The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources today announced that the Office is accepting grant applications for non-utility scale renewable energy projects in Rhode Island. The grants, totaling $8,395,000, are funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and are available to Rhode Island residents, businesses, municipalities, non-profit organizations, academic institutions. The grants are designed to help pay for up to 25 percent of the up front costs of renewable energy projects.
Renewable projects can include solar, wind, and hydro installations, as well as any other proven and acceptable renewable energy programs. Rhode Island residents will be able to apply for a maximum of $10,000 of grant funding to pay for up to a quarter of a renewable energy project on their property. Businesses may apply up to a total of $500,000 for projects. Municipalities and institutions, that serve or house 1000 or more persons, can apply for a maximum of $750,000 for projects.
“As a state, we have made a commitment to supporting renewable energy projects, from residential to commercial, and this funding from the Recovery Act allows us for the first time to support significant renewable energy projects on the residential, commercial and municipal levels,” said Ron Renaud, executive director for the Department of Administration, who oversees the Office of Energy Resources. “We anticipate significant interest in the grants and encourage all those apply to think big and think green.”
The competitive grants will be awarded based on the number of jobs created or retained by the project, the amount of reduction in the use of fossil fuels that the system will generate, the estimated energy produced over the life of the project, and funds leveraged from other sources to complete the project.
Applications for the first round of funding are due on January 29, 2010. Applications for the second round of funding are due March 1, 2010. Application packages can be downloaded at http://www.energy.ri.gov.