Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Programs for Municipalities

The following IIJA programs below may be of interest to municipalities in New Hampshire.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program

The IIJA appropriates $550 million into the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG Program). The program is designed to assist states, local governments, and Indian Tribes in implementing strategies to reduce energy use, to reduce fossil fuel emissions, and to improve energy efficiency. Of the $550 million appropriated, $440 million will be distributed in formula and competitive EECBG grants to states, local governments, and Indian Tribes. $8.8 million will be set aside for competitive grants available to local governments that are NOT eligible to receive direct formula grants from the EECBG Program. The other $110 million will be utilized by the US Department of Energy to ensure delivery of an effective and efficient EECBG Program and to provide technical assistance to eligible entities throughout the lifetime of the EECBG Program.

In June 2022, the US Department of Energy released a Notice of Availability of State, Local, and Tribal Allocation Formulas. This notice provides information on the mathematical formulas and data sources used to develop the state, local government, and Tribal allocation formulas.

In November 2022, the US Department of Energy released a Notice of Intent and formula grant funding allocations to states, local governments, and Indian Tribes. The State of New Hampshire and twenty local governments are eligible for formula grant funding through the EECBG Program. Those local governments include all ten county governments – Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, and Sullivan – and ten municipalities – Concord, Derry, Dover, Hudson, Londonderry, Manchester, Merrimack, Nashua, Rochester, and Salem.

Eligible units of local government in New Hampshire under the EECBG Program are strongly encouraged to review the Notice of Intent and funding allocations in advance of a formal Funding Opportunity Announcement that will likely be issued in January 2023, complete the submission and registration requirements, and provide the US Department of Energy feedback on the EECBG Program using the Optional Information Collection Form for Eligible Entities.

Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund Capitalization Grant Program

The IIJA appropriates $250 million into the Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund Capitalization Grant Program. This program is designed to provide capitalization grants to States to establish a revolving loan fund under which the State shall provide loans and grants for energy efficiency audits, upgrades, and retrofits to increase energy efficiency and improve the comfort of residential and commercial buildings.

The US Department of Energy released a fact sheet detailing this program. Funds may be used for a wide range of building types and owners, including public facilities owned by state and local governments. A variety of financing options, including interest rate buy downs, loan loss reserves, and other credit enhancement mechanisms, will be permitted under the program.

In November 2022, the US Department of Energy released funding guidance and application documents to States. Of the $250 million allocated into the program, 40% of the funding will be allocated by formula to all states, while the remaining 60% will be allocated to priority states that are among the 15 states with the highest annual per-capita energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. New Hampshire is not considered a priority state and is not eligible for the 60% distribution. NH is estimated to receive $813,450 in program funding. More information for eligible loan recipients will be offered after New Hampshire applies for program funding by April 21, 2023 and establishes a revolving loan fund.

Rural And Municipal Utility Advances Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance Program

The IIJA appropriates $250 million in funding to the Rural and Municipal Utility Advances Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance Program. This funding offers grants and technical assistance to, and enter into cooperative agreements with, eligible entities to protect against, detect, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity threats.

Eligible entities include rural electric cooperative, municipally-owned electric utilities, other state-owned utilities, and small investor-owned utilities. Eligible uses include deploying advanced cybersecurity technologies for electric utility systems and increasing the participation of eligible entities in cybersecurity threat information sharing programs.

On October 20, 2022, the US Department of Energy posted a Request for Information to gather public input to develop the program. The Request for Information closes on December 19, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. Eligible entities are encouraged to respond to the Request for Information or learn more about the program at the links below: 

Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas Program

The IIJA appropriates $1 billion into this new program that is designed to provide financial assistance to improve, in rural or remote areas, the resilience, safety, reliability, and availability of energy and environmental protection from adverse impacts of energy generation. It is estimated that $200 million will be appropriated annually for fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

Eligible recipients include industry partners, utilities, national laboratories, universities, state and local governments, community-based organizations, tribal, environmental groups and cities, towns, or unincorporated areas with populations of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. Eligible uses of program funding include the following:

  1. Overall cost-effectiveness of energy generation, transmission, or distribution systems
  2. Siting or upgrading transmission and distribution lines
  3. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation by rural or remote areas
  4. Providing or modernizing electric generation facilities
  5. Developing microgrids
  6. Increasing energy efficiency

The US Department of Energy has hosted several workshops on this program. On October 4, 2022, the US Department of Energy issued a Request for Information to gather public input to develop the new program. The Request for Information closed on December 5, 2022. More program information will be offered from the US Department of Energy in the future.