Notice2023-14266
Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 5, 2023
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentRural Utilities Service
Abstract
The Rural Utilities Service, a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter referred to as "RUS" or "the Agency" announced its intent to solicit Letters of Interest (LOI) for loan applications under the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) Program in a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on May 16, 2023, in the Federal Register. In addition, the NOFO also announced the application process for those loans and provided deadlines for applications from eligible entities. Loans will be made to qualified PACE Applicants to finance power generation projects for Renewable Energy Resource (RER) Systems or Energy Storage Systems that support RER Projects. This Notice announces a new opening date for PACE LOI submissions as well as an update on how to submit an LOI and additional information that must be submitted.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 127 (Wednesday, July 5, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 5, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42910-42911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14266]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) Program
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; announcement of the opening of the online application
window for the PACE Program.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service, a Rural Development agency of the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter referred to
as ``RUS'' or ``the Agency'' announced its intent to solicit Letters of
Interest (LOI) for loan applications under the Powering Affordable
Clean Energy (PACE) Program in a Notice of Funding
[[Page 42911]]
Opportunity (NOFO) on May 16, 2023, in the Federal Register. In
addition, the NOFO also announced the application process for those
loans and provided deadlines for applications from eligible entities.
Loans will be made to qualified PACE Applicants to finance power
generation projects for Renewable Energy Resource (RER) Systems or
Energy Storage Systems that support RER Projects. This Notice announces
a new opening date for PACE LOI submissions as well as an update on how
to submit an LOI and additional information that must be submitted.
DATES: The Agency will begin accepting LOIs for the PACE Program
beginning at 11:59 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on July 10, 2023, and until
11:59 p.m. ET on September 29, 2023.
ADDRESSES: All LOIs must be submitted to RUS electronically at
<a href="http://www.grants.gov">www.grants.gov</a>. Additional information and resources are available at
<a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/electric-programs/powering-affordable-clean-energy-pace-program">https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/electric-programs/powering-affordable-clean-energy-pace-program</a>. The Inflation Reduction Act of
2022 funding for Rural Development website is located at <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/inflation-reduction-act">https://www.rd.usda.gov/inflation-reduction-act</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher McLean, Assistant
Administrator, Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service, Rural
Development, United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW, STOP 1568, Washington, DC 20250-1560; Telephone: 202-690-
4492. Email to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0f5c42215d4b215d5a5c21465d4e215e7a6a7c7b6660617c4f7a7c6b6e21686079"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1447593a46503a4641473a5d46553a45617167607d7b7a6754616770753a737b62">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: The PACE Program is authorized under Section 22001 of
the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Public Law 117-169.
Overview
Federal Awarding Agency Name: Rural Utilities Service.
Funding Opportunity Title: Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE)
Program.
Announcement Type: Announcement of the Opening of the On-Line
Application Window for the PACE Program.
Assistance Listing Number: 10.757.
Funding Opportunity Number: RUS-PACE-2023.
LOI Submission Information: RUS will accept electronic submission
of LOIs through <a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a>. RUS will not accept paper, facsimile, or
email transmission.
I. Background
On August 16, 2022, The Biden Harris Administration and the United
State Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 which
authorized the PACE Program. The goal of the PACE Program is to support
clean, affordable energy growth across America by providing loans to
eligible entities, with varying levels of loan forgiveness, for
projects that generate and/or store electricity from RER.
On May 16, 2023, the Agency published a NOFO in the Federal
Register (88 FR 31232) that solicited LOIs for loan applications under
the PACE Program and announced the application process for those loans
as well as provided deadlines for applications from eligible entities.
The NOFO also informed potential Applicants that the Agency would
finalize the specific requirements of submitting an LOI through the on-
line application window by a separate notice in the Federal Register
and on the RUS website at <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/electric-programs/powering-affordable-clean-energy-pace-program">https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/electric-programs/powering-affordable-clean-energy-pace-program</a>. In
response to stakeholder requests, RUS is pushing back the opening date
for accepting LOI submissions from June 30, 2023, to July 10, 2023, to
provide stakeholders more time to prepare their LOIs.
II. Letter of Interest Requirements and Submission
A. Letter of Interest Requirements
The Agency has added the requirement to submit an Application for
Federal Assistance (SF 424) to the list of items needed for a complete
LOI in order to accept the LOI's through <a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a>. In addition to the
SF 424, Applicants will still be required to provide the information
included in Section D.1(a) of the NOFO that published in the Federal
Register on May 16, 2023, (88 FR 31232). The RUS PACE website will
include an LOI Guide at <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/electric-programs/powering-affordable-clean-energy-pace-program">https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/electric-programs/powering-affordable-clean-energy-pace-program</a>. The
LOI Guide will provide details on the submission of the LOI on
<a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a>, including how to provide attachments. In addition, the LOI
Guide will detail how Applicants must use the RUS geospatial mapping
tool to draw the service areas associated with each PACE project and
then upload Shape-files to <a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a> as part of an LOI Application.
The LOI Guide will also indicate where to attach the additional
requirements for the LOI, such as a copy of the Applicant's balance
sheet and income statements.
B. Letter of Interest Submission
1. Application of General Assistance. Prior to official submission
of an LOI, Applicants may request general assistance from the Agency if
such requests are made prior to September 22, 2023. The Agency may
provide general assistance as it is able, and Applicants may request
assistance in the form of general assistance and consultation with an
RUS GFR. Please note that RUS GFRs shall not provide strategic
submission or strategic LOI advice, and Applicants are fully
responsible for their submissions. Assistance may also be requested to
Agency staff in the form of requests to speak at meetings, events, and
conferences to explain program provisions and answer questions about
this funding announcement. Responses to questions regarding program
provisions and this funding announcement will be posted to the PACE FAQ
page. Information on contacting an RUS GFR can be found at <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/electric-gfr">https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/electric-gfr</a>. For requests regarding
speaking engagements, please email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2c7f61027e68027e797f02657e6d027d59495f584543425f6c595f484d024b435a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f3a0bedda1b7dda1a6a0ddbaa1b2dda2869680879a9c9d80b386809792dd949c85">[email protected]</span></a>.
2. Letters of Interest Submission Deadlines: The Agency will begin
accepting LOIs for the PACE Program beginning at 11:59 a.m. ET on July
10, 2023, and until 11:59 p.m. ET on September 29, 2023.
The LOIs must be submitted electronically thru <a href="http://www.grants.gov">www.grants.gov</a>. The
PACE funding opportunity in <a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a> can be found by searching for
the funding opportunity number found in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section of this Notice. Please review the <a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a> website at <a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html">https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html</a> for instructions on the
process of registering an organization as soon as possible to ensure
that all electronic application deadlines are met. <a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a> will not
accept applications submitted after the deadline.
III. Program Requirements
To be eligible for an award, applications must meet all of the
requirements contained in the NOFO published in the Federal Register on
May 16, 2023, at 88 FR 31232. Information can also be found at <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/electric-programs/powering-affordable-clean-energy-pace-program">https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/electric-programs/powering-affordable-clean-energy-pace-program</a>.
Andrew Berke,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-14266 Filed 6-30-23; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P
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