This page includes information about the Energy Efficiency for Rural Communities Technical Assistance Program, Community Action Grants, Service Provider Grants, and Energy Efficiency Priorities Grants.

Community Action Grants - CLOSED

Community Action Grants can support two categories of climate action by communities: 1) actions from the List of Community Actions, an approved list of climate mitigation and adaptation activities that align with the strategies of Maine Won’t Wait, and 2) other projects proposed by a community that support capacity building, planning, and implementation projects.  
 
The List of Community Actions offers guidance for communities starting on climate plans and incentivize a baseline level of climate action across the state. The two grant options provide flexibility by allowing communities to choose actions from the list that are most relevant and feasible, while also providing support for community climate and energy priorities that may not appear on the List of Community Actions. 

Applications are now closed.

An informational webinar was held on September 26th. View the webinar recording or download the webinar slides. 

View a list of grant questions and answers (compiled December 6, 2024).

To apply, download the CAG2024-5 Community Action Grant Program Statement and Application.

About Community Action Grants

Once a community is enrolled in the Community Resilience Partnership, they are encouraged to work from their list of locally prioritized actions and the List of Community Actions to pursue Community Action Grants. Many, but not all, of the activities on the list could require funding support. 

Increased Funding and Max Awards: With additional funding from Governor Mills and the Legislature, plus new Federal funds through an historic climate resilience grant to the State received earlier this year, the Partnership will make up to $7.48 million available for community action grants in this round and is increasing the maximum community action grant award from $50,000 to $75,000 for individual community grants, and $125,000 to $175,000 for joint community grants. 
 
There are two specific types of Community Action Grants:  

  • Grants to support implementation of one or more activities in the List of Community Actions that align with the state climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait. There is no local matching funds requirement for these grants. 
  • Grants to support other community-defined climate and energy implementation priorities. A local match is required.

To apply, download the CAG2024-5 Community Action Grant Program Statement and Application.

Eligibility 

Once enrolled in the Partnership, communities are eligible to apply for Community Action Grants. Enrollment and grant applications will be accepted simultaneously. 

CAG2024-5 Community Action Grants are open for all enrolled communities, including communities that have received grant awards in the past and/or have grant projects currently in progress. For all eligibility requirements, see the CAG2024-5 Program Statement.

Key Dates

An informational webinar was held on September 26th. View the webinar recording or download the webinar slides. 

Applications are now closed.

Grant Reporting

All funded projects will be required to provide quarterly updates, project deliverables, and a brief final case study that communicates lessons learned during the project.  

The applicant(s) should develop and track metrics, both for success of the project and progress toward long-term community goals. The Maine Won’t Wait Climate Action Plan has a list of metrics the state will track, should the community need examples.

Equity Outcomes

Maine’s climate response must ensure shared benefits across diverse populations of Maine people. Applicants should include robust community engagement in their action grant proposals, for example inclusive planning processes so that diverse community voices are able to participate.

Climate change impacts will create the greatest hardships for already marginalized communities. Communities in Maine must identify and promote solutions to help the people most vulnerable to climate impacts. Applicants should consider the potential benefits of their proposed climate action projects and, if applicable describe how the project distributes those benefits equitably.

Community Tiers

To ensure equitable access and outcomes by lower capacity communities, the Partnership has adopted a three-tier system classification system that tailors program requirements and incentives to community size.

Cost Sharing

There is no local cost share for Climate Action Grants that implement activities from the List of Community Actions.

A local cost share does apply for Climate Action Grants that implement other community priorities outside the list: 

  • Tier 1 and Tier 2 communities 
    • 10% local match.
  • Tier 3 communities  
    • 20% local match. 

Service Provider Grants - CLOSED

Service Provider Grants support service provider organizations to assist communities with climate action, energy and resilience planning.

In Fall 2024, a new grant opportunity is being offered this round for Service Providers. There are now two Service Provider Grant Tracks:

  • Track 1 Community Enrollment Service Provider Grants enable organizations to assist two to five Communities to prepare for and enroll in the Community Resilience Partnership and then apply for grant funds to undertake priority climate and energy projects.  
  • Track 2 Community Vulnerability Assessment Service Provider Grants enable organizations to assist two to five enrolled/enrolling Communities to complete community vulnerability assessments that identify vulnerable community members, infrastructure, and assets, and then utilize that data to further prioritize climate action projects and apply for grant funds. 

Service Provider organizations can apply for both grant tracks, but can only submit one application per track. For more details see the SPG2024-5 Program Statement.

Applications are now closed.

An informational webinar about this opportunity was held on September 26th. View a recording of the webinar or download the webinar slides.

Questions? The Q&A period has closed for this grant opportunity. See a summary of program questions and answers. 

To apply, download the SPG2024-5 Service Provider Grant Program Statement and Application.

About Service Provider Grants

This program’s focus on regional collaboration, local capacity-building, and community engagement that are critical for supporting municipal climate action. 
 
For the Track 1 Community Enrollment Service Provider Track, the desired outcomes are new enrollments in the Partnership by multiple communities, with each community developing a list of priority climate and energy projects, as well as any cooperative group priorities, and applications to the Community Action Grant program. Service Providers are expected to assist communities with the enrollment activities and apply for Community Action Grants.

For the Track 2 Community Vulnerability Assessment Service Provider Track, the desired outcomes include a completed community vulnerability assessment that identifies climate impacts and hazards, as well as vulnerable community members, infrastructure, and assets, and then utilize that data to further prioritize climate action projects and apply for grant funds.  

See the SPG2024-5 Program Statement for full details. 

Key Dates

An informational webinar about this opportunity was held on September 26th. View a recording of the webinar or download the webinar slides.

Applications are now closed.

Grant Eligibility

Entities eligible to be regional service providers include:

  • regional planning organizations
  • councils of governments
  • regional economic development organizations
  • county governments
  • academic institutions and cooperative extension programs
  • non-profit organizations
  • for-profit enterprises

Municipalities are generally not eligible for Service Provider Grants. However, in special cases, a community that can demonstrate robust in-house capacity may apply for a Service Provider Grant to provide relevant services to smaller communities in the same region. 

Grant Applications

Service Provider organizations can apply for both grant tracks in this round, but can only submit one application per track. 

As part of the application to the program, prospective service providers will recruit a group of two to five communities. Prospective service providers may request up to $10,000 per community. Up to an additional $2,500 may be requested for communities in the group that are either in the highest social vulnerability category or have a population fewer than 4,000.

Applicants will include a letter of support from each community in the proposed group. Letters must be submitted with the application package. Letters received separately will not be read.

For more details see the SPG2024-5 Program Statement.

Cost Sharing

For all Service Provider Grants, a 15% cost share is required of the service provider. In-kind match is permitted.

Grant Reporting

All funded Service Providers will be required to provide quarterly updates, project deliverables, and a brief final case study that communicates lessons learned during the project. 

Energy Efficiency Planning for Rural Communities Technical Assistance Program - CLOSED

The Energy Efficiency Planning for Rural Communities (EEPRC) program is a special, one-time technical assistance offering through the Community Resilience Partnership. The purpose of the EEPRC program is to support Maine communities with energy efficiency planning for publicly owned buildings through energy audits, energy benchmarking trainings and support, and energy conservation plans.  

NOTE: The EEPRC program is not a grant program. A successful application will not result in a funding award. Participating communities will receive technical assistance services as outlined in the Program Statement at NO COST to the communities. 

The EEPRC program is now open for applications. 

The application deadline is October 4th, 2024. 

An informational webinar was held on September 5th. View the recording or download the slides to learn more. 

Questions about this program? The Q&A period has closed for this grant opportunity. See a summary of program questions and answers. 

For more information on the Energy Efficiency Planning for Rural Communities program, refer to the Efficiency Planning for Rural Communities Program Statement.

About the EEPRC Technical Assistance Program 

The Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future  is seeking Maine communities to participate in the Energy Efficiency Planning for Rural Communities program, which will provide direct energy efficiency planning services via a qualified consultant to the selected communities. These services will be provided at NO COST to the communities. (Note: Community participation by staff or volunteers is expected and is not reimbursable.) 

Services Provided to the Communities (by the Consultant): 

  • Energy audits for up to six (6) publicly owned buildings within each community. Energy audits may include HVAC analysis, lighting analysis, buildings envelope analysis, and analysis on other energy sources and uses; 

  • Trainings on how to use EnergyStar Portfolio Manager (a public EPA energy and water use benchmarking tool) for relevant staff, set up EnergyStar Portfolio Manager accounts for relevant staff, and input 2-3 years of energy and water use data for the selected public buildings into EnergyStar Portfolio Manager on behalf of the community; 

  • A community- and buildings-specific Energy Conservation Implementation Plan that provides a prioritized list of specific energy efficiency improvement projects, cost estimates for each project, funding opportunities for each project, payback times for each project, and potential greenhouse gas emissions reductions for each project to prepare these projects for funding opportunities and grant applications, such as the Partnership’s Community Action Grant. 

Support Provided by the Communities: 

  • The community will select a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of six (6) publicly owned buildings that need energy efficiency improvement. Priority buildings may include buildings that have poor energy efficiency, have high energy costs, are older in age, and/or are highly used by the community. School buildings, libraries, and other similar buildings may be considered. 

  • The community will select a staff liaison to communicate with and support the consultant. The staff liaison will support the consultant by providing 2-3 years of energy and water data for each building and by setting up site visits for the consultant to perform in-person energy audits for each building. NOTE: The community is strongly encouraged to have energy and water data on hand, but if not, the consultant may be able to support staff in gathering this data.  

  • The community will conduct public engagement activities related to the project, such as: 

    • Public displays that communicate the project’s benefits; 

    • Public events that educate residents on the benefits of energy efficiency, electrification, and clean energy; and/or 

    • Outreach activities that encourage community participation and engagement with the project. 

Technical Assistance Eligibility  

To be eligible for the Energy Efficiency Planning in Rural Communities technical assistance program, a community must BOTH: 

  • Be enrolled in the Community Resilience Partnership (communities may enroll simultaneously with application submission);

AND 

Note: Services provided through this program are funded through the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program (EECBG). Therefore, municipalities and federally recognized tribal governments that were eligible for direct allocation of federal EECBG funds are not eligible for this program.  

For full eligibility requirements, refer to the Program Statement.  

 

Application Deadline 

Enrollment and technical assistance applications will be accepted simultaneously.  

An informational webinar was held on September 5th. View the recording or download the slides to learn more. 

This is a one-time technical assistance offering. The deadline for this program is:  

  • Application Deadline: October 4, 2024, 5 p.m. 
Reporting 

Participating communities will be asked to complete a final report upon completion of the program. 

Energy Efficiency Priorities Grants 

The Energy Efficiency Priorities Grant (EEPG) was a special, one-time grant round of the Community Resilience Partnership that was offered in Spring 2024. The purpose of the Energy Efficiency Priorities Grant was to distribute federal funds to disadvantaged communities in Maine for projects that improve energy efficiency and implement clean energy systems. The special grant round differed from the Community Resilience Partnership’s standard Community Action Grant in important ways described in the Request for Applications. 

About Energy Efficiency Priorities Grants

GOPIF made awards totaling $607,486 to seven communities through a competitive Request for Applications (RFA) process. These include:

  • $100,000 to Millinocket to install new, energy efficient windows at the Municipal Building
  • $100,000 to Norway to install a rooftop solar array on the Town Office
  • $100,000 to Otisfield to install a rooftop solar array on the Town Office
  • $200,000 to Stonington and Deer Isle to install two solar arrays
  • $29,009 to Waterville to make LED lighting upgrades in City Hall and the Police Building
  • $78,477 to Whitneyville to install energy efficient windows, doors, make LED lighting upgrades, and install heat pumps

Funding for this grant was provided by a formula allocation to the State of Maine via the federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. GOPIF will award approximately $1,000,000 of the state allocation to disadvantaged communities. 

Eligible Activities

Grant awards supported energy efficiency, electrification, and clean energy improvements to publicly owned property. 

Applicants were encouraged to combine multiple technologies in a proposal. For example, installing heat pumps, solar panels, and battery storage on site to make a building more resilient for emergency operations or community sheltering purposes.

Equity Outcomes

The Energy Efficiency Priorities Grants were targeted to communities designated as Disadvantaged by the U.S. EPA. 
Public engagement and equitable distribution of benefits are included as scorable application components.

Federal Policy Compliance

Recipients of Energy Efficiency Priority Grant funds, and all vendors and contractors, were subject to provisions and requirements of the following federal laws:

  • Build America, Buy America  
  • Davis-Bacon Act
  • National Environmental Policy Act
  • Floodplains and wetlands
  • National Historic Preservation Act

Helpful Resources for Grant Proposals

Community Engagement and Equity Webinar
The Community Resilience Partnership held a Community Engagement and Equity Webinar that gave an overview of the equity framework developed by the Maine Climate Council Equity Subcommittee and how it translates into actionable steps that communities can take to increase resilience, community engagement, equitable consideration of benefits, and support grant proposal development.  View webinar recording. Download webinar presentation slides.

Efficiency Maine
The Community Action and Energy Efficiency Priorities grant opportunities require utilizing Efficiency Maine energy efficiency rebates and incentives for applicable projects. Visit their website to learn more about electric vehicles, HVAC, lighting, and other municipal incentives. Efficiency Maine also maintains an extensive list of qualified partners throughout Maine to help communities prioritize energy efficiency projects and navigate incentives. 

Direct Pay Clean Energy Projects Tax Credit Opportunity
Tax-exempt local governments are now eligible for federal tax credits up to 30% of the project cost to build qualifying clean energy projects including solar, wind, and battery storage projects; installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure; and purchasing electric vehicles for town or city vehicle fleets. Program information, including eligible projects and requirements can be found on the Direct Pay Through the Inflation Reduction Action webpage and the IRS Elective Pay and Transferability webpage. In addition, the US Climate Alliance, in collaboration with Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG), launched a helpful tool for communities called the Clean Energy Tax Navigator. Sign up to for updates and learn more about this tool.