OAR 330-250-0040: Planning Grant: Application

(1) A federally recognized Oregon Indian tribe, public body or consumer-owned utility may apply for a grant for planning a community renewable energy project by submitting a complete grant application. The application must meet requirements provided by applicable statutes, these rules and the applicable opportunity announcement. (a) An applicant may partner with a federally recognized Oregon Indian tribe, public body, nonprofit entity, private business with a business site in this state or owner of rental property in this state, but a grant for an approved application will only be awarded and released to an applicant that is a federally recognized Oregon Indian tribe, public body or consumer-owned utility. (b) An application must be drafted in consultation with electric utilities that have customers in the communities covered by a community renewable energy project that is in the application and regional stakeholders for the purpose of ensuring feasibility. (2) The application must be in the form specified in the applicable opportunity announcement and these rules. An applicant must submit a complete application during the opportunity period. For the purposes of this rule, the department considers an application “submitted” when the department receives the application. The department will not process applications received outside of an opportunity period. (3) The application must include the following information, at a minimum: (a) Identification of applicant and partners: (A) The name of the applicant. (B) The name, address, email address and telephone number of the responsible party for the applicant. (C) The names of any partners to the application, which may include a federally recognized Oregon Indian tribe, public body, nonprofit entity, private business with a business site in this state or owner of rental property in this state. (D) For any partner that is a private business, documentation that the partner owns a business site(s) that is located in this state. (E) For any partner that is an owner of rental property, documentation that the partner owns rental property(ies) that is located in this state. (b) Evidence of consultation with the following entities: (A) Written authorization from the applicant’s governing body allowing submission of the application. (B) Confirmation that the applicant or partner consulted with the electric utility or utilities, as applicable. Applicants are encouraged to include information from the electric utility(-ies) that may assist the department in evaluating the feasibility of the proposed project. Confirmation may include: (i) a letter from the electric utility(-ies) serving the communities covered by a community renewable energy project; or (ii) other evidence that the applicant or partner has consulted the electric utility(-ies). (C) For any partner that is a public body, written authorization from the partner’s governing body allowing submission of the application. (c) A description of the applicant’s or partner's consultation with regional stakeholders and community groups, and any additional community engagement process as part of developing the planning grant application. (d) The following information about the proposed community renewable energy project: (A) Location, including city and county, where the community renewable energy project in the planning grant application would be constructed or installed. (B) A description of the community renewable energy project, including major system components, to the extent known, such as renewable energy generation, energy storage, electric vehicle charging systems, and microgrid enabling technologies. If the community renewable energy project will add capacity to or be paired with an existing renewable energy system, for example pairing energy storage and/or microgrid enabling technologies with an existing solar photovoltaic array, the applicant must include a description of the existing renewable energy system. (e) Grant amount requested and estimated budget for planning costs, including costs associated with: (A) Consulting fees, including design and engineering; (B) Load analysis; (C) Siting, excluding property acquisition; (D) Ensuring code compliance; (E) Interconnection studies; (F) Transmission studies; and (G) Other expenditures, summarized by purpose. (f) If applicable, a detailed description or other documentation of the extent to which the community renewable energy project would be located in and/or will serve one or more qualifying communities. (g) If applicable, a description of how the community renewable energy project would support the energy resilience of structures or facilities essential to the public welfare. (h) A description of how the community renewable energy project would integrate with broader community energy and environmental goals. (i) Additional information as needed to demonstrate that the planning in the application meets the requirements under Oregon Laws 2021, chapter 508, sections 30(3) and 31(1)(c), which are reproduced below in section (4) of this rule. (j) A description of any other grants that the applicant or partner has been or may be awarded for the planning in the application. (k) Other information requested in the opportunity announcement. (4) In order to be considered for a planning grant, the applicant must demonstrate in the application that: (a) As required under Oregon Laws 2021, chapter 508, section 30(3), the planning: (A) Is for a project located in this state but outside a city with a population of 500,000 or more; (B) Will be completed within six months of execution of the performance agreement or a reasonable time frame if good cause to extend the deadline is demonstrated; (C) Will result in a proposal for developing a community renewable energy project; and (D) Incorporates feedback from: (i) Members of qualifying communities served by the community renewable energy project; (ii) Businesses located in the communities served by the community renewable energy project; (iii) Electric utilities that have customers in the communities served by the community renewable energy project; and (iv) Other regional stakeholders. (b) As required under Oregon Laws 2021, chapter 508, section 31(1)(c), that the planning proposal is for a community renewable energy project that: (A) If for producing energy, but not intended to increase energy resilience: (i) Will make use of an adequately available renewable energy resource to produce the energy; (ii) Has a specific market for the energy; and (iii) Will reasonably and efficiently connect or transmit the energy to the specific community identified in the application; or (B) If for increasing energy resilience: (i) Will increase the energy resilience of a specific structure or facility or collection of structures or facilities essential to the public welfare; and (ii) Will provide energy resilience benefits to the specific structure or facility or to the collection of structures or facilities. (5) Oregon Laws 2021, chapter 508, section 30(10) directs the department to prioritize applications that meet the following criteria when awarding grant funds. Applicants are encouraged to include information detailing the extent to which the proposal in the application: (a) Includes community energy resilience projects. (b) Demonstrates significant prior investments in energy efficiency measures at the project location or will result in aggregate improvements to demand response capabilities. (c) Is for projects located in qualifying communities across the state. (d) When applicable, is for projects constructed in part or in whole by disadvantaged business enterprises, emerging small businesses or businesses that are owned by minorities, women or disabled veterans. (e) Includes inclusive hiring and promotion policies for workers working on the projects. (f) Incorporates equity metrics in OAR 330-250-0160 for evaluating the involvement of and leadership by people of low income, Black, Indigenous or People of Color, members of tribal communities, people with disabilities, youth, people from rural communities and people from otherwise disadvantaged communities in the siting, planning, designing or evaluating of the proposed community renewable energy projects. (g) Helps the applicant achieve goals included in the applicant’s natural hazard mitigation plans as approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.