, brought to you by Alaska NFIP, Atwood Building, 550 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, AK. Please contact: harmony.curtis@alaska.gov to pre-register for L0273.
Mon-Thur, April 1-4, 2024 – Alaska Infrastructure Symposium, Dena'ina Center, Anchorage, AK
Wed-Fri, April 10-12, 2024 – Arctic Encounter, Dena’ina Center, Anchorage, AK
Mon-Wed, May 20-22, 2024 – Alaska Telecom Association Annual Meeting, Harrigan Centennial Hall, Sitka, AK.
Mon-Thur, May 20-23, 2024 – Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, Dena’ina Center, Anchorage, AK
Wed-Fri, October 2-4, 2024 – 2024 Rural Energy Conference, Westmark Hotel, Fairbanks, AK
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Grant Opportunities:
If you are applying or know of an entity applying for an infrastructure grant, please let us know!
BROADBAND
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NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program – Round 2, Deadline January 23, 2024. Funding Amount: $980MM, individual awards will vary. Tribes and corporations who didn’t apply for Round 1 will be given priority consideration during this Round 2. Consortium applications are encouraged. May be used for Broadband infrastructure and affordable broadband programs, including free or reduced-cost broadband service and preventing disconnection of existing broadband service, distance learning and telehealth, and more.
- DISCOUNTED INTERNET AVAILABLE
CLIMATE, ENVIRONMENT & RESILIENCE
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Bureau of Land Management - Aquatic Resource Management, Deadline January 19, 2024. Eligible entities: State and local governments; Tribes; Nonprofits; Public housing authorities; Institutions of higher education; and School districts. Program will help combat habitat loss impacts to aquatic resources; Restore and connect degraded aquatic resources; and more.
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Bureau of Land Management – Recreation and Visitor Services Program, Deadline February 1, 2024. Eligible entities: State and local governments; Tribes; Nonprofits; Public housing authorities; Institutions of higher education; and School districts. Program intended to provide recreational opportunities that benefit the public and local communities to provide safe and equitable access to outdoor recreation opportunities for all Americans.
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FEMA - Building Resilient Infrastructure & Communities, Deadline February 29, 2024. Eligible entities: State; Muni/Borough; Tribes. Grants for implementing a sustained pre-disaster natural hazard mitigation program reducing risk to the population and structures from future hazard events, while reducing reliance on federal funding from future disasters.
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FEMA – Flood Mitigation Assistance, Deadline February 29, 2024. Eligible entities: State; Muni/Borough; Tribes. Program will help reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and within NFIP-participating communities. It recognizes growing flood hazards and need for flood hazard risk mitigation.
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NEW Bureau of Land Management - Alaska Aquatic Resources Program; Deadline March 8, 2024. Eligible entities: State; Local governments; Tribes; Nonprofits; school districts and institutions of higher education; housing authorities. Safeguarding and reviving riparian and wetland areas, aquatic habitats, and water resources, designed to support wildlife preservation.
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EPA - Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program: Implementation Grants - General Competition, Deadline April 1, 2024 and Tribes & Territories, Deadline May 1, 2024. $4.6 billion in competitive grants to fund state, local, and tribal programs that cut climate pollution and deploy clean energy solutions. Look here for opportunities to become a co-applicant soon!
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Dept. of Interior Fish & Wildlife Service – Refuge System Enhancement, Deadline May 17, 2024. Eligible entities: State; Local govts; Tribes; Institutions of higher education and school districts; Public housing authority; Non-profits. Goals are for communities to play a more active role in increasing outdoor recreation opportunities on refuge lands and waters, using partnerships to help Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) infrastructure repair and improvements, and to enhance wildlife habitat. Successful projects will address identified FWS priorities that enhance visitor experience, promote wildlife-dependent outdoor recreation, provide sustainable wildlife habitat, provide career training and mentoring opportunities, and engage the community in opportunities to participate in wildlife-dependent outdoor recreation on FWS lands and waters.
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Bureau of Land Management – Alaska IIJA/IRA Good Neighbor Authority, Deadline May 24, 2024. Eligible entities: State, Local govts, Tribes and ANCSAs. The Good Neighbor Authority is intended to plan and implement forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration projects, specifically treating insect-and disease-infested trees; reducing hazardous fuels; any other activities to restore or improve forest, rangeland, and watershed health, including fish and wildlife habitat.
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US Dept. of Interior - WaterSMART: Large-Scale Water Recycling Projects for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024, Deadline September 30, 2024. Eligible entities: States; Tribes; Boroughs/Municipalities; irrigation, water and wastewater districts and/or delivery authority. All applicants must be located in the Western United States.
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EPA – Community Change Program, Deadline November 21, 2024. Eligible entities: Partnership between two community-based non-profit organizations (CBO); or partnership between CBO and one of the following: local government, tribe or institution of higher education. $2 billion dollars (total) available in Inflation Reduction Act funds for environmental and climate activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate challenges.
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FEMA – Swift Current Flood Mitigation Program, Deadline January 15, 2025. Eligible entities: States, Tribes. Program aims to better align delivery of FMA flood mitigation funding to the disaster survivor experience. The purpose of FMA Swift Current is to reduce or eliminate the flood risk to NFIP-participating communities and repetitive flood damage to structures and buildings insured by the NFIP following a flood-related disaster event, and to enhance community flood resilience within NFIP-participating communities.
ECONOMIC & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
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U.S. Dept. of Labor – YouthBuild Program, Deadline February 1, 2024. Eligible entities: States; Local governments; Tribes; School districts and institutions of higher education; Nonprofits; Public housing authorities. The program offers $98 million in total funding to support the delivery of pre-apprenticeships in high-demand industries including construction, healthcare, information technology and hospitality.
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U.S. Department of Agriculture, Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program Application, Deadline Rolling (as long as funds are available, $58MM). Eligible entities: Tribal, community-based non-profit corps, and muni/town in rural area with no more than 20,000 residents. Provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and/or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment, and pay related project expenses, and can be used for community centers, libraries, clan houses, village clinics, or to purchase important equipment like snowplows or graders.
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U.S. Economic Development Administration – Public Works & Economic Adjustment Assistance, Deadline Rolling (as long as funds available, $161MM). Eligible entities: State, local governments, tribes, and Alaska Native Corporations. Funds may be used for, Acquisition and development of land and improvements for use in public works or other types of development facilities; Design and engineering, construction, rehabilitation, alteration, expansion, or improvement of public works, public service, or related development facilities; Water and sewer system improvements; Creation or expansion of industrial parks; Expansion of port and harbor facilities; Construction or upgrading of public infrastructure; and Construction or expansion of facilities for workforce development.
ENERGY
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Bureau of Indian Affairs - Tribal Energy Development Capacity, Deadline January 10, 2024. Eligible entities: Tribes. Program seeks to develop Tribal management, organizational and technical capacity needed to maximize economic impact of energy resource development.
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NEW DOE - Arctic Energy Office Funding Opportunities, Click the link for additional information on: Second GRIP Funding Program Concept Papers due (January 12, 2024); Community Capacity Building Grant Program Concept Papers due (January 25, 2024); and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Formula Grant Program (rolling).
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Dept. of Energy - Renewable Energy Research and Development, Deadline April 10, 2024. Eligible entities: Unrestricted. This program is on behalf of the Water Power Technologies Office and entitled "Strategies to Increase Hydropower Flexibility."
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Dept. of Energy - Distributed Energy Systems Demonstrations Funding Opportunity Announcement, Deadline April 15, 2024. Eligible entities: Utilities, including Municipal, Cooperative, and Investor-Owned Utilities. Program seek projects that demonstrate that coordinated distributed energy resources can provide reliable grid services. The goal is to build confidence that the design, control, and compensation approaches developed can be readily applied to other portions of the distribution grid and extended to other mixes of DERs, potentially extending the value of this approach to a more diverse set of communities, individuals, and entities as the distribution system continues to change.
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Department of Energy - Grid Resilience and Innovative Partnerships, Deadlines: Concept Papers January 12, 2024; Full Applications (Topics 1 & 3) April 17, 2024 and (Topic 2) May 22, 2024. The GRIP program aims to modernize the electric grid and maximize benefits of clean energy transition.
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Department of Energy – Tribal Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate Program is an ongoing opportunity for individuals to apply for rebates for home electrification upgrades between $840 to $14,000 per household. There is $225 million available under the Inflation Reduction Act. Funds will provide rebates to low- and moderate-income households installing efficient electric technologies.
TRANSPORTATION
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USDOT Tribal Transportation Program Safety Fund, Deadline January 15, 2024. Eligible entities: Tribes. Strategies, activities, and projects on a public road that are consistent with a transportation safety plan and that correct or improve a hazardous road location or feature or address a highway safety problem. Program emphasizes the development of strategic transportation safety plans using a data-driven process as a means for Tribes to identify transportation safety needs and determine how those needs will be addressed in Tribal communities. Four eligibility categories: transportation safety plans; data assessment, improvement, and analysis activities; systemic roadway departure countermeasures; and infrastructure improvements.
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USDOT – All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP), Deadline January 30, 2024. Eligible Applicants: state and local governments that operate or support “legacy” fixed rail systems and corresponding facilities. Program is to repair, improve, modify, retrofit, or relocate infrastructure of rail stations or facilities for passenger use. *Note: All Alaska Railroad stops are already ADA accessible.
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EPA Clean School Buses Rebate Competition, Deadline January 31, 2024. Eligible entities: Low-income, rural, and Tribal communities, and districts with concentrated poverty. Provides for buses, workforce development, and infrastructure costs for awardees requesting electric school buses. Applicants can request up to $345,000 per bus. Selectees may be eligible for Inflation Reduction Act tax credits applicable to their bus and infrastructure purchases. EPA to Host Series of Webinars (November 2, 2023 – February 7, 2024) on Clean School Bus Program. Click here to register.
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USDOT - Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Program, Deadline February 2, 2024. Eligible entities: State, Local govts, transit agencies, consortium with public/private sectors. Programs will deploy, install, and operate technologies to improve safety, mobility, efficiency, system performance, intermodal connectivity, and return on investment, providing benefits from: reduced traffic-related fatalities and injuries; reduced congestion and improved travel time reliability; reduced transportation-related emissions; including for underserved populations; and more.
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NEW FTA - Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM), Deadline February 13, 2024. Eligible entities: State; Tribes; Non-profits. $4.7 million in competitive grants for projects that improve access to transportation services for older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income individuals.
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USDOT - Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE), Deadline February 28, 2024 (FY24); January 13, 2025 (FY25); and January 13, 2026 (FY26). Eligible entities: State; Local governments; Tribes; and Transit agency. Eligible project types: highway or bridge projects eligible under title 23; public transportation projects under chapter 53 of title 49; passenger and freight rail transportation projects eligible under title 49; port investments; certain airport projects; culverts relating to storm runoff to improve habitat of aquatic species; and other deemed necessary by secretary. Watch for Webinars here.
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Federal Highway Administration Bridge Investment Program, Deadlines: November 27, 2023 (for FYs 2023 and 2024); August 1, 2024 (for FY 2025); and August 1, 2025 (for FY 2026).
OTHER
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Homeland Security - Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program, Deadline January 10, 2024. Eligible entities; Tribal governments. Goal of grant is to assist tribal governments with managing and reducing systemic cyber risk.
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2024 Alaska Native Organization Co-Management Funding Program, Deadline February 1, 2024. Eligible entities: Tribes. Grants may be used for development and implementation of species management, subsistence harvest monitoring, subsistence harvest sampling, scientific research, and public education and outreach.
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NEW EPA - Water Systems in Small and Rural Communities, Deadline February 2, 2024. $30.7 million for technical assistance and training to support small drinking water and wastewater systems. Eligible applicants: non-profit organizations; universities; public institutions of higher education.
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NEW USDA – Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), Deadline February 2, 2024. Eligible entities: States. First tranche of funding, department is providing up to $300 million to support eligible projects that enable exporters to break into new markets and increase market share in growth markets.
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NOAA – Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, Deadline March 4, 2024. Eligible applicants: State, Tribes. Program aims to reverse the declines of Pacific salmon and steelhead, supporting conservation efforts. The program aims to prevent extinction of 28 listed salmon and steelhead species through stabilizing the populations and contributing to recovery course.
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Dept. of Interior – National Park Service Round 7 Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, Deadline April 30, 2024. Eligible applicants: State lead agencies and their sub-applicants. Program provides outdoor recreation opportunities through acquisition of lands and waters for parks and recreation areas, as well as through the development of new, or the renovation of existing, recreation facilities.
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Dept. of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service – National Fish Passage Program, Deadline December 31, 2024. Eligible Entities: Individuals; State; Muni/Borough; Tribes/ANCSAs; Public/Tribal Housing Authorities; Non- and for-profits; Institutions of higher education; School districts. Projects must be developed and implemented with FWS staff, who will work with applicants to identify common priorities and provide technical assistance to develop projects that align with program: Restoring River, Floodplain, and Coastal Connectivity and Resiliency.
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Department of Agriculture – Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program, No Deadline – open until $59 million in funding expended. Eligible Recipients: Tribal governments, community-based non-profit corporations, and local governments located in rural areas with no more than 20,000 residents. Eligible Uses: To purchase, construct, and/or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment, and pay related project expenses, i.e. community centers, libraries including tribal libraries, clan houses, village clinics, or even to purchase important equipment like snowplows or graders.
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US Economic Development Administration – Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs, No Deadline – open until funds expended. Eligible Recipients: Tribes; Alaska Native corporations; and State, Borough, and Muni governments. Eligible Uses: Acquisition and development of land and improvements for use in public works or other types of development facilities. Design and engineering, construction, rehabilitation, alteration, expansion, or improvement of public works, public service, or related development facilities. Water and sewer system improvements. Creation or expansion of industrial parks. Expansion of port and harbor facilities. Construction or upgrading of public infrastructure such as health clinics or libraries. Construction or expansion of facilities for workforce development.
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Infrastructure News:
Anchorage Ted Stevens Int'l Airport-South Terminal Parking Garage Construction is Complete!
Nikolai Prospect Could Answer Domestic Need for Nickel
Could the feds withhold broadband funding to some states?
Want to attract Gen Z workers? Up your marketing game.
Redefining Pathways: Paid Internships and Public-Sector Labor Shortages
Petersburg Borough to restore quarry with help from Rock-N-Road Construction Inc.
U.S. Population Trends Return to Pre-Pandemic Norms
Wrangell's dams will soon have a much needed upgrade
$200 million in Alaska military construction in authorization bill
Anchorage Ted Stevens Int’l Airport is looking for new C Concourse Concessionaires: The Airport is seeking requests for proposals for the non-exclusive rights to redevelop, renovate, lease and manage service(s), a retail venture, or a food and beverage concession for two locations in Concourse C. You'll find more information click HERE.
Join Anchorage Ted Stevens Int’l Airport’s team of award-winning staff! Positions are posted online at www.JoinANC.com or local71.com/jobs.
According to the latest data from the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, there are now over 2,500 EVs registered in Alaska. This continues a trend of steady increase over the past year and a half.
Alaska Energy Authority wrote about Clean Vehicle Tax Credit changes back in their February and May newsletters. During that time, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) made provisions for “clean vehicles” like plug-in electric vehicles (EV) and fuel cell vehicles to be eligible to receive tax credits of up to $7,500 for a new vehicle, or $4,000 for a used vehicle. One caveat was that the tax credits were non-refundable, meaning that unless buyers owed money on their taxes, they would not get the credit.
Also, it was recently announced that, starting in January 2024, instead of waiting until the next tax season to claim the non-refundable credit, buyers will be able to use their clean vehicle credit as an immediate rebate at the point of sale while purchasing an EV, effectively lowering the sale price of the EV (regardless of whether they owe money on their taxes or not). For the buyer to receive the credit, dealers/sellers must report the sale to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) through an online interface. More information on dealership/seller requirements can be found here.
U.S. Department of the Treasury, IRS Release Guidance to Expand Access to Clean
Vehicle Tax Credits, Help Car Dealers Grow Businesses | U.S. Department of the Treasury
How to Lease an EV or PHEV With a $7,500 Tax Credit
Leasing an EV? There's an EV Tax Credit 'Loophole' for That
What are the unique geological features in Alaska?
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