Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Rural Energy Pilot Grants Program (REPP) for Fiscal Year 2022, 2747-2759 [2022-00943]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Rural Business-Cooperative Service

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 19, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2747-2759]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00943]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

[Docket No. RBS-21-Business-0030]


Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Rural Energy Pilot Grants 
Program (REPP) for Fiscal Year 2022

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (Agency) announces the 
availability of up to $10 million in competitive grants awarded to 
Rural Energy Community Partnerships (RECP) to further develop renewable 
energy to help meet our nation's energy needs and combat climate change 
while prioritizing environmental justice, racial equity, and economic 
opportunity. Cost-share grants of up to 80 percent of total eligible 
project costs but not more than $2 million will be made available to 
assist eligible entities with planning, installing, equipping, and 
maintaining community scale distributed renewable energy technologies, 
systems and resources.

DATES: Prior to the submission of an application, the Agency requires 
prospective applicants to inform the Agency by submitting a letter of 
intent electronically by no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, April 
19, 2022, to be eligible for grant funding. A Guide and instructions 
for submitting the Required Letter of Intent are available on the Rural 
Energy Pilot Program website, under the To Apply tab, https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/energy-programs/rural-energy-pilot-program. Letters of Intent received prior to the deadline will be 
reviewed and afforded a response by the Agency. On or before May 19, 
2022, the Agency will send a letter of response. Prospective applicants 
are invited to submit a complete application electronically no later 
than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, July 18, 2022, to be eligible for grant 
funding. Please refer to Section IV., of this Notice for content and 
format of required letters of intent and complete applications.
    Prospective applicants are encouraged to review the REPP website 
for instructions on registering their organization as early as possible 
in order to meet the electronic application deadline. Applications 
submitted after the deadline will not be accepted, are not eligible for 
funding under this Notice, and will not be considered.

ADDRESSES: This funding opportunity will be posted to https://

[[Page 2748]]

www.grants.gov. Potential applicants should review https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/energy-programs/rural-energy-pilot-program, for requirements for electronic submission. Applicants must 
submit their application electronically. Electronic submissions of 
applications will allow for the expeditious review of an applicant's 
proposal.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony Crooks: telephone (202) 205-
9322, email: [email protected]. Persons with 
disabilities that require alternative means for communication should 
contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Target Center at 
(202)720-2600 (voice).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Agency encourages applicants to consider 
projects that will advance the following key priorities (more details 
available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points):
     Assisting rural communities recover economically from the 
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly disadvantaged 
communities.
     Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to 
Rural Development (RD) programs and benefits from RD funded projects.
     Reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to 
the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural 
communities.
    The Agency advises all interested parties that the applicant bears 
the burden in preparing and submitting an application in response to 
this Notice.

Overview

    Federal Agency: Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS).
    Funding Opportunity Title: Rural Energy Pilot Grant Program (REPP).
    Announcement Type: Notice of Funding Opportunity.
    Assistance Listing Number: 10.379.
    Funding Opportunity Number): RBCS-REPP-2021.
    Dates: Letters of intent must be received as specified in the DATES 
section of this Notice, as a prerequisite to filing a complete 
application.
    Applicants receiving a letter of encouragement must submit a 
complete application as specified in the DATES section of this Notice 
to be eligible for grant funding.
    The application guide provides specific, detailed instructions for 
each item of a complete application. The Agency emphasizes the 
importance of including every item and strongly encourages applicants 
to follow the instructions carefully.
    Hemp related projects: Please note that no assistance or funding 
from this grant can be provided to a hemp producer unless they have a 
valid license issued from an approved State, Tribal or Federal plan as 
defined by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Public Law 115-334. 
Verification of valid hemp licenses will occur at the time of award.
    The Agency will neither solicit nor consider new scoring or 
eligibility information submitted after the application deadline. The 
Agency reserves the right to contact applicants to seek clarification 
on materials contained in the submitted application.

Items in Supplementary Information

I. Program Overview
II. Federal Award Information
III. Eligibility Information
IV. Application and Submission Information
V. Application Review Information
VI. Federal Award Administration Information
VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
VIII. Other Information

I. Program Overview

A. Background

    The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260) 
authorized and appropriated $10 million to remain available until 
expended for the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a pilot program 
to provide financial assistance for rural communities to further 
develop renewable energy. Prior to publishing this Notice, RBCS (the 
Agency) determined it to be in the public interest to solicit informal 
comments from the public and interested stakeholders to help develop 
options for the Rural Energy Pilot Program (REPP) to support the 
nation's critical energy needs to combat climate change while advancing 
environmental justice, racial equity, and economic opportunity through 
the development and deployment of distributed energy technologies, 
innovations, and solutions.
    A Request for Information and Notice of Stakeholder Listening 
Session on a Rural Energy Pilot Program was published in the Federal 
Register (86 FR 16575) on March 30, 2021. Information received from the 
public was intended to inform the Agency as well as the private sector 
and other stakeholders with interest in and expertise relating to such 
an effort in order to build on prior investments and experience gained 
through past small-scale energy solutions, social justice reforms, and 
climate change mitigation programs.
    Seventy-five (75) comments were submitted from the public which 
served to inform the Agency on an array of issues, including but not 
limited to: Program purposes, goals, metrics and standards; eligible 
applicants, participants and partners, including but not limited to: 
Communities, residences, industry, and commercial entities; eligible 
technologies, including but not limited to, generation, storage, 
microgrid controllers and transmission grids; potential impact of the 
pilot program and renewable energy systems on each of the following: 
environmental justice, racial equity, and economic opportunity; and 
options to measure and maximize the benefits of renewable energy 
systems for environmental justice, racial equity, and economic 
opportunity in rural areas.
    Additionally, on May 13, 2021, the Agency convened a Federal Inter-
Agency Task Force of experts with relevant knowledge, including 
technical experts from the Environmental Protection Agency, Department 
of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Pacific Northwest 
National Laboratory, and the Appalachian Regional Commission to assist 
with the review of the public comments and provide recommendations for 
the guiding principles of this Notice.

B. Program Description

    The purpose of the REPP is to provide financial assistance for 
rural communities to further develop renewable energy. Grants are 
awarded on a competitive basis.
    Under the REPP, funds will be awarded to assist Rural Energy 
Community Partnerships (RECP) to establish and develop clean energy 
communities through the deployment of community-scale distributed 
energy technologies, innovations and solutions.
    The maximum grant award amount per applicant is $2,000,000. Grant 
funds may be used to pay for up to 80 percent of eligible project costs 
directly related to:
     Commercially-available, community-based, community scale 
distributed renewable energy systems; and
     Community energy planning, capacity building, technical 
assistance, efficiency and weatherization (up to 20 percent of awarded 
funds per funding request).
    In its application an RECP will describe its proposal to establish 
a clean energy community. A proposal may include purposes such as but 
are not limited to community energy planning, capacity building, and 
technical assistance, community efficiency and weatherization and the 
deployment, installation, or equipping of community-scale renewable 
energy technologies or systems. Applicants will

[[Page 2749]]

describe the goals and objectives to be achieved through RECP's efforts 
at the completion of REPP grant period. These objectives may include 
but are not limited to the ability to withstand disruptive events, 
economic and energy resilience, increased environmental justice, 
improved racial equity, expanded economic opportunity, and the 
stability or diversification of distributive energy resources.
    Applicants will propose performance measures that express successes 
and challenges of meeting the RECP's goals and objectives and report 
its accomplishments during the grant period and provide annual outcome 
reports for three years after project completion. Performance measures 
may include but are not limited to renewable energy generation and 
energy efficiency/energy savings (measured in kilowatt hours), project 
sustainability and resilience measured by inclusion of institutional 
partners and continued commitment of project financing, and community 
benefits measured in terms of power purchase agreement/subscription 
income (in dollars per kilowatt hour), reduced greenhouse gas/carbon 
dioxide emissions (in metric tons of CO2 equivalence), reduced energy 
burdens (in percentage of household incomes), measured environmental 
justice, measured equity, measured economic opportunity, etc.

C. Definitions of Terms

    Applicant. The lead applicant entity acting on behalf of a rural 
energy community partnership that is seeking a REPP grant. The lead 
applicant will enter into a financial assistance agreement with the 
Agency in order to receive the REPP grant funding and will be 
responsible to administer the REPP grant in accordance with said 
agreement. All rights, responsibilities, and the disposition thereof 
pertaining to ownership and control of any assets acquired by the 
partnership are presumed to reside with the Applicant unless otherwise 
specified in a fully executed partnership agreement.
    Capacity building. The process by which individuals, communities 
and organizations obtain, improve and retain the skills, knowledge, 
tools, equipment and other resources needed to achieve long-term, 
sustainable success.
    Center for Disease Control, CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 
(CDC/ATSDR SVI). A tool that uses U.S. Census data to determine the 
social vulnerability of every census tract. ATSDR's Geospatial 
Research, Analysis & Services Program (GRASP) maintains the CDC/ATSDR 
SVI to help public health officials and local planners better prepare 
for and respond to emergency events like hurricanes, disease outbreaks, 
or exposure to dangerous chemicals. Documentation for all versions of 
the CDC/ATSDR SVI can be found on the CDC Data & Documentation Download 
page.
    Center for Disease Control, Socially Vulnerable Community. A 
community determined to be socially vulnerable as per the CDC/ATSDR 
Social Vulnerability Index (CDC/ATSDR SVI).
    Commercially available technology. A technology system that meets 
the requirements of either paragraph (1) or (2) of this definition.
    (1) A domestic or foreign system that:
    (i) Has both a proven and reliable operating history and proven 
performance data for at least 1 year specific to the use and operation 
of the proposed application;
    (ii) Is based on established design and installation procedures and 
practices and is replicable;
    (iii) Has professional service providers, trades, large 
construction equipment providers, and labor who are familiar with 
installation procedures and practices;
    (iv) Has proprietary and balance of system equipment and spare 
parts that are readily available;
    (v) Has service that is readily available to properly maintain and 
operate the system; and
    (vi) Has an existing established warranty that is valid in the 
United States for major parts and labor.
    (2) A domestic or foreign renewable energy system that has been 
certified by a recognized industry organization whose certification 
standards are acceptable to the Agency. A renewable energy system is 
considered to have demonstrated commercial availability if it has been 
certified by a recognized industry organization whose certification 
standards are acceptable to the Agency.
    Examples of recognized industry organization whose certification 
standards are acceptable to the Agency include, but are not limited to:
    (i) Small Wind Certification Council, https://smallwindcertification.org/;
    (ii) Solar Rating and Certification Corporation, https://www.solar-rating.org/;
    (iii) Florida Solar Energy Center, https://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/;
    (iv) American Wind Energy Association, https://www.awea.org/; and
    (v) Intertek Small Wind Certification Program, https://www.intertek.com/wind/small/directory/.
    Community. An organized group of individuals or business owners 
located in relatively the same area or having particular 
characteristics in common.
    Community efficiency and weatherization. Community-based activities 
purposed to reduce energy costs for primarily low-income households by 
increasing the energy efficiency of their homes, while also ensuring 
their health and safety. Such activities include, but are not limited 
to, analysis and actions that would improve efficiency or 
weatherization based on that analysis, of all building systems --the 
building envelope, heating and cooling systems, electrical system, and 
electric baseload appliances.
    Community energy plan. An economic development document focused on 
a region or municipality's energy costs, energy services, energy 
generation, consumption and service delivery. The community energy plan 
is a central component of the RECP action plan.
    Community scale energy. A renewable energy project or purchasing 
program, within a defined geographic area, in which the benefits of the 
project flow to multiple customers such as individuals, businesses, 
nonprofits and other groups. To be a ``community-scale'' energy system, 
the generation must be managed by, or the generation project must at 
least be instigated by, a community that is engaged in some of the 
stages of: land-use planning, acquisition and installation of renewable 
equipment, maintenance and operation of this equipment, and the sale of 
energy, either electricity or heat, from it. With respect to size, 
community energy includes projects between the sizes of approximately 
fifty kilowatts to two megawatts which is substantially less generation 
than utility-scale installations, but more generation than would be 
used by the typical single end-user. Projects may be located on more 
than one site and have more than one user, e.g., solar panels or small- 
to medium-sized wind turbines could be installed on separate properties 
and sent to a common transformer, or the equipment could be constructed 
within a common area, such as a public park.
    Complete application. An application that contains all parts 
necessary for the Agency to determine applicant and project 
eligibility, score the application, and, where applicable, enable the 
Agency to determine the technical merit of the project.
    Disadvantaged communities. Refers to the ``disadvantaged 
communities that have been historically marginalized and overburdened 
by pollution and underinvestment in housing, transportation, water and 
wastewater infrastructure, and health care,'' in Executive Order 14008, 
``Executive

[[Page 2750]]

Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,'' January 27, 
2021.
    Distressed energy communities. Twenty-five priority geographic 
areas hard-hit by declines in coal production and consumption and 
vulnerable to further economic distress with the closure of remaining 
coal mines and coal power plants. These areas are identified by the 
President's Interagency Working Group, established by Executive Order 
14008, as prioritized for near-term investment using existing Federal 
agency programs and funding from the FY2021 Budget and the American 
Rescue Plan, as specified in the ``Initial Report to the President on 
Empowering Workers Through Revitalizing Energy Communities,'' Appendix 
B. Counties Within Priority Communities, Areas With High Concentrations 
Of Direct Coal Sector Jobs (https://netl.doe.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/Initial%20Report%20on%20Energy%20Communities_Apr2021.pdf).
    Distressed rural communities. Economically distressed communities 
located in rural areas.
    Distributed renewable energy resources (DER). Small-scale units of 
power generation that operate locally and may be connected to a larger 
power grid at the distribution level, but may also operate 
independently or off the grid. Some examples of DER include but are not 
limited to: Solar photovoltaic panels, small wind, small biogas-fueled 
generators, electric vehicles and controllable loads, such as heating, 
ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and electric water 
heaters. An important distinction of a DER is that the energy it 
produces is often consumed close to the source. When using renewable 
power sources, the intermittent nature of some resources creates a need 
for using multiple renewable resources, as well as a means to tie them 
together, manage and store their output. Energy storage technologies 
such as batteries and fly wheels are generally necessary for hardware 
such as wind and other turbine types, solar panels, and tidal 
generation units. To get the most out of the energy produced, these 
power sources and storage devices need to be managed by way of 
electronic management devices, which include inverters and software 
such as Storage Distributed Resource Schedulers (SDRS).
    DERs are commonly used to manage a number of smaller power 
generation and storage methods in residential, commercial and 
industrial sectors. They may be used by utility providers, businesses 
and individuals in the production and storage of renewable power or for 
backup power sources. These technologies are fundamental requirements 
of more advanced power grids such as smart grids and as such are 
considered eligible technologies for the purposes of the REPP.
    District organization. An organization as defined in Section 300.3 
of Title 13, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation).
    Economically distressed communities. Communities identified by the 
Internal Revenue Service as Qualified Opportunity Zones; communities 
identified as disadvantaged or underserved communities by their 
respective States; communities identified on the Index of Deep 
Disadvantage referenced at https://news.umich.edu/new-index-ranks-americas-100-most-disadvantagedcommunities/, and communities that 
otherwise meet the definition of ``underserved communities'' as stated 
in this section.
    Economic opportunity. A business situation or community 
circumstance which lends itself to the furtherance of the economic 
interests of the area and the local community by providing a catalyst 
or stimulus to growth or retention of commerce and industry in the 
area.
    Energy burden. The percentage of gross household income spent on 
energy costs.
    Environmental justice. The fair treatment and meaningful 
involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, 
or income with respect to the development, implementation and 
enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies, and the 
equitable distribution of environmental benefits. Fair treatment means 
no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative 
environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental, and 
commercial operations or policies. Meaningful involvement means people 
have an opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that 
may affect their environment or health.
    Equity. The consistent and systematic fair, just and impartial 
treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to 
underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as 
Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian 
Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of 
religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer 
(LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural 
areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty 
or inequality as established in Executive Order 13985, ``Advancing 
Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the 
Federal Government'' (Jan. 20, 2021).
    Indian Tribe. means the term as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304(e).
    Opportunity Zone Communities. Economically distressed communities, 
as defined by individual census tract, nominated by America's 
governors, and certified by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury via a 
delegation of authority to the Internal Revenue Service. Under certain 
conditions, new investments in Opportunity Zones may be eligible for 
preferential tax treatment. There are 8,764 Opportunity Zone 
Communities in the United States.
    Rural or rural area. An area of a State not in a city or town that 
has a population of more than 50,000 inhabitants, and which excludes 
certain populations pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(H), according to 
the latest decennial census of the United States and not in the 
urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a city or town that has a 
population of more than 50,000 inhabitants. In making this 
determination, the Agency will use the latest decennial census of the 
United States. The following exclusions apply:
    (1) Any area in the urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a 
city or town that has a population of more than 50,000 inhabitants that 
has been determined to be ``rural in character'' as follows:
    (i) The determination that an area is ``rural in character'' will 
be made by the Under Secretary of Rural Development. The process to 
request a determination under this provision is outlined in paragraph 
(1)(ii) of this definition. The determination that an area is ``rural 
in character'' under this definition will apply to areas that are 
within:
    (A) An urbanized area that has two points on its boundary that are 
at least 40 miles apart, which is not contiguous or adjacent to a city 
or town that has a population of greater than 150,000 inhabitants or 
the urbanized area of such a city or town; or
    (B) An urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a city or town of 
greater than 50,000 inhabitants that is within \1/4\ mile of a rural 
area.
    (ii) Units of local government may petition the Under Secretary of 
Rural Development for a ``rural in character'' designation by 
submitting a petition to the appropriate Rural Development State 
Director for recommendation to the Administrator on behalf of the Under 
Secretary. The petition shall document how the area meets the

[[Page 2751]]

requirements of paragraph (1)(i)(A) or (B) of this definition and 
discuss why the petitioner believes the area is ``rural in character,'' 
including, but not limited to, the area's population density, 
demographics, and topography and how the local economy is tied to a 
rural economic base. Upon receiving a petition, the Under Secretary 
will consult with the applicable governor or leader in a similar 
position and request comments to be submitted within 5 business days, 
unless such comments were submitted with the petition. The Under 
Secretary will release to the public a Notice of a petition filed by a 
unit of local government not later than 30 days after receipt of the 
petition by way of publication in a local newspaper and posting on the 
Agency's website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/onerdguarantee, and the 
Under Secretary will make a determination not less than 15 days, but no 
more than 60 days, after the release of the Notice. Upon a negative 
determination, the Under Secretary will provide to the petitioner an 
opportunity to appeal a determination to the Under Secretary, and the 
petitioner will have 10 business days to appeal the determination and 
provide further information for consideration. The Under Secretary will 
make a determination of the appeal in not less than 15 days, but no 
more than 30 days.
    (iii) Rural Development State Directors may also initiate a request 
to the Under Secretary to determine if an area is ``rural in 
character.'' A written recommendation should be sent to the 
Administrator, on behalf of the Under Secretary, that documents how the 
area meets the statutory requirements of paragraph (1)(i)(B) of this 
definition and discusses why the State Director believes the area is 
``rural in character,'' including, but not limited to, the area's 
population density, demographics, topography, and how the local economy 
is tied to a rural economic base. Upon receipt of such a request, the 
Administrator will review the request for compliance with the ``rural 
in character'' provisions and make a recommendation to the Under 
Secretary. Provided a favorable determination is made, the Under 
Secretary will consult with the applicable Governor and request 
comments within 10 business days, unless gubernatorial comments were 
submitted with the request. A public Notice will be published by the 
State Office in accordance with paragraph (1)(ii) of this definition. 
There is no appeal process for requests made on the initiative of the 
State Director.
    (2) An area that is attached to the urbanized area of a city or 
town with more than 50,000 inhabitants by a contiguous area of 
urbanized census blocks that is not more than two census blocks wide. 
Applicants from such an area should work with their Rural Development 
State Office to request a determination of whether their project is 
located in a rural area under this provision.
    (3) For the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the island is considered 
Rural and eligible except for the San Juan Census Designated Place 
(CDP) and any other CDP with greater than 50,000 inhabitants. Areas 
within CDPs with greater than 50,000 inhabitants, other than the San 
Juan CDP, may be determined to be Rural if they are ``not urban in 
character.''
    (4) For the State of Hawaii, all areas within the State are 
considered rural and eligible except for the Honolulu CDP within the 
County of Honolulu and any other CDP with greater than 50,000 
inhabitants. Areas within CDPs with greater than 50,000 inhabitants, 
other than the Honolulu CDP, may be determined to be Rural if they are 
``not urban in character.''
    (5) For the purpose of defining a rural area in the Republic of 
Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, the Agency shall determine what constitutes rural and 
rural Area based on available population data.
    Rural community. A community located in a rural area.
    Rural energy community partnership (RECP). A partnership 
established to provide assistance to an identified community for 
purposes as specified in this Notice. Such purposes include but are not 
limited to: Community energy planning, capacity building, and technical 
assistance, community efficiency and weatherization and the deployment, 
installation, or equipping of community-scale renewable energy 
technologies or systems. The partnership must be comprised of at least 
two entities: A lead applicant entity (the Applicant) that satisfies 
section III. A(b) of this Notice, and one or more partner entities that 
satisfies section III. A(a) of this Notice. The applicant and partner 
entities as well as the partnership itself, are permitted to be pass-
through entities and so must comply with 2 CFR 200.330 through 200.332. 
A partner entity may be considered a contracting entity hired to 
perform services. The partnership need not be located in the identified 
community but must demonstrate that it is actively engaged with members 
of the community and must provide assistance specifically to the 
identified community.
    State. Any of the 50 States of the United States, the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, 
Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands.
    Technical assistance. Managerial, financial and operational 
analysis and consultation by qualified independent providers to assist 
project owners in identifying and evaluating problems or potential 
problems and to provide training that enables project owners to 
successfully implement, manage, operate and maintain viable projects.
    Underserved communities. Populations sharing a particular 
characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been 
systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of 
economic, social and civic life, as exemplified by the list in the 
definition of ``equity.'' Communities (including urban or rural 
communities and Indian tribal communities) that have limited access to 
affordable, healthy foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, in 
grocery stores or farmer-to-consumer direct markets and that have 
either a high rate of food insecurity or a high poverty rate as 
reflected in the most recent decennial census or another Agency-
approved census. For purposes of this Notice, an underserved community 
also refers to a community with environmental justice concerns or 
vulnerable populations, including people of color, low income, rural, 
tribal, indigenous, and homeless populations that may be 
disproportionately impacted by environmental harms and risks and has a 
local environmental or public health issue that is identified in the 
applicant's required letter of intent or complete application.
    Used equipment. Any equipment that has been used in any previous 
application and is provided in an ``as is'' condition.

II. Federal Award Information

    Type of Award: Competitive Grant.
    Available Funds: Under REPP, up to $10 million is made available 
until expended, to eligible participants. Of the total amount of 
available funds, not more than 20 percent or $2 million (or $400,000 on 
any individual award) is available for eligible project costs related 
to community energy planning, capacity building, technical assistance, 
community efficiency and weatherization. The balance of available funds 
but not less than 80 percent or $8 million is available for eligible 
project

[[Page 2752]]

costs related to the deployment, installation or equipping of 
community-scale renewable energy systems, technologies or resources.
    Minimum Award: There is no minimum award.
    Maximum Award: $2,000,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: Spring 2022.
    Approximate Number of Awards: The number of awards will depend on 
the number of eligible participants and the total amount of requested 
funds. Should every successful applicant be awarded the maximum amount 
available of $2 million, five awards will be made.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

    Applicants must meet all the following eligibility requirements. 
Applications which fail to meet any of these requirements by the 
application deadline will be deemed ineligible and will not be 
considered.
    (a) Eligible applicants to this program must be a RECP as defined 
in Section I.C. of this Notice, which may be comprised of, but are not 
limited to:
    (1) Private entities;
    (2) State and local entities;
    (3) Indian Tribes;
    (4) Municipalities and other public bodies.
    (b) The RECP must have a lead applicant who is responsible for the 
administration of the grant proceeds and activities. A lead applicant 
must be one of the following entities:
    (1) A District Organization;
    (2) An Indian Tribe, or a political subdivision of an Indian Tribe, 
including a special purpose unit of an Indian Tribe, or a consortium of 
Indian Tribes;
    (3) A State or a political subdivision of a State, including a 
special purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic 
development activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions; or
    (4) A public or private nonprofit organization.
    (c) Applicants must also meet the following requirements:
    (1) Applicants must not have been debarred, suspended or otherwise 
excluded from, or ineligible for participation in, Federal assistance 
programs under Executive Order 12549, ``Debarment and Suspension.'' The 
Agency will check the Do Not Pay Portal (DNP) at the time of 
application and prior to funding any grant award to determine if the 
applicant has been debarred or suspended. In addition, an applicant 
will be considered ineligible for a grant due to an outstanding 
judgment obtained by the Government in a Federal Court (other than U.S. 
Tax Court), is delinquent on the payment of Federal income taxes, or is 
delinquent on Federal debt. The applicant must certify as part of the 
application that they do not have an outstanding judgment against them. 
The Agency will check the Do Not Pay System at the time of application 
and also prior to funding any grant award to verify this information.
    (2) Any corporation must not have been convicted of a felony 
criminal violation under any Federal law within the past 24 months or 
have any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which 
all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have 
lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an 
agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax 
liability, unless a Federal agency has considered suspension or 
debarment of the corporation and has made a determination that this 
further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the 
Government.

B. Eligible Project

    The purpose of the REPP is to provide financial assistance for 
rural communities to further develop renewable energy to help meet our 
nation's energy needs and combat climate change while prioritizing 
environmental justice, racial equity and economic opportunity.
    To be eligible for this program, projects must contribute to the 
establishment or development of clean energy communities through the 
deployment of community-scale distributed renewable energy technologies 
or systems. Community scale means no larger than 2 megawatts in 
generation capacity, as defined in Section I. C. of this Notice. 
Eligible technologies are commercially available renewable energy 
systems e.g., wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass or 
bioenergy, and distributed renewable energy resources as defined in 
Section I. C. of this Notice.

C. Priority Considerations

    (a) Targeted assistance priority will be afforded to:
    (1) Distressed Rural Communities;
    (2) Distressed Energy Communities;
    (3) Communities with High Energy Burdens (as identified by the 
Dept. of Energy, Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD) Tool);
    (4) Centers for Disease Control--Socially Vulnerable Communities;
    (5) Qualified Opportunity Zone Communities; and
    (6) Disadvantaged Communities.
    (b) Consideration for Alternative Renewable Energy Technologies--to 
communities that plan, execute, or deploy renewable energy generation 
technologies other than solar photovoltaic of at least 40 percent of 
total generation capacity as measured by megawatts of alternative 
generation capacity/megawatts of total generation capacity.

D. Cost Sharing or Matching

    REPP requires matching funds of no less than 20 percent of the 
total eligible project costs of any activity carried out using REPP 
grant funds. Applicants will certify and demonstrate that any required 
matching funds will be available during the grant period and provide 
appropriate documentation with the application, as referenced in 
Section IV.B of this Notice. Matching funds are those project funds 
required to be provided by the applicant to receive a REPP grant. The 
applicant is responsible for securing the remainder of the total 
eligible project costs not covered by grant funds. Matching funds are 
comprised of eligible in-kind contributions from third parties or cash. 
In-kind contributions by the applicants cannot be used to meet the 
matching fund requirement.
    Written commitments for matching funds (e.g., letters of commitment 
and bank statements) must be submitted with the certification of 
matching funds when the application is submitted. Funds provided by the 
applicant in excess of the required matching funds are not matching 
funds. Passive third-party equity contributions are acceptable for REPP 
projects, including equity raised from the sale of Federal tax credits.
    In the event of ineligible, overstated, or otherwise 
unsubstantiated claims in the certification of matching funds, the 
Agency reserves the right to adjust an application's grant request such 
that it is commensurate with eligible matching funds, or take otherwise 
action as deemed appropriate.
    When calculating the matching funds requirement, round up or down 
to whole dollars as appropriate. To calculate the matching funds 
requirement, multiply the total eligible project costs of each eligible 
activity by 0.20. A list of requirements, inclusions, and exclusions 
pertaining to matching funds follows:
    (1) Matching funds must meet all requirements (i)-(iv): The funds 
must be:
    (i) Spent on eligible project costs during the grant period (see 
III. E.); Funds made available under REPP may be used for equipment, 
infrastructure,

[[Page 2753]]

and related expenses to support the deployment of community-scale 
distributed renewable energy technologies.
    (ii) From eligible sources;
    (iii) Spent in advance or as a pro-rata portion of grant funds 
being spent; and
    (iv) Provided by the applicant in cash, or by third parties in the 
form of cash or in-kind contributions.
    (2) Matching funds may include (i)-(iii):
    (i) Other Federal grants as authorized;
    (ii) Reasonable and customary travel expenses as long as written 
policies are established to explain how these costs are reimbursed, 
including the rates for reimbursement, which shall not exceed travel 
rates of the Federal government; and
    (iii) The number of hours worked, provided the value associated 
with any in-kind contribution in the form of number of hours worked 
which is being used to meet a matching funds requirement is documented 
and verified.
    (3) Matching funds cannot include (i)-(vi):
    (i) Other Federal grants unless provided by authorizing 
legislation;
    (ii) Cash or in-kind contributions donated outside of the grant 
period;
    (iii) In-kind contributions provided by those individuals, 
businesses or cooperatives which are being potentially benefited by the 
assistance requested in the application; the Agency considers this to 
be a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest;
    (iv) In-kind contributions that the Agency determines are 
overvalued;
    (v) Any project costs that are ineligible under the REPP; or
    (vi) Any project costs that are restricted or unallowable under 2 
CFR part 200.
    Applicants may arrange with public or private entities such as, but 
not limited to, commercial technology providers, renewable energy 
promotional organizations, community development organizations, or 
Tribes, and other such entities, to secure such non-Federal funds or 
in-kind contributions.
    As allowed by law, Federal assistance from other programs such as 
the Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program How to Apply 
for Weatherization Assistance [verbar] Department of Energy, State 
Energy Program State Energy Program [verbar] Department of Energy, 
Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP), as well as 
assistance from AmeriCorps Energy Corps Energy Corps--Helping Design a 
Green-Collar Workforce and the Environmental Protection Administration, 
Environmental Justice Grants, may be considered as Matching funds. 
There are also state-led programs and private sector efforts to help 
provide such funding, e.g., the Database of State Incentives for 
Renewables & Efficiency, https://www.dsireusa.org/.
    Funds from such programs may be included as part of any matching 
contribution requirement as long as the application demonstrates how 
the funds will contribute to REPP purposes and priorities and they are 
not ineligible as outlined above.

E. Eligible Project Costs

    Eligible project costs are only those costs incurred during the 
grant period and that are directly related to the use and purposes of 
the REPP. Eligible project costs may include:
    (1) Costs directly associated with activities to be carried out at 
or in direct partnership with the RECP including capacity building, 
community energy planning, technical assistance, and reporting results 
or outcomes to the Agency during the disbursement, performance, and 
annual reporting portions of this program, as well as materials, 
machinery and equipment associated with efficiency and weatherization, 
in an amount up to 20 percent of awarded funds;
    (2) Retrofitting of existing, or purchase and installation of new, 
distributed renewable energy technologies, including any associated 
materials, machinery and equipment (limited to 2 megawatts; MW);
    (3) Construction, retrofitting, and replacement;
    (4) Fees for construction permits and licenses; and
    (5) Professional service fees for qualified consultants, 
contractors, installers and other third-party service providers.

F. Ineligible Project Costs

    The following are ineligible project costs for REPP:
    (a) Used equipment;
    (b) Vehicles;
    (c) Business operations that derive more than 10 percent of annual 
gross revenue (including any lease income from space or machines) from 
gambling activity, excluding State or Tribal authorized lottery 
proceeds, conducted for the purpose of raising funds for the approved 
project as approved by the Agency;
    (d) Business operations deriving income from activities of a sexual 
nature or illegal activities;
    (e) Real property or land;
    (f) Lease payments including lease to own and capitalized leases;
    (g) Any project that creates or appears to be a conflict of 
interest. Conflict of interest, for purposes of this program includes, 
but is not limited to:
    (i) Distribution or payment of grant and matching funds to an 
individual owner, partner, or stockholder, or to a beneficiary or 
immediate family of the applicant when the recipient will retain any 
portion of ownership in the applicant's or borrower's project. Grant 
and matching funds may not be used to support costs for services or 
goods going to, or coming from, a person or entity with a real or 
apparent conflict of interest.
    (ii) Assistance to employees, relatives and associates. The Agency 
will process any requests for assistance under this subpart in 
accordance with 7 CFR part 1900, subpart D.
    (iii) No member of or delegate to Congress shall receive any share 
or part of this grant or any benefit that may arise there from; but 
this provision shall not be construed to bar, as a contractor under the 
grant, a publicly held corporation whose ownership might include a 
member of Congress. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Departmental 
Regulations that contain other compliance requirements are referenced 
in paragraphs VI. and VIII., of this Notice. Applicants who are found 
to be or have been in violation of applicable Federal laws will be 
deemed ineligible;
    (h) Funding of political or lobbying activities;
    (i) Using funds to pay off any Federal direct or guaranteed loan or 
any other form of Federal debt;
    (j) Any incurred expense, equipment purchase or paid service prior 
to the grant period; and
    (k) Any expense associated with applying for this program except as 
described in E(1);

G. Other Eligibility Requirements

    (a) Completeness. Applications that fail to meet all eligibility 
criteria by the application deadline or that fail to provide sufficient 
information to determine eligibility or priority scoring will not be 
considered for funding.
    (b) Purpose eligibility. Applications must propose to establish 
clean energy communities through the deployment of community scale, 
distributed renewable energy technologies.
    (c) Project eligibility. All project activities must be for the 
benefit of communities and their residents located in the rural service 
area.
    (d) Environmental requirements. Applicants are cautioned against 
taking any actions or incurring any obligations prior to the Agency 
completing the environmental review that would either

[[Page 2754]]

limit the range of alternatives to be considered or that would have an 
adverse effect on the environment, such as the initiation of 
construction. If the applicant takes any such actions or incurs any 
such obligations, it could result in project ineligibility. Projects 
involving construction are subject to the environmental requirements of 
7 CFR part 1970, local building codes and all Federal, State, Tribal, 
and local accessibility standards.
    (e) Multiple application eligibility. Only one application can be 
submitted per applicant and the application must be submitted by the 
lead applicant as defined in section III. A. of this Notice. If two 
applications are submitted by the same lead applicant, both 
applications will be determined ineligible for funding. If it is 
determined that an applicant is affiliated with another entity that has 
also applied, both applications will be deemed ineligible and will not 
be considered. An affiliate is an entity controlling or having the 
power to control another entity, or a third party or parties that 
control or have the power to control both entities.
    (f) Grant period. The grant period is not to exceed 36 months from 
date of award, unless otherwise specified in the financial assistance 
agreement or agreed to by the Agency. Under extenuating circumstances, 
a one-time, no cost extension for up to 24 months may be requested by 
the recipient.
    (g) Satisfactory progress. The advancement of grant proceeds is 
contingent upon satisfactory progress. Satisfactory performance 
includes being up to date on all financial and performance reports as 
prescribed in the grant award, and current on tasks and timeframes for 
utilizing grant and matching funds as approved in the work plan and 
budget. Any changes in project cost, sources of funds, scope of 
services, or any other significant changes in the project or applicant, 
must be reported to and approved in writing by the Agency.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Electronic Application and Submission

    Applications must be submitted in form and content as described in 
this section. Applications must be submitted electronically. No other 
form of application submission will be accepted. Applications will not 
be accepted through mail, courier delivery, in person delivery, email, 
or fax. Application guidance materials including a complete application 
guide and submission instructions are available on the Rural Energy 
Pilot Program website under the To Apply tab, https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/energy-programs/rural-energy-pilot-program.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

    (a) Applicants must submit required letters of intent and complete 
applications as noted in Section IV Application and Submission 
Information, by the dates identified in the DATES section of this 
Notice.
    (b) Applications must contain all parts necessary for the Agency to 
determine applicant and project eligibility, conduct the technical 
evaluation, calculate a priority score, rank and compete the 
application, as applicable, in order to be considered. All applications 
determined to be insufficient for these purposes shall be deemed as 
incomplete and will not be considered for funding.
    (c) Applicants must have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 
Numbering System (DUNS) number which can be obtained at no cost via a 
toll-free request line at (866) 705-5711 or at https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. Each lead applicant applying for grant funds (unless the 
applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is excepted 
from the requirements under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or (c) or has an exception 
approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR 25.110(d)) is 
required to: (i) Register in the System for Award Management (SAM) 
before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity 
identifier in its application; (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM 
registration with current information at all times while the Agency is 
considering an application or while a Federal grant award or loan is 
active; and, (iv) complete the Financial Assistance General 
Certifications and Representations in SAM. The Federal awarding agency 
may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has 
complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM 
requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the 
requirements by the time the Federal awarding agency is ready to make a 
Federal award, the Federal awarding agency may determine that the 
applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that 
determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another 
applicant.
    Applicants should be advised that a SAM registration may require up 
to 10 business days or more and are strongly cautioned against waiting 
until the application deadline date to begin.
    (d) Please note that applicants can locate information on this 
funding opportunity at https://www.grants.gov by using the Assistance 
Listing Number (10.379) or the Funding Opportunity Number (RBCS-REPP-
2021). The downloadable application package for this program will be 
available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/energy-programs/rural-energy-pilot-program.
    (e) Letter of Intent
    Applicants must submit a letter of intent (REPP LOI) prior to 
submitting a complete application. A Guide and instructions for 
submitting the REPP LOI are available on the Rural Energy Pilot Program 
website, under the To Apply tab, https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/energy-programs/rural-energy-pilot-program.
    The REPP LOI may not exceed 15 standard (8.5'' x 11'') pages with 
1'' borders on all sides, including any charts, tables, diagrams and 
illustrations. No information provided in excess of the 15-page 
limitation will be considered. The REPP LOI should be in a narrative 
form using a minimum of 11-point font and must consist of the following 
components:
    (1) Rural Energy Community Partnership information including:
    (i) The members and structure of the partnership;
    (ii) the date of Charter or Articles of Incorporation;
    (iii) the governance or leadership board;
    (iv) identification of the lead applicant;
    (v) description of each partner's ties to the region, their roles 
in the execution of the REPP pilot, and any history of previous 
collaboration among partners;
    (vi) Description of the partnerships involvement with community 
leadership;
    (vii) Statement on whether the partnership was formed specifically 
to apply for the REPP Grant or for other purposes, and;
    (viii) the amount and source of anticipated matching funds to be 
provided.
    (2) Description of whether the geographic region to be served is in 
a rural area as defined in Section I. C. of this Notice.
    (3) Description of the geographic region to be served including 
county names and zip codes using the five indicators listed in (i). 
through (vi). below, and providing supporting documentation to describe 
the relative economic distress and energy burdened circumstances of the 
geographic region to be served:

[[Page 2755]]

    (i) Using the Distressed Communities Index 2020 DCI Interactive 
Map--Economic Innovation Group (eig.org), to discuss relative distress 
scores and economic distress characteristics of the region such as 
unemployment rates and income levels.
    (ii). Using the Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD) Tool 
[bond] Department of Energy (https://www.energy.gov/eere/slsc/maps/lead-tool) to describe relative energy burden of geographic region to 
be served.
    (iii). Using the CDC Social Vulnerability Index, https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/at-a-glance_svi.html to describe 
the relative environmental health burden of the geographic region to be 
served.
    (iv). Using the OZ Activity Map--Economic Innovation Group 
(eig.org) to document the geographic region to be served is a Qualified 
Opportunity Zone.
    (v). Indicating whether/which county names/zip codes in the 
geographic region to be served are primarily of distressed communities 
with high concentrations of employment in coal, oil and gas industries, 
and coal-fired generation facilities transitioning away from fossil 
fueled energy production listed among the Distressed Energy Communities 
identified here, https://ruraldevelopment.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/?id=86027863e066487ca1b33dc9217a70d1.
    (vi). Disadvantaged communities--Provide a brief narrative with 
supporting information to demonstrate how the geographic region to be 
served meets the definition of a Disadvantaged Community.
    (4) Description of how REPP resources for community energy 
planning, human capacity building, technical assistance, efficiency and 
weatherization will be used by the RECP to address the relative 
economic distress and energy burdened circumstances of the geographic 
region to be served.
    (5) Identification of, to the extent possible, all distributed 
renewable energy technologies and activities that will be prioritized 
and executed by the RECP to address the relative economic distress and 
energy burdened circumstances of the geographic region to be served.
    (i) Discussion of any specific plans, activities or priorities for 
solar photovoltaic renewable energy technology to be deployed.
    (ii) Discussion of any specific plans, activities or priorities for 
renewable energy technologies other than solar photovoltaic, such as 
wind, geothermal, biomass, bioenergy, micro hydroelectric, to be 
deployed.
    (iii) Discussion of any specific plans, activities or priorities 
for distributed energy storage or management technologies, e.g., 
batteries, flywheels, smart grids, etc., as defined in Section I. C. of 
this Notice.
    (iv) Information on any electric utilities, firms or industries 
involved as well as any existing interconnections and networks (or lack 
thereof) in the geographic region to be served.
    (v) Description of any participation and scale of small and 
disadvantaged businesses that may be involved. Describe the 
opportunities or potential for economic growth in the region and any 
competitive advantages that may exist by virtue of the RECP.
    (vii) An executive summary, project action plan and scope of work, 
including if the proposal is a portion of a larger project (if so 
provide brief summary of larger project). Include the RECP's strategy, 
activities, budget, goals and objectives for the use of REPP funds. 
These objectives may include but are not limited to the ability to 
withstand disruptive events, economic and energy resilience, increased 
environmental justice, improved racial equity, expanded economic 
opportunity, and the stability or diversification of distributive 
energy resources.
    Include proposed performance measures that express successes and 
challenges of meeting the RECP's goals and objectives and report its 
accomplishments during the grant period and provide annual outcome 
reports for three years after project completion. Performance measures 
may include but are not limited to renewable energy generation and 
energy efficiency/energy savings (measured in kilowatt hours), project 
sustainability and resilience measured by inclusion of institutional 
partners and continued commitment of project financing, and community 
benefits measured in terms of power purchase agreement/subscription 
income (in dollars per kilowatt hour), reduced greenhouse gas/carbon 
dioxide emissions (in metric tons of CO2 equivalence), 
reduced energy burdens (in percentage of household incomes), measured 
environmental justice, measured equity, measured economic opportunity, 
etc.
    The applicant should also provide information on the sustainability 
of the RECP at the conclusion of the REPP grant period.
    (6) The REPP LOI must be signed by a senior executive from the lead 
applicant entity who shall be responsible for the administration of the 
grant proceeds and activities.
    (f) Complete Application
    A complete application must contain all the required forms and 
proposal elements as described in this section. To be eligible to 
submit a complete application, applicants must first have submitted to 
the Agency a required LOI as specified in Section IV. B. (1) of this 
Notice. Applicants that have submitted a required LOI and have received 
a letter of invitation from the Agency may submit a Complete 
Application. A Guide and instructions for submitting the Complete 
Application are available on the Rural Energy Pilot Program website, 
under the To Apply tab, https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/energy-programs/rural-energy-pilot-program.
    Applications lacking sufficient information for the Agency to 
determine eligibility and score the application will be deemed as 
incomplete and will not be considered for funding. Information 
submitted after the application deadline will not be accepted.
    The lead applicant must be registered in the System for Award 
Management (SAM) and submit a complete application consisting of the 
elements specified in Section IV. B. (2) (a)(l) as applicable to this 
section.
    The Agency requires the following information as part of the 
application:
    (1) Form SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance.'' In 8.a. 
please place DUNS (or replacement identifier number (in parentheses)) 
after legal name;
    (2) Form SF-424C, ``Budget Information- Construction Programs,'';
    (3) Form SF-424D, ``Assurances--Construction Programs,'';
    (4) SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities'';
    (5) RD Form 400-1, ``Equal Opportunity Agreement,'';
    (6) RD Form 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement'';
    (7) Environmental checklist;
    (8) Certification of matching funds;
    (9) Certification that the lead applicant is a legal entity in good 
standing (as applicable) and operating in accordance with the laws of 
the state(s) or Tribe(s) where the applicant exists;
    (10) The application must identify whether or not the lead 
applicant has a known relationship or association with an Agency 
employee. If there is a known relationship, the lead applicant must 
identify each Agency employee with whom the lead applicant has a known 
relationship; and
    (11) Revisions and updates to materials submitted to the Agency 
with the LOI as specified in Section IV. B. (1) of this Notice.

[[Page 2756]]

    (12) Narrative descriptions and supporting materials including 
proposed performance measures, as appropriate, addressing each of the 
priority scoring criteria in accordance with Sections V. Application 
Review Information, paragraphs A, and B of this Notice regarding the 
RECP's ability and commitment to develop of community-scale renewable 
energy technologies or systems; proposed community and regional 
objectives and impacts; geographic region to be served of significant 
consequence to the REPP priorities of advancing environmental justice, 
racial equity, and economic opportunity; strength of local support of 
the RECP, activities, projects, and entrepreneurial commitment; RECP's 
readiness to administer the REPP grant successfully; and key 
Administration priorities.
    (13) Any other information deemed necessary and requested by the 
Agency due to the facts and circumstances for a particular application.

C. Submission Date and Time

    (a) Letters of intent must be submitted in the manner specified for 
letters of intent in the DATES section of this Notice, to be eligible 
for grant funding.
    (b) Complete applications must be submitted in the manner specified 
for complete applications in the DATES section of this Notice, to be 
eligible for grant funding.
    (c) Applicants are advised to review the REPP website for 
instructions on registering your organization as soon as possible to 
ensure that you can meet the electronic application deadline. 
Applications will not be accepted after the deadline.

D. Intergovernmental Review of Applications

    Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs,'' does not apply to this program.

E. Funding Restrictions

    Funding limitations as specified in (a) thru (f), apply to 
applications submitted under this Notice.
    (a) Only one REPP application may be submitted per REPP applicant. 
A REPP applicant may receive only one award in this competition. If it 
is determined that an applicant is affiliated with another entity that 
has also applied, both applications will be deemed ineligible and will 
not be considered.
    (b) There is no minimum REPP grant award.
    (c) The maximum REPP grant award is not to exceed $2,000,000.
    (d) REPP grants are awarded on a cost share basis for not more than 
80 percent of total eligible project costs.
    (e) No REPP grant award may exceed an amount calculated as 80 
percent of total eligible project costs or the maximum REPP grant award 
amount of $2,000,000, whichever is the lesser. Not more than 20 percent 
of awarded funds, or $400,000, whichever is the lesser, may be used for 
eligible project costs directly associated with activities to be 
carried out at or in direct partnership with the RECP including 
capacity building, community energy plans, technical assistance, and 
reporting results or outcomes to the Agency during the disbursement, 
performance, and annual reporting portions of this program, as defined 
in Section I.C. of this Notice, as well as materials, machinery and 
equipment associated with efficiency and weatherization. Administrative 
(indirect) costs of the grantee will not exceed 10% of the grant amount 
for the duration of the project. Said administrative costs limitation 
is to be included in the 20 percent limitation specified in this 
subsection.
    (f) Project funds, including grant and matching funds, cannot be 
used for ineligible grant purposes as provided in Section IV. B. of 
this Notice, 2 CFR part 200, subpart E, ``Cost Principles,'' and the 
most current Federal Acquisition Regulation or successor regulations.

F. Compliance With Other Federal Statues and Other Submission 
Requirements

    (a) Environmental information. National Environmental Policy Act. 
All recipients under this Notice are subject to the requirements of 7 
CFR part 1970. However, technical assistance awards under this Notice 
are classified as a Categorical Exclusion according to 7 CFR 
1970.53(b), and usually do not require any additional documentation. 
The Agency will review each grant application to determine its 
compliance with 7 CFR part 1970. The applicant may be asked to provide 
additional information or documentation to assist the Agency with this 
determination. Applicants are advised in all cases of new facilities 
construction to contact the RD State Environmental Coordinator to 
determine environmental requirements as soon as practicable.
    (b) Civil Rights compliance requirements. All grants made under 
this Notice are subject to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as 
required by the USDA (7 CFR part 15, subpart A) and Section 504 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

V. Application Review Information

    The Agency's National Office will review applications to determine 
if they are eligible for assistance based on the requirements specified 
in this Notice, and other applicable Federal regulations.
    A priority score will be afforded to complete applications deemed 
eligible to compete by an evaluation panel of subject matter experts 
from USDA/DOE/EPA (and others as required by the Agency), in accordance 
with the point allocation specified in this Notice. Given the purpose 
of the REPP, higher priority will be afforded to RECP projects deemed 
most likely to develop renewable energy to help meet our nation's 
energy needs and combat climate change while prioritizing environmental 
justice, racial equity, and economic opportunity.
    Applications will be selected for funding by ranked order until the 
funding limitation of $10 million has been reached. Applications that 
cannot be fully funded may be offered partial funding at the Agency's 
discretion.

A. Scoring Criteria

    The Agency will score each complete and eligible REPP application 
using the criteria specified in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this 
section with a maximum score of 100 points possible.
    Applications will be evaluated based on the following: Impact to 
the community, support from relevant decision makers and community 
leaders, likelihood that projects can be completed, and alignment with 
REPP goals. Points will be allowed only for factors indicated by well-
documented plans which, in the opinion of the Agency, provide assurance 
that the projects have a high probability of being accomplished. Points 
will be awarded at the discretion of the Agency to each scoring 
criteria with a minimum and maximum number of points available. 
Applicants that demonstrate the experience or ability to deliver the 
stated criteria will be awarded higher points in that criteria.
    (a) Further develop renewable energy. Application materials 
demonstrate the RECP's ability and commitment to addressing Priority 
Considerations as specified in Section III. C., of this Notice. One 
point will be awarded for each of the six priority considerations being 
proposed to be served by the project as outlined in Section III.C.(a). 
Up to six points will be awarded for projects that plan, execute, or 
deploy renewable energy generation technologies other than solar 
photovoltaic of at least 40 percent of

[[Page 2757]]

total generation capacity as measure by megawatts of alternative 
generation capacity/megawatts of total generation capacity. Up to six 
points will be awarded for projects that can be delivered within 36 
months of the grant award. Up to seven points will be awarded to 
projects leveraging other Federal, State, Tribal, and local assistance 
resources for community planning, human-capacity building, technical 
assistance, efficiency, weatherization, and improvements in high-speed 
broadband service to the region.
    Points are awarded on a scale of 0 to 25 with a maximum of 25 
points being awarded. (b) Community and regional impacts. Application 
materials describe in full, the community objectives to be achieved 
through RECP efforts at the completion of REPP assistance. These 
objectives are to be identified by the community and can include the 
ability to withstand disruptive events, economic and energy resilience, 
increased environmental justice, improved racial equity, expanded 
economic opportunity, and the stability or diversification of 
distributive energy resources.
    Points are awarded on a scale of 0 to 25 with a maximum of 25 
points being awarded.
    (c) Targeted region. Application materials should describe the 
geographic region to be served, including county names and zip codes, 
and demonstrate that the geographic region served by the RECP is of 
significant consequence to the REPP priorities of advancing 
environmental justice, racial equity, and economic opportunity.
    (1) Using the Distressed Communities Index 2020 DCI Interactive 
Map--Economic Innovation Group (eig.org), discuss relative distress 
scores and economic distress characteristics of the region such as 
unemployment rates and income levels. A maximum of 5 points may be 
awarded under this sub-criteria.
    (2) Using Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD) Tool [bond] 
Department of Energy describe relative energy burden of geographic 
region to be served. A maximum of 5 points may be awarded under this 
sub-criteria.
    (3) Using CDC Social Vulnerability Index, https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/at-a-glance_svi.html describe the 
relative environmental health burden of the geographic region to be 
served. A maximum of 5 points may be awarded under this sub-criteria.
    (4) Using the OZ Activity Map--Economic Innovation Group (eig.org) 
document the geographic region to be served as a Qualified Opportunity 
Zone. A maximum of 5 points may be awarded under this sub-criteria.
    (5) Indicate which counties or zip codes in the geographic region 
to be served are primarily distressed communities with high 
concentrations of employment in coal, oil and gas industries, and coal-
fired generation facilities transitioning away from fossil fueled 
energy production listed among the Distressed Energy Communities 
identified at: https://ruraldevelopment.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/?id=86027863e066487ca1b33dc9217a70d1. A maximum 
of 5 points may be awarded under this sub-criteria.
    (6) Disadvantaged communities--Provide a brief narrative with 
supporting information to demonstrate how the geographic region meets 
the definition of a Disadvantaged Community. A maximum of 5 points may 
be awarded under this sub-criteria.
    Points are awarded on a scale of 0 to 25 with a maximum of 25 
points being awarded.
    (d) Project and community support. Applications should demonstrate 
the strength of local support of the RECP, activities, projects, and 
entrepreneurial commitment. Points will be awarded for the RECP's 
demonstration of its sources of funding, personnel and technical 
resources committed to the project; inclusion of institutional partners 
expanding access to capital and willingness to potentially invest in 
projects emerging from the RECP. A maximum of 10 points may be awarded 
under this sub-criteria. Points shall also be awarded for demonstrated 
resources that will sustain the project beyond the term of the REPP 
grant period. A maximum of 5 points may be awarded under this sub-
criteria.
    Points are awarded on a scale of 0 to 15 with a maximum of 15 
points being awarded.
    (e) Demonstrated readiness and likelihood of success. Application 
materials demonstrate the RECP's readiness to administer the REPP grant 
successfully, with strong documentation to indicate the likelihood of 
implementing technical assistance, weatherization, energy efficiency 
and renewable energy projects in the community (a maximum of 3 points 
may be awarded under this sub-criteria); a stakeholder engagement plan 
(a maximum of 2 points may be awarded under this sub-criteria); the 
existence of an energy resilience goal (a maximum of 3 points may be 
awarded under this sub-criteria); and the availability or expectation 
of project financing (a maximum of 2 points may be awarded under this 
sub-criteria).
    Points are awarded on a scale of 0 to 10 with a maximum of 10 
points being awarded.

B. Administrator Points

    The Agency retains the discretion to afford priority to 
applications that will advance key Administration priorities:
    (1) Assist Rural communities recover economically from the impacts 
of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly disadvantaged communities;
    (2) Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to RD 
programs and benefits from RD funded projects; and
    (3) Reduce climate pollution and increasing resilience to the 
impacts of climate change through economic support to rural 
communities.
    The Agency also retains the discretion to afford priority to 
applications that achieve geographic distribution of REPP grant awards 
across the maximum number of States and target diverse communities.
    A maximum of up to 10 points will be awarded, with justification, 
at the discretion of the Administrator.

C. Review and Selection Process

    The Agency's National Office will review applications to determine 
if they are complete and eligible for assistance based on requirements 
specified in this Notice, and other applicable Federal regulations. 
Applications so deemed, will be evaluated by an independent review 
panel and afforded a priority score in accordance with the point 
allocation as specified in Section V. A. of this Notice.
    The Administrator may choose to award up to 10 Administrator 
priority points based on the criterion specified in Section V. B. of 
this Notice. Any awarded Administrator points will be added to the 
cumulative score for a total possible score of 110 points.
    Applications will be selected for funding according to rank, 
beginning with the highest priority score and proceeding until the 
available funding is exhausted. Applications that cannot be fully 
funded may be offered partial funding at the Agency's discretion; as in 
the event of a ranked tie among two or more applications. Unfunded 
applications will not be carried forward into any future competition. 
Successful applicants must comply with requirements identified in 
Section VI. Federal Award Administration Information.

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

A. Federal Award Notices

    Applicants selected for funding, will receive a signed Notice of 
Federal award

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by postal or electronic mail containing instructions and requirements 
necessary to proceed with execution and performance of the award.
    Applicants selected for funding must comply with all applicable 
statutes, regulations, and Notice requirements before the grant award 
will be funded.
    Applicants not selected for funding will be notified in writing and 
informed of any review and appeal rights. Awards to successfully 
appealed applications will be limited to available funding.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Additional requirements that apply to grantees selected for this 
program can be found in the Grants and Agreements regulations codified 
in 2 CFR parts 180, 400, 415, 417, 418, 421; 2 CFR parts 25 and 170; 
and 48 CFR 31.2, and successor regulations to these parts.
    In addition, all recipients of Federal financial assistance are 
required to report information about first tier subawards and executive 
compensation (see 2 CFR part 170). Grantees are required to have the 
necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the Federal 
Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109- 282) 
reporting requirements (see 2 CFR 170.200(b), unless exempt under 2 CFR 
170.110(b)).
    The following additional requirements apply to grantees selected 
for awards within this program: (a) Execution of an Agency-approved 
financial assistance agreement; and (b) acceptance of a written letter 
of conditions; and submission of the following Agency forms: (1) Form 
RD 1940-1, ``Request for Obligation of Funds.'' (2) Form RD 1942-46, 
``Letter of Intent to Meet Conditions.'' and (3) Form RD 400-1 for 
construction projects.

C. Reporting

    Financial and project performance reports must be provided by 
grantees and contain the information specified in paragraphs (1) and 
(2) of this section.
    (1) Semi-Annual Reports. After grant approval and through grant 
completion, grantees are required to provide an SF-425, ``Federal 
Financial Report,'' and a performance report on a semiannual basis (due 
30 working days after the end of the semiannual period). For the 
purposes of this grant, semiannual periods end on June 30th and 
December 31st.
    The project performance reports shall include the following:
    (a) A listing and description of all activities funded with grant 
proceeds and matching funds;
    (b) A description or assessment of progress towards program 
initiatives identified in the application for the grant and a 
discussion of any issues or challenges which may have occurred and the 
steps taken to mitigate or address them; and
    (c) A measurement of progress during the project period that 
incorporates, but is not limited to, the following performance goals as 
agreed to by the Agency and as specified in the letter of conditions--
renewable energy generation from solar PV & alternative renewable 
energy systems (in thousands of kilowatt hours); energy savings from 
efficiency & weatherization (in hundreds of kilowatt hours); project 
sustainability & resilience; and community benefits such as but not 
limited to power purchase agreement/subscription income (in dollars per 
kilowatt hour), reduced greenhouse gas/carbon dioxide emissions (in 
metric tons of CO2 equivalence), reduced energy burdens (in 
percentage of household incomes), measured environmental justice, 
measured equity, and measured economic opportunity.
    (2) Annual Outcome Reports. Upon project completion, grantees are 
required to provide an annual outcome report for three years. The first 
report is due at the completion of the first full calendar year 
following the year in which the project was completed. The remaining 
reports are required for subsequent calendar years. Reports are due 
January 31st. The annual outcome report shall continue to incorporate 
the performance goals as identified in VI. C. 1 (c) above (reported on 
an annual basis), as well as any other measures specified in the 
financial assistance agreement and letter of conditions.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For further information contact: Anthony Crooks: telephone 
(202)205-9322, email: [email protected] or consult the 
REPP program web page at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/energy-programs/rural-energy-pilot-program where program guidance as 
well as application and matching funds templates may be obtained.

VIII. Other Information

A. Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
chapter 35), RBCS requested that the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) conduct an emergency review by January 19, 2022 of a new 
information collection that contains the Information Collection and 
Recordkeeping requirements contained in this notice. In addition to the 
emergency clearance, the regular clearance process is hereby being 
initiated to provide the public with the opportunity to comment under a 
full comment period, as the Agency intends to request regular approval 
from OMB for this information collection. Comments from the public on 
new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information help 
the Agency assess the impact of its information collection requirements 
and minimize the public's reporting burden.
    Comments may be submitted regarding this information collection by 
the following method:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov, and, in the lower ``Search Regulations and Federal 
Actions'' box, select ``RBCS'' from the agency drop-down menu, then 
click on ``Submit.'' In the Docket ID column, select Docket No. RBS-21-
Business-0030 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting 
and related materials available electronically. Information on using 
Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing documents, 
submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the 
comment period, is available through the site's ``User Tips'' link.
    The burden for the REPP collection of information includes both the 
upfront one-time application and the on-going reporting, which will 
include mid-year and an annual reporting. The reporting may include 
additional reports for projects that run longer. Comments are invited 
on (a) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the 
validity of the methodology and assumption used; (b) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and (c) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including using appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques on 
other forms and information technology.
    Title: Rural Energy Pilot Program (REPP).
    OMB Control Number: 0570-New.
    Type of Request: New Information Collection.
    Abstract: The purpose of the REPP to further develop renewable 
energy to help meet our nation's energy needs and combat climate change 
while prioritizing environmental justice, racial equity, and economic 
opportunity.
    Cost-share grants of up to 80 percent of total eligible project 
costs but not more than $2 million will be made available to assist 
eligible entities with

[[Page 2759]]

developing, installing, equipping, and maintaining community scale 
distributive energy resources
    The information solicited from applications by this NOFO is 
required to (1) determine whether participants meet the eligibility 
requirements to be a recipient of grant funds; (2) evaluate project 
eligibility; (3) determine technical and financial viability; (4) 
calculate priority scores and rank in order to compete the applications 
for funding. Lack of adequate information for these purposes could 
result in the improper administration and appropriation of Federal 
grant funds.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 11 hours per response.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 25.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 325.
    Estimated Total Recordkeeping Hours: 15.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 3,462.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden (including recordkeeping) on 
Respondents: 3,477 hours.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from MaryPat 
Daskal, Regulatory Division Team 2, Rural Development Innovation 
Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, 
Washington, DC 20250. Phone: 202-690-4492. All responses to this 
information collection and recordkeeping Notice will be summarized and 
included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will also become 
a matter of public record.

B. Nondiscrimination Statement

    In accordance with Federal civil rights laws and U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its 
Mission Areas, agencies, staff offices, employees, and institutions 
participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from 
discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 
gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, 
disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived 
from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or 
retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity 
conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). 
Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
    Program information may be made available in languages other than 
English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of 
communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large 
print, audiotape, American Sign Language) should contact the 
responsible Mission Area, agency, or staff office; the USDA TARGET 
Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY); or the Federal Relay Service 
at (800) 877-8339.
    To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should 
complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, 
which can be obtained online at https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad-3027, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a 
letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant's 
name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the 
alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the 
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date 
of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or 
letter must be submitted to USDA by:
    (1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20250-9410; or
    (2) Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
    (3) Email: [email protected].
    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Karama Neal,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-00943 Filed 1-18-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P