The pre-proposal submission deadline for the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant program is nearly a month away.

You have until Tuesday, February 28 to submit your pre-proposals.

This comes as the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Commissioner Bob Martineau announced $1.5 million is available in grant funding for clean energy projects statewide. The sixth round of funding will include specific eligibility criteria to purchase, install and construct environmental mitigation projects.

The Clean Tennessee Energy Grant (CTEG) program provides financial assistance to municipal governments, county governments, utility districts and other entities created by statute. Criteria include projects that reduce air emissions, improve energy efficiency and create cost savings including projects focused on:

• Cleaner alternative energy – biomass, geothermal, solar, wind;
• Energy conservation – lighting, HVAC improvements, improved fuel efficiency, insulation, idling minimization;
• Air quality improvement – reduction in greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, hazardous air pollutants.

Funding preference will be given to distressed counties identified by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and counties that have not previously received CTEG funding. Additionally, projects must have a simple payback of less than 10 years on the entire project budget.

Funding for the projects comes from a 2011 Clean Air Act settlement with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Under the Consent Decree, Tennessee received $26.4 million to fund clean air programs in the state. The funding schedule is as follows:

• February 28, 2017: Pre-Proposal submission deadline
• March 24, 2017: Full proposals (by invitation only) contacted for additional items
• April 21, 2017: Full proposal supplemental information submission deadline
• Fall 2017: Announcement of recipients

The minimum grant request is $5,000 and the maximum grant request is $250,000, with a 50% match or better from the applicant.

For more information about eligibility criteria and which distressed counties apply, please visit TDEC’s website.