Technical Assistance Opportunities

This web page is meant to inform of additional technical assistance opportunities to support or supplement grid resiliency funding opportunities.

U.S. Department of Energy

Onsite Energy Technical Assistance Partnerships (Onsite Energy TAPs)

• Onsite Energy TAPs provide DOE-funded technical assistance to sites looking to understand what benefits microgrids and other onsite energy technologies can offer them. Key services include: 
  • End-User Engagement: Partner with organizations representing end users to advance onsite energy as a cost-effective way to transition to a clean energy economy.
  • Technical Assistance: Screen sites for opportunities to implement onsite energy technologies and provide advanced services to maximize economic impact and reduce risk from initial screening to installation to operation and maintenance. 
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with strategic stakeholders, including utilities and policymakers, to identify and reduce barriers to onsite energy through fact-based, unbiased education. 

Grid Deployment Office (GDO) Technical Assistance

• Grid Deployment Office provides technical and other assistance, including facilitating the distribution and sharing of information and distributing consumer-facing information and resources to inform the public of best practices and resources relating to reducing the likelihood and consequences of disruptive events.
• GDO will work with grant recipients to determine the appropriate type of assistance to meet their needs, including: program and planning assistance, capacity building, training, technical analysis, and stakeholder engagement and coordination. 
• Assistance will be available at no additional cost to recipients. 

U.S. Department of Energy Community Microgrid Assistance Program (C-MAP) 

The U.S. Department of Energy Community Microgrid Assistance Program (C-MAP): Eligible underserved and tribal communities can submit proposals for technical assistance and funding to support the design and implementation of a microgrid project, or to optimize existing microgrid systems for improved performance. The program is designed to assist remote, rural, and electrically isolated communities in developing resilient microgrid systems that enhance energy reliability and security, particularly in historically underserved and/or Indigenous areas.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

• Clean Energy to Communities: The Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) program provides communities with expertise and tools to achieve their clean energy goals. C2C is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and managed by NREL.  C2C offers three types of support to communities: in-depth partnerships, peer-learning cohorts, and expert match.
• Engage Energy Modeling Tool: Engage™ enables state, local, and tribal governments to visualize their communities' energy futures. Built on a proven open-source energy modeling framework, it facilitates custom energy system planning, simulation, and data management based on user-supplied data sets.
• Solar Decision Support and Resources: NREL offers resources to help local governments go solar.
• Waste-to-Energy Technical Assistance: NREL provides local governments with technical assistance to advance waste-to-energy technologies.
• Accelerating Clean Energy at Scale: NREL works with communities to translate their clean energy ambitions into actions, supporting the transition to clean, affordable, equitable, secure, and resilient energy systems.
• Clean Energy Demonstration on Mine Land Technical Assistance: NREL provides technical assistance to local communities pursuing clean energy demonstrations on current and former mine lands.
• Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project Community Technical Assistance:
  • ETIPP employs a community-driven approach to identify and plan resilient clean energy solutions that address a community's specific challenges. This approach combines the experience and expertise of local community leaders, residents, and organizations with the ETIPP partner network. The ETIPP partner network connects selected communities with regional nonprofit or academic organizations ("regional partners"), energy experts at DOE research institutions (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, NREL, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories), and DOE clean energy technology offices to navigate options for addressing local energy resilience challenges. By participating in ETIPP, communities receive substantial support from ETIPP experts in the form of technical assistance in energy analysis and planning. 
    • Following the application evaluation process, selected communities will embark on a project scoping phase (lasting approximately 2 to 6 months) to discuss community priorities and finalize project details with technical assistance providers and regional partners. Selected communities and technical assistance providers will then execute the scoped project over a period of 12 to 18 months.

State of Colorado

Local Community Funding Guide - The Division of Local Government (DLG) created this comprehensive resource to help local governments and nonprofit community organizations navigate the funding sources available through a variety of Federal and State programs. This list is updated frequently.

Social Benefit Organizations & Non-Profits

Collective Energy: Supports healthcare clinics and organizations through education on microgrid uses and energy resilience, as well as securing funding, conducting design and planning services, deploying, and management of microgrid assets. 

Clean Energy Group: Provides innovative technical, economic, and policy solutions to enable communities to participate equitably in the clean energy transition. 

• What Nonprofits Need to Know When Applying for Direct Pay