November 15, 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.


Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) Discretionary Grant Deadline Calendar (Updated 11/14/23)


Funding Updates:

Alaska’s new total for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ((IIJA) increased formula funding and discretionary grants is now $5.707 billion (as of November 14, 2023).

 

Alaska’s total for Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding is now $98 million. Funding includes: $87 million for Building Energy Code Adoption; High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebates; HOMES Rebate Program; and State-Based Home Energy Efficiency Contractor Training; $4.5 million for Climate Pollution Reduction Grants; Environmental Justice Collaboration; Fenceline and Screening Air Monitoring; and Methane Emissions Reduction; and $5.8 million for Urban and Community Forestry Program.


APPLICATIONS DUE NOVEMBER 22, 2023: The Arctic Energy Ambassadors Program, run by the Department of Energy’s Arctic Energy Office, ran a virtual information session to answer questions about the Ambassadors and application process. The recording is available here. If you still have questions about the program, please contact Trisha Sims.


DEADLINE DECEMBER 9, 2023: Alaska Broadband Office – Digital Equity Plan – 30 Day Comment Period


Denali Commission is hiring a Program Specialist

Upcoming Events:

If you have an infrastructure or workforce development event or website you would like us to share, please email us!

 

December 5-8, 2023, 9 AM – 4 PM Basic QuickBooks Training for Rural Utilities through Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development


Wed-Fri, December 6-8, 2023Alaska Municipal League Annual Local Government Conference, Dena’ina Center, Anchorage, AK

 

Wed-Fri, April 10-12, 2024Arctic Encounter, Dena’ina Center, Anchorage, AK

 

Mon-Thur, May 20-23, 2024 – Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, Dena’ina Center, Anchorage, AK

Grant Opportunities:

If you are applying or know of an entity applying for an infrastructure grant, please let us know! 


BROADBAND

  • 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

  • Dept. of Interior - Small Surface Water and Groundwater Storage Projects, Deadline Nov 30, 2023. Eligible entities: States; Munis/Boroughs; Tribes; Institutions of higher education; Non-profits. These projects will provide new sources of water and increase water management flexibility, making water supply more reliable. This notice invites sponsors of small surface water and groundwater storage projects to request cost-shared funding for the planning, design, and/or construction of those projects.
  • Wood Innovations Grant Funding Opportunity, Deadline December 15, 2023. Grants.gov notice. Eligible entities: For-profit entities; state; local governments; Tribes; school districts & universities; non-profits. Program looking for proposals to substantially expand and accelerate wood energy and wood products markets throughout the United States to support forest management needs on National Forest System and other forest lands; Reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health on National Forest System and other forestlands; Reduce costs of forest management on all land types; and Promote economic and environmental health of communities.
  • NOAA - Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants, Deadline December 19, 2023. Eligible entities: Tribes and underserved communities. Grants support opportunities to engage in coastal habitat restoration activities, including capacity building; actionable science support, such as the collection and/or analysis of climate, habitat or other community- or conservation-related data; and restoration project activities that enhance resilience.
  • NOAA - Weatherization Program Assistance (WPA) Enhancement and Innovation, Deadline January 5, 2024. For eligible entities, please see link.
  • NEW 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.
  • NEW 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. 
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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!
  • NEW EPA -Water Technical Assistance Request Form


ECONOMIC & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

  • Dept. of Energy – Competitive Grants for Energy Efficiency Workforce Training Programs, Deadline November 27, 2023. Eligible entities: Non-profit Partnerships. The Career Skills Training program will provide grants for nonprofit partnerships between public or private industry and labor organizations to deliver programs that provide both energy efficiency classroom instruction and on-the-job training. 
  • If you are interested in applying for this grant, please contact Alaska Municipal League. NOAA – Climate Ready Workforce, (Letter of Intent) Deadline November 30, 2023; (Full Grant Application) Deadline February 13, 2024. Eligible entities: Must be in coastal states; State; Tribes; Local Governments; institutions of higher education; non-profit organizations. Program seeks to place people into good jobs that advance climate resilience and assist employers in developing a 21st-century workforce. NOAA will assist communities in coastal states so they may form partnerships that train workers and place them into jobs that enhance climate resilience.
  • 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.
  • 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

  • NEW Department of Energy – Building Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) 2024, Deadline December 18, 2023. Program will invest up to $30 million to research, develop, and validate technologies to advance decarbonization. Technologies developed will advance the state-of-the-art for HVAC equipment, lower the cost of building envelope and lighting retrofits, and make buildings more resilient to blackouts and extreme weather by emphasizing cost-effective, easy-to-deploy technology solutions, and community-oriented project partnerships.
  • 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.
  • Tribal Nation Technical Assistance Program for Offshore Wind Transmission is a program that engages tribes in planning and development of offshore wind transmission. This technical assistance program was developed in direct response to tribal input and offers capacity building through educational resources, training, and expert matching with technical experts and researchers at Dept. of Energy’s national labs. To support tribal representation at key offshore wind transmission forums, the program will also provide funding to mitigate the financial burden of participation. Funding for this program is partially provided by the Inflation Reduction Act.
  • Dept. of Energy - Communities LEAP (Local Energy Action Program) aims to help sustained community-wide economic and environmental benefits through clean energy. This opportunity is specifically open to low-income, energy-burdened communities experiencing environmental justice impacts or economic impacts when shifting away from fossil fuels. DOE pairs communities with technical assistance providers who help with clean energy planning and economic development. 


TRANSPORTATION

  • 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. 
  • 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).
  • 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.


OTHER

  • 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.
  • Dept. of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service - FY24 Recovery Challenge Fund, Deadline December 18, 2023. Eligible entities: Unrestricted (see link). Program aims to aid in the recovery of species under ESA and to help conserve the ecosystems upon which these species depend.
  • 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. 
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • NEW 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.
  • 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.

Awards Announced:

Nikiski Fire Department Receives $250k For Mobile Integrated Healthcare Program


State of Alaska, Fairbanks North Star Borough receive $10M EPA grant to improve air quality


Seldovia receives $2.3M to replace Jakolof Bay dock

 

Grant Funds Expansion of North Slope Fiber


Feds grant Nome $11 million for port utilities 

Infrastructure News:

Governor Dunleavy Announces Statutory Proposal to Increase the Railbelt’s Energy Security


Alaska has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock its energy potential 


Alaska Energy Authority: FHWA Approves FY24 Alaska NEVI Plan, NACS Update, and Local EV News


Exploring the Impact of Alaska's Winter Storms on Transportation


Alaska Municipal League is helping rural communities qualify for climate change funds


US Infrastructure Law Funding Over 40,000 Projects


U.S. Plans to Spend Big on Critical Minerals; Choosing Where Isn’t Easy an oldie, but goodie


The $2 Million Coal Mine That Might Hold a $37 Billion Treasure


Anchorage Summit Sharpens Draft Plan for Housing Strategies


Centrus Produces Nation's First Amounts of HALEU


The Path to Green Energy Is Getting Messier


Proposed graphite mine in Alaska’s Bering Strait region pursues boosted production plan


Huge new federal grant promises easier access for cheaper, cleaner power in Alaska’s Railbelt


Innovation leads to productive season for safety upgrade at Moose Creek Dam


USDA Forest Service proposes rule to facilitate carbon capture and sequestration permitting on national forest lands


Mitch Landrieu leaving as White House Infrastructure Coordinator


AIDEA Releases Technical Method for Determining Whether Wetlands are Subject to Federal or State Regulatory Jurisdiction


Meet 'Darth Blader': Anchorage's Snow-Clearing Snowplow Name Winner!


Public-Employee Salary Incentives Strain Government Budgets, Moody’s Says


Dept. of Natural Resources - Auction Puts 136 Lots of Alaskan Land in Alaskan Hands


TRENDS - Fishing jobs show small decline



Department of Commerce to Establish U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute


USDA Forest Service proposes rule to facilitate carbon capture and sequestration permitting on national forest lands


US Department of Labor kicks off 9th annual National Apprenticeship Week


$2M grant for Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority seeks to help more than 100 Southeast families 

 

Alaska Standard for mining energy metals


Department of Transportation unveils plans for Ketchikan's aging infrastructure

 

Sullivan, Senators warn new permitting rule imperils America’s mineral needs, adds red tape


Sens. Murkowski and Coons Introduce Landmark Bipartisan Climate Resilience Legislation


We’ve got a huge crush on Drones right now:


Alaska Demonstrates Airport to Airport Drone Delivery


Drone Cargo Delivery


Alaska aims to be undisputed drone capital of the world


Experiments test drone freight delivery to villages


Alaska Expands Use of Drones for Avalanche Monitoring 

Helpful Links:

Grants.gov - Search all grants by key word, like ‘Renewable Energy’ or ‘Broadband’


Alaska Energy Hub


McKinley Research Group: Incentives for Market-Rate Attainable Housing Development Report


University of Alaska Anchorage: Business Enterprise Institute


Dept of Transportation Winter Maintenance


Classifieds - Alaska Municipal League


American Community Survey  Click on American Community Survey Data for access to many data points.


FUNDED Magazine – Information on Grants 

 

Alaska Military Youth Academy

View as Web Page