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More Sample Grant Proposals |
Sample Grant Proposal: Low-Income Wind Energy Project
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Local Agency Discretionary Funds: Some CBOs have discretionary funds that can be
invested in wind development and they have expressed interest in doing so.
CDBG: The Community Development Block Grant is a potential funding source for CBOs
working in partnership with local government.
USDA: The Department of Agriculture has a number of resources that can be tapped,
particularly for rural areas of the project, including the Rural Partnership Office, Rural
Devlopment Funds, and the Rural Development Council
Department of Energy: From time to time, DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy issues State Energy Program Special Projects Solicitation with a focus on
renewable energy sources.
Innovation
Project views low-income community as producers of energy, not just as passive consumers.
Project partners include utilities, CBOs, and local government.
Interventions include a cooperative model for energy production.
Energy resource to be developed is cost-based (wind) rather than market-based (e.g., coal,
gas, oil).
Project positions itself for success within an industry poised for growth in Washington, the
wind industry.
Project develops energy assistance denominated in kilowatt-hours rather than dollars,
insulating the value of assistance from energy price spikes.
CBOs can tailor energy assistance programs to meet local needs.
Resources developed under the project will continue to provide benefits for 17 to 20 years
after the REACh project period.
The ratio of leveraged dollars to REACh funds is approximately 50 to 1.
Work Plan/Time Lines and Discussion of Critical Issues
Critical Issues/Potential Problems
Wind turbines are inaccurately perceived as a new, untried technology. For some organizations,
the sense of being in the forefront of innovation may actually be enticing. However, we
anticipate that a more common reaction will be caution. The following is a discussion of
potential issues stemming from this reaction and plans for moving past it.
Issue:
Since private sources generally consider renewable energy projects riskier than
conventional alternatives, the cost of capital for such projects is higher, and may increase
with the advent of competition.
Plan:
Pursue a funding mix that focuses on grants, bonds and green tag sales rather than
commercial bank loans.
