December 16, 2022
Infrastructure Update
Stay informed on national infrastructure programs, funding, and developments with our weekly article.
Press Releases
DOE National Laboratory Makes History by Achieving Fusion Ignition
Dec. 13, 2022 | Source: DOE
On Tuesday, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced a major scientific breakthrough, the achievement of fusion ignition at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The team at LLNL’s National Ignition Facility (NIF) is the first in history to accomplish a controlled fusion experiment, also known as scientific energy breakeven. This means that the experiment produced more energy from fusion than the energy from lasers used to produce it. According to the press release "this historic, first-of-its kind achievement will provide unprecedented capability to support NNSA’s Stockpile Stewardship Program and will provide invaluable insights into the prospects of clean fusion energy, which would be a game-changer for efforts to achieve President Biden’s goal of a net-zero carbon economy."
DOE Announces $3.7 Billion to Kick-Start America’s Carbon Dioxide Removal Industry
Dec. 13, 2022 | Source: DOE
On Tuesday, the DOE announced the launch of four programs that will help build a commercially viable, just, and responsible carbon dioxide removal industry in the United States. The programs, funded with $3.7 billion from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help accelerate private-sector investment, spur advancements in monitoring and reporting practices for carbon management technologies, and provide grants to state and local governments to procure and use products developed from captured carbon emissions.
DOT Announces $1.5 Billion Available through the 2023 RAISE Grant Program
Dec. 15, 2022 | Source: DOT
On Thursday, The U.S. Department of Transportation has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity for $1.5 billion in grant funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program for 2023. The popular program helps communities around the country carry out projects with significant local or regional impact. RAISE discretionary grants help project sponsors at the State and local levels, including municipalities, Tribal governments, counties, and others complete critical freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects. The eligibility requirements of RAISE allow project sponsors to obtain funding for projects that are harder to support through other U.S. DOT grant programs.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $14.3 Million in Brownfields Grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Train Environmental Workers
Dec. 14, 2022 | Source: EPA
On Wednesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of 29 organizations to receive a total of more than $14 million in grants funded through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for environmental job training programs across the country. The grants through EPA’s Brownfields Jobs Training Program will recruit, train, and place workers for community revitalization and cleanup projects at brownfield sites. The BIL caused total funding for the program to more than triple for fiscal year 2023, the largest amount of total funds EPA has ever awarded for Brownfields Job Training grants.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $40.3 Million in High-Speed Internet Grants for Tribal Lands
Dec. 14, 2022 | Source: NTIA
On Wednesday, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced it has awarded nine grants as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). These new grants, totaling more than $40.3 million, bring the total of the program to nearly $1.7 billion awarded to 130 Tribal entities. The grants will expand high-speed Internet service network deployment and digital skills training to improve access to education, jobs, and healthcare on Tribal lands. Six tribes located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Maine received grants. These awards are part of the Biden Administration’s commitment to nation-to-nation engagement and an effort to connect everyone in America, including Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.
New Clean Energy Workforce Training Programs to Bolster Domestic Manufacturing and Energy Efficiency in Commercial and Institutional Buildings
Dec. 6, 2022 | Source: DOE
On Tuesday, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the intended investment of $72 million of BIL funds to expand the Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) Program. The funding will establish up to five regional Centers of Excellence and create new IACs at trade schools, community colleges, and union training programs. Investments will also go towards new Building Training Assessment Centers (BTACs) for workforce development to support energy efficiency and emissions reductions in commercial and institutional buildings.
DOE Announces $32 Million in Research Opportunities for Underrepresented Groups
Dec. 14, 2022 | Source: DOE
On Wednesday, the DOE announced 41 awards totaling $32 million to 37 institutions to support historically underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and diversify American leadership in the physical sciences, including energy and climate. The funding, through the DOE Office of Science’s Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) initiative, will support internships, training programs, and mentor opportunities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and other research institutions. Awards focus on basic research in the physical sciences, including physics, chemistry, materials science, applied mathematics, computer science, and Earth and environmental sciences.
EPA Announces $25.7 Million in Grants to Support Water Systems in Rural and Small Communities
Dec. 12, 2022 | Source: EPA
On Monday, EPA announced the availability of $25.7 million in grant funding for organizations to provide technical assistance and training to support small drinking water and wastewater systems that are often located in rural communities. The funding will help ensure that drinking water in these communities is safe and that wastewater is treated before it is responsibly returned to the environment. Eligible applicants for this competitive agreement are nonprofit organizations, nonprofit private universities and colleges, and public institutions of higher education. Applications are due by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, January 26, 2023.
Federal Funding
Details on available infrastructure-related funding opportunities.
| Opportunity Number | Opportunity Title | Agency | Deadline | Award Ceiling |
| DE-FOA-0002879 | Energy Efficiency Materials Pilot for Nonprofits | DOE-GFO | 12/22/2022 | RFI |
| FCC-ACOGP-23-001 | Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program | FCC | 01/09/2023 | $1,000,000 |
| FR-6600-N-34 | Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant Program | HUD | 01/11/2023 | $50,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0002894 | Carbon Dioxide Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation (CIFIA) Program: Future Growth Grants | DOE-NETL | 1/17/2023 | RFI |
| RUS-23-01-DLT | Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants | USDA-RUS | 01/30/2023 | $64,000,000 |
| EPA-I-OLEM-OBLR-22-11 | Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities | EPA | 02/14/2023 | $53,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0002867 | BIL: Long Duration Energy Storage Demonstrations FOA | DOE-GFO | 03/03/2023 | $349,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0002828 | BIL: DE-FOA-0002828: To Address Key Deployment Challenges for Offshore, Land-Based, and Distributed Wind | DOE-GFO | 03/10/2023 | $27,900,000 |
| DE-FOA-0002779 | Additional Clean Hydrogen Programs (Section 40314): Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) | DOE-GFO | 4/7/2023 | $1,250,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0002756 | 2022 FOA for Energy Improvements at Public K-12 School Facilities - BIL - Renew America's Schools | DOE-GFO | 04/21/2023 | $80,000,000 |
Committee Hearings on Infrastructure:
Upcoming Hearings:
No infrastructure hearings next week!
Past Hearings:
Tuesday, December 13
Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communication, Media, and Broadband
10:00 AM (EST) Meeting: Hearings to examine solutions to meet America's broadband needs.
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
10:00 AM (EST) Meeting: Hearings to examine the Department of the Interior's implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment
2:30 PM (EST) Meeting: Hearings to examine how capital markets serve diverse entrepreneurs and investors.
2:30 PM (EST) Meeting: Hearings to examine promoting and investing in small American manufacturers.
Wednesday, December 14
House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology
10:00 AM (EST) Hearing: Building Regional Innovation Economies Part II
Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
2:30 PM (EST) Meeting: Hearings to examine improving access to capital in underserved communities, focusing on the Community Advantage program, microloans, and other Small Business Administration initiatives.
Thursday, December 15
10:00 AM (EST) Meeting: Hearings to examine the impact of plastic use and identifying solutions for reducing plastic waste.
Tuesday December 6
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
10:00 AM (EST) Hearing: to examine the 2023 Farm Bill, focusing on research programs.
House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
1:30 PM (EST) Hearing: Solving the Climate Crisis: Key Accomplishments, Additional Opportunities, and the Need for Continued Action
Wednesday, November 30
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
10:00 AM (EST) Meeting: Hearings to examine putting the Bipartisan Infrastructure law to work, focusing on the private sector perspective.
