Dane County established the Clean Energy Economic Development Grant Fund (the Fund) in 2018 and assigned administration of the Fund to the Office of Energy & Climate Change.
The Office of Energy & Climate Change worked with stakeholders to establish the purpose of the Fund, consistent with state and county policy. OECC determined that initiatives receiving grants from the Fund should address at least one of the following:
In April 2020, the Office of Energy & Climate Change issued Dane County’s first countywide, economy-wide climate action plan (CAP), Today's Opportunity for a Better Tomorrow: 2020 Dane County Climate Action Plan.
Relative to the Clean Energy Economic Development Grant Fund, the Office of Energy & Climate Change’s primary priority is to make progress on the outcomes identified in the CAP. Accordingly, we are seeking to fund grants that can accelerate progress on specific CAP priorities associated with those outcomes. This Request for Proposals (RFP) represents the first time that the OECC is soliciting proposals associated with the Fund. A total of $135,000 is available for grants at this time.
Download the grant application materials for more details on the funding available and eligible projects.
The Office of Energy & Climate Change intends to provide grants to eligible applicants for initiatives that will make progress one or more of the outcomes identified in the Climate Action Plan. In 2020, we expect most projects will be scoping efforts that refine CAP recommendations into a program or policy plan that is ready to implement. Also eligible are initiatives that combine some level of service delivery or engagement coincident with the development of a related project scope, especially if those efforts provide some continuum of progress in a specific area.
See below for the 2020 priority initiatives. The number in italics after the recommendation refers to where you will find the discussion of this priority in the CAP. We seek efforts focused on:
These priorities are NOT in a ranked order of importance. All of the items listed above are priorities.
To learn more about the Clean Energy Economic Development Grant Fund, download the grant application materials.
The 2020 grant deadline was Tuesday, December 8 at 2 pm CST. The application solicitation is now closed.
If you have questions, email oecc@countyofdane.com.