Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000451
Apply for DE FOA 0000451
- The National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Clean Cities Community Readiness and Planning for Plug In Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.086 Conservation Research and Development.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 7, 2011 and posted on Apr 19, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 14, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $5,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Clean Cities Community Readiness and Planning for Plug In Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0000451) was a federal discretionary grant program in the energy category administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory. It was designed to help U.S. communities get ready for the real-world rollout of plug-in electric drive vehicles and the charging systems that support them (often referred to as electric vehicle supply equipment, or EVSE). The core idea was that EV adoption depends on more than just vehicles and chargers being available; it also requires local policies, permitting approaches, procedures, codes, incentives, and coordinated planning so that deployment can happen smoothly and at scale.
This funding announcement tied directly to a national policy goal at the time: putting 1 million advanced technology vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015. With that broader target in mind, the program focused on community-level readiness work that could remove practical barriers and speed up deployment. The emphasis was on electricity as a transportation fuel, with the intended outcomes of reducing petroleum dependence and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by accelerating adoption of plug-in electric vehicles and buildout of charging infrastructure. In practice, that meant supporting projects that could set up the local and regional groundwork needed for charging installations and vehicle integration to proceed without delays, confusion, or inconsistent rules.
The opportunity anticipated making about 15 awards nationwide, with an estimated total program funding level of $5,000,000. Individual awards were expected to fall between $250,000 (the floor) and $500,000 (the ceiling). Importantly, the program did not require cost sharing or matching funds, which typically makes participation easier for local governments, nonprofits, and other organizations that may have limited capital for required match. The CFDA listing associated with the program was 81.086 (Conservation Research and Development), reflecting its connection to energy conservation and emissions reduction goals.
Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to many entity types, subject to any additional clarifications in the full announcement text. While the summary does not list specific applicant categories, unrestricted eligibility generally suggests that local and state governments, regional organizations, universities, nonprofits, and private-sector entities could potentially apply if they could credibly lead or coordinate a community readiness effort and meet the program requirements laid out in the full solicitation.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was posted April 19, 2011, with a closing date of June 14, 2011 (originally June 13, 2011). It was later archived on July 13, 2011, indicating the application window had passed and the solicitation was no longer active. The notice referenced FedConnect as the additional information link and distribution channel for the full announcement materials. A named point of contact was provided for applicants who had trouble accessing the announcement electronically: Sue Miltenberger, Contract Specialist, at 304-285-4083.
Overall, this grant program was essentially an EV-readiness planning and policy accelerator. Rather than paying primarily for hardware purchases, its central purpose was to help communities do the enabling work that makes charging infrastructure and plug-in vehicle deployment faster, cheaper, more consistent, and more scalable, supporting national energy security and climate objectives by pushing the market toward electrified transportation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Clean Cities Community Readiness and Planning for Plug-In Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure opportunity?
It was a federal discretionary grant program in the energy category, administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The program focused on helping U.S. communities prepare for real-world deployment of plug-in electric drive vehicles and the charging infrastructure (electric vehicle supply equipment, or EVSE) needed to support them.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number was DE-FOA-0000451.
What was the main purpose of the program?
The program was designed to accelerate plug-in electric vehicle adoption by funding community readiness and planning work. The idea was that successful EV deployment requires more than vehicles and chargers; it also needs local policies, permitting approaches, procedures, codes, incentives, and coordinated planning so installations and integration can happen smoothly and at scale.
What types of barriers was the program intended to address?
It targeted practical, on-the-ground barriers that can slow EV and charging deployment, including inconsistent or unclear local rules, permitting and inspection practices, lack of coordinated procedures, and gaps in planning for how charging infrastructure and plug-in vehicles would be integrated into a community or region.
Was this grant intended to fund charging hardware purchases?
The program was described primarily as an EV-readiness planning and policy accelerator rather than a hardware purchase program. Its central purpose was enabling work that makes charging infrastructure deployment faster, cheaper, more consistent, and more scalable.
What outcomes was the program trying to achieve?
The intended outcomes included reducing petroleum dependence and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by accelerating adoption of plug-in electric vehicles and supporting the buildout of charging infrastructure through better local and regional readiness.
How did this funding opportunity connect to national policy goals?
The announcement was tied to a national policy goal at the time: putting 1 million advanced technology vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015. The grant emphasized community-level readiness work as a way to remove barriers and speed deployment toward that broader target.
Who administered this program?
The program was administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).
How much total funding was anticipated for the program?
The estimated total program funding level was $5,000,000.
How many awards were expected?
The opportunity anticipated making about 15 awards nationwide.
What was the expected award size?
Individual awards were expected to range from $250,000 (minimum) to $500,000 (maximum).
Was cost sharing or matching funds required?
No. The program did not require cost sharing or matching funds.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA listing associated with the program was 81.086 (Conservation Research and Development).
What did "unrestricted eligibility" mean for this opportunity?
Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to many entity types, subject to any additional clarifications in the full announcement text.
Which types of organizations could potentially apply based on the unrestricted eligibility description?
While specific applicant categories were not listed in the summary, unrestricted eligibility generally suggests that local and state governments, regional organizations, universities, nonprofits, and private-sector entities could potentially apply if they could lead or coordinate a community readiness effort and meet the requirements in the full solicitation.
When was the opportunity posted?
It was posted on April 19, 2011.
What was the application closing date?
The closing date was June 14, 2011 (originally listed as June 13, 2011).
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. It was archived on July 13, 2011, which indicates the application window had passed and the solicitation was no longer active.
Where were applicants directed to find the full announcement materials?
The notice referenced FedConnect as the additional information link and distribution channel for the full announcement materials.
Who was the point of contact for trouble accessing the announcement electronically?
The named point of contact was Sue Miltenberger, Contract Specialist. Phone: 304-285-4083.
What did EVSE mean in the context of this opportunity?
EVSE stands for electric vehicle supply equipment, a common term used to refer to electric vehicle charging equipment and related charging systems.
What was the broader strategy behind focusing on community readiness?
The strategy was to fund the groundwork that enables smoother deployment, such as aligning policies and codes, improving permitting approaches and procedures, and coordinating local and regional planning so charging installations and plug-in vehicle integration can proceed without delays, confusion, or inconsistent rules.
What transportation fuel did the opportunity emphasize?
The opportunity emphasized electricity as a transportation fuel, with a focus on accelerating plug-in electric vehicle adoption and charging infrastructure deployment.
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