[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 5, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42910-42911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14266]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) Program

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; announcement of the opening of the online application 
window for the PACE Program.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service, a Rural Development agency of the 
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter referred to 
as ``RUS'' or ``the Agency'' announced its intent to solicit Letters of 
Interest (LOI) for loan applications under the Powering Affordable 
Clean Energy (PACE) Program in a Notice of Funding

[[Page 42911]]

Opportunity (NOFO) on May 16, 2023, in the Federal Register. In 
addition, the NOFO also announced the application process for those 
loans and provided deadlines for applications from eligible entities. 
Loans will be made to qualified PACE Applicants to finance power 
generation projects for Renewable Energy Resource (RER) Systems or 
Energy Storage Systems that support RER Projects. This Notice announces 
a new opening date for PACE LOI submissions as well as an update on how 
to submit an LOI and additional information that must be submitted.

DATES: The Agency will begin accepting LOIs for the PACE Program 
beginning at 11:59 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on July 10, 2023, and until 
11:59 p.m. ET on September 29, 2023.

ADDRESSES: All LOIs must be submitted to RUS electronically at 
www.grants.gov. Additional information and resources are available at 
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/electric-programs/powering-affordable-clean-energy-pace-program. The Inflation Reduction Act of 
2022 funding for Rural Development website is located at https://www.rd.usda.gov/inflation-reduction-act.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher McLean, Assistant 
Administrator, Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service, Rural 
Development, United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW, STOP 1568, Washington, DC 20250-1560; Telephone: 202-690-
4492. Email to: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Authority: The PACE Program is authorized under Section 22001 of 
the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Public Law 117-169.

Overview

    Federal Awarding Agency Name: Rural Utilities Service.
    Funding Opportunity Title: Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) 
Program.
    Announcement Type: Announcement of the Opening of the On-Line 
Application Window for the PACE Program.
    Assistance Listing Number: 10.757.
    Funding Opportunity Number: RUS-PACE-2023.
    LOI Submission Information: RUS will accept electronic submission 
of LOIs through Grants.gov. RUS will not accept paper, facsimile, or 
email transmission.

I. Background

    On August 16, 2022, The Biden Harris Administration and the United 
State Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 which 
authorized the PACE Program. The goal of the PACE Program is to support 
clean, affordable energy growth across America by providing loans to 
eligible entities, with varying levels of loan forgiveness, for 
projects that generate and/or store electricity from RER.
    On May 16, 2023, the Agency published a NOFO in the Federal 
Register (88 FR 31232) that solicited LOIs for loan applications under 
the PACE Program and announced the application process for those loans 
as well as provided deadlines for applications from eligible entities. 
The NOFO also informed potential Applicants that the Agency would 
finalize the specific requirements of submitting an LOI through the on-
line application window by a separate notice in the Federal Register 
and on the RUS website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/electric-programs/powering-affordable-clean-energy-pace-program. In 
response to stakeholder requests, RUS is pushing back the opening date 
for accepting LOI submissions from June 30, 2023, to July 10, 2023, to 
provide stakeholders more time to prepare their LOIs.

II. Letter of Interest Requirements and Submission

A. Letter of Interest Requirements

    The Agency has added the requirement to submit an Application for 
Federal Assistance (SF 424) to the list of items needed for a complete 
LOI in order to accept the LOI's through Grants.gov. In addition to the 
SF 424, Applicants will still be required to provide the information 
included in Section D.1(a) of the NOFO that published in the Federal 
Register on May 16, 2023, (88 FR 31232). The RUS PACE website will 
include an LOI Guide at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/electric-programs/powering-affordable-clean-energy-pace-program. The 
LOI Guide will provide details on the submission of the LOI on 
Grants.gov, including how to provide attachments. In addition, the LOI 
Guide will detail how Applicants must use the RUS geospatial mapping 
tool to draw the service areas associated with each PACE project and 
then upload Shape-files to Grants.gov as part of an LOI Application. 
The LOI Guide will also indicate where to attach the additional 
requirements for the LOI, such as a copy of the Applicant's balance 
sheet and income statements.

B. Letter of Interest Submission

    1. Application of General Assistance. Prior to official submission 
of an LOI, Applicants may request general assistance from the Agency if 
such requests are made prior to September 22, 2023. The Agency may 
provide general assistance as it is able, and Applicants may request 
assistance in the form of general assistance and consultation with an 
RUS GFR. Please note that RUS GFRs shall not provide strategic 
submission or strategic LOI advice, and Applicants are fully 
responsible for their submissions. Assistance may also be requested to 
Agency staff in the form of requests to speak at meetings, events, and 
conferences to explain program provisions and answer questions about 
this funding announcement. Responses to questions regarding program 
provisions and this funding announcement will be posted to the PACE FAQ 
page. Information on contacting an RUS GFR can be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/electric-gfr. For requests regarding 
speaking engagements, please email: [email protected].
    2. Letters of Interest Submission Deadlines: The Agency will begin 
accepting LOIs for the PACE Program beginning at 11:59 a.m. ET on July 
10, 2023, and until 11:59 p.m. ET on September 29, 2023.
    The LOIs must be submitted electronically thru www.grants.gov. The 
PACE funding opportunity in Grants.gov can be found by searching for 
the funding opportunity number found in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section of this Notice. Please review the Grants.gov website at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html for instructions on the 
process of registering an organization as soon as possible to ensure 
that all electronic application deadlines are met. Grants.gov will not 
accept applications submitted after the deadline.

III. Program Requirements

    To be eligible for an award, applications must meet all of the 
requirements contained in the NOFO published in the Federal Register on 
May 16, 2023, at 88 FR 31232. Information can also be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/electric-programs/powering-affordable-clean-energy-pace-program.

Andrew Berke,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-14266 Filed 6-30-23; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P