Public Bids

PEA’s Request for Information (RFI): Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program (CPRG): Implementation Grant Projects and Programs 

January 22, 2024 | Status:

Philadelphia Energy Authority 

Request for Information
Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program (CPRG): Implementation Grant Projects and Programs 

Due: Friday, February 16, 2024 at 5:00pm

 

Description

The Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA) issues this Request for Information (RFI) to identify non-industrial shovel-ready projects and programs to submit as part of an application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program (CPRG): Implementation Grants General Competition. 

Eligible projects and programs must demonstrate measurable and verifiable reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the grant’s five-year period of performance and be located in Southeast Pennsylvania (SEPA). Project or program proposals that advance the EPA’s Justice40 requirement by directing benefits to disadvantaged communities are encouraged. The SEPA region includes projects and programs in the following counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia. This solicitation excludes industrial sector projects and programs.**

This RFI is intended to solicit projects and programs that meet criteria for inclusion in the CPRG Implementation Grant due April 1, 2024. Submitting a project or program does not guarantee inclusion in the final grant application nor does it guarantee funding. Should PEA receive solicitations in excess of the total amount of funding being sought, projects and programs will be prioritized based on their compatibility with the Evaluation Criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The availability of funding for projects and/or programs will be contingent upon PEA’s receipt of an award. 

Respondents must complete a separate RFI form submission for each project and program they would like to submit for consideration by Friday, February 16 at 5:00pm. All required supporting attachments (submitted via email after form submittal) must be submitted by Monday, February 19, 2024 at 5:00pm. 


Purpose 

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit eligible non-industrial projects and/or programs from SEPA for potential inclusion in the region’s PEA-led CPRG Implementation Grant. PEA intends to apply for the Tier B category with a grant award range of $100,000,000 – $199,999,999. 


Background

The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act established the CPRG Program, which provides funds in two distinct categories. 

  • Planning grants: $250 million for States, United States territories, municipalities, air pollution control agencies, tribes and groups thereof to develop plans to reduce greenhouse gasses (GHG). The Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) is the first deliverable due under the CPRG planning grants. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is developing the PCAP for the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) due to U.S. EPA March 1, 2024.   
  1. Implementation grants: $4.6 billion for competitive grants to eligible applicants to implement GHG reduction programs, policies, projects and measures. PEA is applying for this award as an eligible municipal entity as specified on page 18 in Section III.A of the NOFO.

The CPRG general competition for implementation grants is designed to achieve the following goals:

  1. Implement ambitious measures that will achieve significant cumulative GHG reductions by 2030 and beyond; 
  2. Pursue measures that will achieve substantial community benefits [such as reduction of criteria air pollutants (CAPs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs)], particularly in low income and disadvantaged communities; 
  3. Complement other funding sources to maximize these GHG reductions and community benefits; and, 
  4. Pursue innovative policies and programs that are replicable and can be “scaled up” across multiple jurisdictions.

Successful implementation grant applications must seek to implement GHG reduction measures included in an applicable PCAP developed under a CPRG planning grant. PEA is working closely with DVRPC to ensure that projects submitted via this RFI align with the Philadelphia MSA PCAP to be submitted by March 1, 2024. The Philadelphia MSA PCAP will include near-term, implementation-ready climate action measures that result in significant GHG reduction for the MSA. 

Recommendations for Successful Submissions

Successful project or program proposals will: 

  • Be located in SEPA; 
  • Align with at least one of the Philadelphia MSA PCAP priorities:
    • Actions to Implement Decarbonization of Local Government Facilities and Operations
    • Actions to Implement Bicycle, Pedestrian and Active Transportation Improvements
    • Actions to Expand and Improve Transit
    • Actions to Implement Clean energy and energy efficiency for Residential Buildings
    • Actions to Implement Clean Energy and Efficiency for Commercial Buildings
    • Actions to Implement a Clean electricity grid and ensure grid reliability
    • Actions to Electrify light duty transportation
    • Actions to Reduce waste and better manage waste generated
    • Actions to increase production of biomethane and zero carbon hydrogen
  • Meet the threshold eligibility criteria as explained in Section V.A. of the NOFO:
    • Submitted projects will be evaluated for each criterion based on the extent to which the response clearly meets the content requirements and the quality and completeness of the overall response;
    • Project or program proposals that advance the EPA’s Justice40 requirement by directing benefits to disadvantaged communities are encouraged;
  • Meet Davis Bacon Prevailing Wage requirements as explained in Section VI.C and the Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act as explained in Section VI.D of the NOFO. 
  • Leverage other public and private funding, especially other IRA sources, or explain how respondent has explored the availability of other federal and state grants, tax incentives, and other funding streams, and why those sources are NOT sufficient to fund these GHG reduction measures
  • Result in at least one output or outcome described in Section I.C of the NOFO. 

RFI Assistance

If you have any questions, please plan to attend office hours:

If your project is not yet “shovel-ready,” you can request help to generate a high-level scope and budget for inclusion in the grant application. PEA wishes to capture projects that have significant potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet the Recommendations for Successful Submissions as outlined above. We will evaluate requests for technical assistance based on these criteria. To learn more about technical assistance and for help evaluating your project, attend the Technical Assistance Office Hours session on Wednesday February 7 at 3pm.

COMPLETE RFI HERE

**Industrial projects should be submitted through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Please see their Request for Information for more.

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