May 2025 Updates

Welcome to the May edition of the Western Regional Collaborative newsletter. We're excited to bring you the latest updates and valuable resources to support your work in environmental protection and sustainability.

Quarterly Workshop
CCAP Collaboration Tool
Open Funding Opportunities
Federal
Tribal
State

Quarterly Workshops

We've kicked off our quarterly workshops, bringing you relevant experts and actionable information.

Focused on the critical topics of wildfire management, extreme heat, and disaster recovery.

Slides can be viewed here

Will be held July 22nd at 10:00 am PST. Save the date and look for more details to come.

CCAP Collaboration Tool Development

Reminder - The Western Regional Collaborative has a working document for its members who wish to share resources, strategies, and tools for meeting their CCAP deadlines.

Please note, while we encourage open and transparent sharing, we understand the importance of privacy and confidentiality. Only share information and resources that you are comfortable with being publicly accessible. All members of this collaborative will have access to the content shared here. Thank you for being a part of this important initiative!

Click here to share any resources with the broader collaborative: CCAP Collaboration Tool Development

This working document will be shared on our website https://wrcinfo.org/ with any resources that members have shared.

Open Funding Opportunities

Currently open funding opportunities are listed below. This list is updated monthly as new opportunities are added.

Due to changes at the Federal level, website pages and link access may change. Our apologies for any potential inconvenience.

FEDERAL

DOE’s Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas Funding Opportunity

These grants will provide a total of $400 million to 20-50 projects with awards ranging from $2-$50 million per award. This opportunity is open to state, local, Tribal governments and other communities of less than 10,000 residents. This funding will be used to fund projects that improve cost-effectiveness of energy generation, transmission, or distribution systems; siting or upgrading transmission and distribution lines; reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation in rural or remote areas; provide or modernize electric generation facilities; develop microgrids; or increase energy efficiency.

Final applications are due August 28, 2025.

For additional details, please visit DOE Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas program’s web page.

DOE’s Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) Loan Guarantees

DOE’s EIR program will finance projects that retool, repower, repurpose, or replace energy infrastructure that has ceased operations or enable operating energy infrastructure to avoid, reduce, utilize or sequester air pollutants or greenhouse gas emissions. Examples include: Upgrading or uprating energy infrastructure so it can restart or operate more efficiently, at higher output, or with lower emissions; Replacing retired energy infrastructure with clean energy infrastructure; Building new facilities for clean energy purposes that utilize legacy energy infrastructure. Eligibility for this program is broad and includes project developers, clean tech manufacturers and service providers, regulated utilities, and independent power producers. Award amounts vary with $250 billion in loan guarantee authority available.

The deadline to apply for this program is September 30, 2026.

For full details, please visit DOE EIR Loan Guarantee's web page.

TRIBAL

DOE’s Energy and Conservation Block Grant Program

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Competitive Program aims to support units of local government including Indian Tribes ineligible for direct formula grants from DOE under the EECGB program to lower fossil fuel emissions and energy use in their jurisdictions. EECBG also has a competitive grant program for local governments, state-recognized Tribes, or teams of these communities.

The deadline to apply for local governments has passed; however, the deadline for Tribes is May 31, 2025.

For full details, please visit DOE Energy and Conservation Block Grant Program's web page.

DOE’s Tribal Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) Program

This program provides $225 million in funding to tribal governments and Alaska Native entities for home electrification and appliance rebates. HEAR funds will provide rebates to low- and moderate-income households installing efficient electric technologies.

The deadline to apply for this program is May 31, 2025.

For full details, please visit DOE Tribal HEAR Program's web page.

DOE’s Tribal Home Electrification

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) Tribal Technical Assistance (TA) team is excited to hold sessions specifically for Tribes in the lower 48 and Alaska. The IRA authorized DOE to distribute $225 million to Indian Tribes.

The deadline to apply for funding is May 31, 2025.

For details visit DOE Tribal Home Electrification Office Hours page

Native American Preparedness Grant Program - CALIFORNIA

This grant includes Hazardous Waste and Emergency Response training. Grant amount up to $10,000 annually. Grant includes oil spill-related training, Participation in the CDFW-OSPR preparedness activities and serve as the Tribal Representative for the Geographic Response Plans and the United States Coast Guard Area Contingency Planning Committees; Attendance to tabletop and industry-led oil spill drills and exercises.

Applications are continuous

For details visit Office of Spill Prevention and Response's web page

CALIFORNIA

Center for Sustainable Energy Fast Charge California Project 1

Incentives can cover up to 100% of total approved project costs, up to $100,000 per charging port. Disadvantaged communities and low-income communities that meet ready-to-build requirements will be prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis.