Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 12 / Wednesday, January 19, 2022 / Notices 2747 

‘‘Multi-Story Cropping’’ to Forest 

Farming to reflect technical and popular 

literature. Forest Farming also aligns 

with other federal agencies (USDA 

Forest Service, Agricultural Research 

Service), non-government organizations 

(Savanna Institute, National Association 

of State Foresters), technical assistance, 

and outreach efforts. Definition and 

purposes were restructured and 

expanded to align with the new name 

and resource concerns. Minor revisions 

were made for improved organization 

and for clarity to the Criteria, 

Considerations, Plans and 

specifications, Operation and 

Maintenance, and References sections. 

Irrigation System, Surface and 

Subsurface (Code 443): Minor revisions 

were made for improved organization 

and for clarity. The Definition section 

was simplified to remove the extended 

list of example components described in 

the Criteria section. Maximum pipeline 

velocity was reduced from 7 feet per 

second (fps) to 5 fps to make it 

consistent with other NRCS 

conservation practice standards. We 

added the utility location responsibility 

statement. 

Land Reclamation, Landslide 

Treatment (Code 453): Formatting and 

writing style were updated to meet 

current agency requirements resulting in 

minor revisions for clarity and 

readability. Relatively minor technical 

additions were included in the Criteria 

and Considerations sections. Lists of 

required items were added to the Plans 

and Specifications and Operation and 

Maintenance sections. References were 

updated. 

Mine Shaft and Adit Closing (Code 

457): Formatting and writing style were 

updated to meet current agency 

requirements resulting in minor 

revisions for clarity and readability. In 

the Criteria section, the Safety 

subsection was reorganized to 

emphasize testing and personnel entry 

requirements. New subsections entitled 

‘‘Bats and other wildlife’’, ‘‘Discharge’’, 

and ‘‘Monuments’’ were added to 

provide new guidance. The Report 

subsection was moved to the Plans and 

Specifications section where the list was 

expanded. 

Pond (Code 378): Minor revisions 

were made for improved organization 

and for clarity in response to the 

availability of new information. Minor 

revisions were made to Table 1 to keep 

the data within the scope of the practice 

standard. We added a utility location 

responsibility statement to the General 

Criteria section. Changes were made to 

the Criteria Applicable to Embankment 

Ponds section to Filter diaphragms for 

improved explanation. NRCS would 

welcome comments regarding use of 

anti-seep collars for this practice. 

Residue and Tillage Management, No 

Till (Code 329): Minor revisions were 

made for improved organization and for 

clarity. We added additional purposes 

relating to Soil Health Resource 

Concerns. We added Additional criteria 

for the added purpose of Soil Health. 

We added additional wording to the 

Considerations section to clarify Soil 

Health management principles. We 

updated the Plans and Specifications 

and the References sections. 

Residue and Tillage Management, 

Reduced Till (Code 345): We added 

additional purposes relating to Soil 

Health Resource Concerns. Minor 

revisions were made for improved 

organization and for clarity. We added 

additional criteria for the added 

purposes for Soil Health. We added 

additional wording to the 

Considerations section to clarify Soil 

Health management principles. We 

updated the References section. 

Subsurface Drain (Code 606): 

Formatting and writing style were 

updated to meet current agency 

requirements. The definition was 

expanded to address ‘‘soil water 

conditions,’’ rather than just ‘‘excess 

water.’’ An additional purpose of 

addressing animal health and 

productivity due to adverse soil 

conditions was added. The Conditions 

Where Practice Applies section was 

revised to encompass ‘‘adverse’’ soil 

conditions, rather than specifically the 

‘‘wet’’ condition. Wetland conservation 

has been elevated to the General Criteria 

subsection. Filter and envelope 

terminology has been revised to align 

with recently released NEH 650, 

Chapter 14, Drainage. 

Tree/Shrub Pruning (Code 660): 

Purpose and Criteria sections were 

further refined. Criteria were adjusted to 

match changes in purposes. 

Considerations and Plans and 

Specifications sections were further 

refined. New references were added. 

Vertical Drain (Code 630): There are 

no changes to the criteria and only 

minor wording changes have been made 

that do not change the meaning of the 

conservation practice standards. 

Louis Aspey, 

Associate Chief, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–00853 Filed 1–18–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

[Docket No. RBS–21–Business–0030] 

Notice of Funding Opportunity for the 

Rural Energy Pilot Grants Program 

(REPP) for Fiscal Year 2022 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (Agency) 

announces the availability of up to $10 

million in competitive grants awarded 

to Rural Energy Community 

Partnerships (RECP) to further develop 

renewable energy to help meet our 

nation’s energy needs and combat 

climate change while prioritizing 

environmental justice, racial equity, and 

economic opportunity. Cost-share grants 

of up to 80 percent of total eligible 

project costs but not more than $2 

million will be made available to assist 

eligible entities with planning, 

installing, equipping, and maintaining 

community scale distributed renewable 

energy technologies, systems and 

resources. 

DATES: Prior to the submission of an 

application, the Agency requires 

prospective applicants to inform the 

Agency by submitting a letter of intent 

electronically by no later than 11:59 

p.m. Eastern time, April 19, 2022, to be 

eligible for grant funding. A Guide and 

instructions for submitting the Required 

Letter of Intent are available on the 

Rural Energy Pilot Program website, 

under the To Apply tab, https://

www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/ 

energy-programs/rural-energy-pilotprogram. Letters of Intent received prior 

to the deadline will be reviewed and 

afforded a response by the Agency. On 

or before May 19, 2022, the Agency will 

send a letter of response. Prospective 

applicants are invited to submit a 

complete application electronically no 

later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, July 

18, 2022, to be eligible for grant funding. 

Please refer to Section IV., of this Notice 

for content and format of required 

letters of intent and complete 

applications. 

Prospective applicants are encouraged 

to review the REPP website for 

instructions on registering their 

organization as early as possible in 

order to meet the electronic application 

deadline. Applications submitted after 

the deadline will not be accepted, are 

not eligible for funding under this 

Notice, and will not be considered. 

ADDRESSES: This funding opportunity 

will be posted to https:// 


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www.grants.gov. Potential applicants 

should review https://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

programs-services/energy-programs/ 

rural-energy-pilot-program, for 

requirements for electronic submission. 

Applicants must submit their 

application electronically. Electronic 

submissions of applications will allow 

for the expeditious review of an 

applicant’s proposal. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Anthony Crooks: telephone (202) 205– 

9322, email: RuralEnergyPilotProgram@

usda.gov. Persons with disabilities that 

require alternative means for 

communication should contact the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

Target Center at (202)720–2600 (voice). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Agency encourages applicants to 

consider projects that will advance the 

following key priorities (more details 

available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

priority-points): 

• Assisting rural communities recover 

economically from the impacts of the 

COVID–19 pandemic, particularly 

disadvantaged communities. 

• Ensuring all rural residents have 

equitable access to Rural Development 

(RD) programs and benefits from RD 

funded projects. 

• Reducing climate pollution and 

increasing resilience to the impacts of 

climate change through economic 

support to rural communities. 

The Agency advises all interested 

parties that the applicant bears the 

burden in preparing and submitting an 

application in response to this Notice. 

Overview 

Federal Agency: Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBCS). 

Funding Opportunity Title: Rural 

Energy Pilot Grant Program (REPP). 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Funding Opportunity. 

Assistance Listing Number: 10.379. 

Funding Opportunity Number): 

RBCS–REPP–2021. 

Dates: Letters of intent must be 

received as specified in the DATES

section of this Notice, as a prerequisite 

to filing a complete application. 

Applicants receiving a letter of 

encouragement must submit a complete 

application as specified in the DATES

section of this Notice to be eligible for 

grant funding. 

The application guide provides 

specific, detailed instructions for each 

item of a complete application. The 

Agency emphasizes the importance of 

including every item and strongly 

encourages applicants to follow the 

instructions carefully. 

Hemp related projects: Please note 

that no assistance or funding from this 

grant can be provided to a hemp 

producer unless they have a valid 

license issued from an approved State, 

Tribal or Federal plan as defined by the 

Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, 

Public Law 115–334. Verification of 

valid hemp licenses will occur at the 

time of award. 

The Agency will neither solicit nor 

consider new scoring or eligibility 

information submitted after the 

application deadline. The Agency 

reserves the right to contact applicants 

to seek clarification on materials 

contained in the submitted application. 

Items in Supplementary Information 

I. Program Overview 

II. Federal Award Information 

III. Eligibility Information 

IV. Application and Submission Information 

V. Application Review Information 

VI. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

VIII. Other Information 

I. Program Overview 

A. Background 

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

2021 (Pub. L. 116–260) authorized and 

appropriated $10 million to remain 

available until expended for the 

Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a 

pilot program to provide financial 

assistance for rural communities to 

further develop renewable energy. Prior 

to publishing this Notice, RBCS (the 

Agency) determined it to be in the 

public interest to solicit informal 

comments from the public and 

interested stakeholders to help develop 

options for the Rural Energy Pilot 

Program (REPP) to support the nation’s 

critical energy needs to combat climate 

change while advancing environmental 

justice, racial equity, and economic 

opportunity through the development 

and deployment of distributed energy 

technologies, innovations, and 

solutions. 

A Request for Information and Notice 

of Stakeholder Listening Session on a 

Rural Energy Pilot Program was 

published in the Federal Register (86 FR 

16575) on March 30, 2021. Information 

received from the public was intended 

to inform the Agency as well as the 

private sector and other stakeholders 

with interest in and expertise relating to 

such an effort in order to build on prior 

investments and experience gained 

through past small-scale energy 

solutions, social justice reforms, and 

climate change mitigation programs. 

Seventy-five (75) comments were 

submitted from the public which served 

to inform the Agency on an array of 

issues, including but not limited to: 

Program purposes, goals, metrics and 

standards; eligible applicants, 

participants and partners, including but 

not limited to: Communities, residences, 

industry, and commercial entities; 

eligible technologies, including but not 

limited to, generation, storage, 

microgrid controllers and transmission 

grids; potential impact of the pilot 

program and renewable energy systems 

on each of the following: environmental 

justice, racial equity, and economic 

opportunity; and options to measure 

and maximize the benefits of renewable 

energy systems for environmental 

justice, racial equity, and economic 

opportunity in rural areas. 

Additionally, on May 13, 2021, the 

Agency convened a Federal InterAgency Task Force of experts with 

relevant knowledge, including technical 

experts from the Environmental 

Protection Agency, Department of 

Energy, National Renewable Energy 

Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National 

Laboratory, and the Appalachian 

Regional Commission to assist with the 

review of the public comments and 

provide recommendations for the 

guiding principles of this Notice. 

B. Program Description 

The purpose of the REPP is to provide 

financial assistance for rural 

communities to further develop 

renewable energy. Grants are awarded 

on a competitive basis. 

Under the REPP, funds will be 

awarded to assist Rural Energy 

Community Partnerships (RECP) to 

establish and develop clean energy 

communities through the deployment of 

community-scale distributed energy 

technologies, innovations and solutions. 

The maximum grant award amount 

per applicant is $2,000,000. Grant funds 

may be used to pay for up to 80 percent 

of eligible project costs directly related 

to: 

• Commercially-available, 

community-based, community scale 

distributed renewable energy systems; 

and 

• Community energy planning, 

capacity building, technical assistance, 

efficiency and weatherization (up to 20 

percent of awarded funds per funding 

request). 

In its application an RECP will 

describe its proposal to establish a clean 

energy community. A proposal may 

include purposes such as but are not 

limited to community energy planning, 

capacity building, and technical 

assistance, community efficiency and 

weatherization and the deployment, 

installation, or equipping of 

community-scale renewable energy 

technologies or systems. Applicants will 


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describe the goals and objectives to be 

achieved through RECP’s efforts at the 

completion of REPP grant period. These 

objectives may include but are not 

limited to the ability to withstand 

disruptive events, economic and energy 

resilience, increased environmental 

justice, improved racial equity, 

expanded economic opportunity, and 

the stability or diversification of 

distributive energy resources. 

Applicants will propose performance 

measures that express successes and 

challenges of meeting the RECP’s goals 

and objectives and report its 

accomplishments during the grant 

period and provide annual outcome 

reports for three years after project 

completion. Performance measures may 

include but are not limited to renewable 

energy generation and energy efficiency/ 

energy savings (measured in kilowatt 

hours), project sustainability and 

resilience measured by inclusion of 

institutional partners and continued 

commitment of project financing, and 

community benefits measured in terms 

of power purchase agreement/ 

subscription income (in dollars per 

kilowatt hour), reduced greenhouse gas/ 

carbon dioxide emissions (in metric 

tons of CO2 equivalence), reduced 

energy burdens (in percentage of 

household incomes), measured 

environmental justice, measured equity, 

measured economic opportunity, etc. 

C. Definitions of Terms 

Applicant. The lead applicant entity 

acting on behalf of a rural energy 

community partnership that is seeking a 

REPP grant. The lead applicant will 

enter into a financial assistance 

agreement with the Agency in order to 

receive the REPP grant funding and will 

be responsible to administer the REPP 

grant in accordance with said 

agreement. All rights, responsibilities, 

and the disposition thereof pertaining to 

ownership and control of any assets 

acquired by the partnership are 

presumed to reside with the Applicant 

unless otherwise specified in a fully 

executed partnership agreement. 

Capacity building. The process by 

which individuals, communities and 

organizations obtain, improve and retain 

the skills, knowledge, tools, equipment 

and other resources needed to achieve 

long-term, sustainable success. 

Center for Disease Control, CDC/ 

ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 

(CDC/ATSDR SVI). A tool that uses U.S. 

Census data to determine the social 

vulnerability of every census tract. 

ATSDR’s Geospatial Research, Analysis 

& Services Program (GRASP) maintains 

the CDC/ATSDR SVI to help public 

health officials and local planners better 

prepare for and respond to emergency 

events like hurricanes, disease 

outbreaks, or exposure to dangerous 

chemicals. Documentation for all 

versions of the CDC/ATSDR SVI can be 

found on the CDC Data & 

Documentation Download page. 

Center for Disease Control, Socially 

Vulnerable Community. A community 

determined to be socially vulnerable as 

per the CDC/ATSDR Social 

Vulnerability Index (CDC/ATSDR SVI). 

Commercially available technology. A 

technology system that meets the 

requirements of either paragraph (1) or 

(2) of this definition. 

(1) A domestic or foreign system that: 

(i) Has both a proven and reliable 

operating history and proven 

performance data for at least 1 year 

specific to the use and operation of the 

proposed application; 

(ii) Is based on established design and 

installation procedures and practices 

and is replicable; 

(iii) Has professional service 

providers, trades, large construction 

equipment providers, and labor who are 

familiar with installation procedures 

and practices; 

(iv) Has proprietary and balance of 

system equipment and spare parts that 

are readily available; 

(v) Has service that is readily 

available to properly maintain and 

operate the system; and 

(vi) Has an existing established 

warranty that is valid in the United 

States for major parts and labor. 

(2) A domestic or foreign renewable 

energy system that has been certified by 

a recognized industry organization 

whose certification standards are 

acceptable to the Agency. A renewable 

energy system is considered to have 

demonstrated commercial availability if 

it has been certified by a recognized 

industry organization whose 

certification standards are acceptable to 

the Agency. 

Examples of recognized industry 

organization whose certification 

standards are acceptable to the Agency 

include, but are not limited to: 

(i) Small Wind Certification Council, 

http://smallwindcertification.org/; 

(ii) Solar Rating and Certification 

Corporation, http://www.solarrating.org/; 

(iii) Florida Solar Energy Center, 

http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/; 

(iv) American Wind Energy 

Association, http://www.awea.org/; and 

(v) Intertek Small Wind Certification 

Program, http://www.intertek.com/

wind/small/directory/. 

Community. An organized group of 

individuals or business owners located 

in relatively the same area or having 

particular characteristics in common. 

Community efficiency and 

weatherization. Community-based 

activities purposed to reduce energy 

costs for primarily low-income 

households by increasing the energy 

efficiency of their homes, while also 

ensuring their health and safety. Such 

activities include, but are not limited to, 

analysis and actions that would improve 

efficiency or weatherization based on 

that analysis, of all building systems 

—the building envelope, heating and 

cooling systems, electrical system, and 

electric baseload appliances. 

Community energy plan. An 

economic development document 

focused on a region or municipality’s 

energy costs, energy services, energy 

generation, consumption and service 

delivery. The community energy plan is 

a central component of the RECP action 

plan. 

Community scale energy. A renewable 

energy project or purchasing program, 

within a defined geographic area, in 

which the benefits of the project flow to 

multiple customers such as individuals, 

businesses, nonprofits and other groups. 

To be a ‘‘community-scale’’ energy 

system, the generation must be managed 

by, or the generation project must at 

least be instigated by, a community that 

is engaged in some of the stages of: landuse planning, acquisition and 

installation of renewable equipment, 

maintenance and operation of this 

equipment, and the sale of energy, 

either electricity or heat, from it. With 

respect to size, community energy 

includes projects between the sizes of 

approximately fifty kilowatts to two 

megawatts which is substantially less 

generation than utility-scale 

installations, but more generation than 

would be used by the typical single enduser. Projects may be located on more 

than one site and have more than one 

user, e.g., solar panels or small- to 

medium-sized wind turbines could be 

installed on separate properties and sent 

to a common transformer, or the 

equipment could be constructed within 

a common area, such as a public park. 

Complete application. An application 

that contains all parts necessary for the 

Agency to determine applicant and 

project eligibility, score the application, 

and, where applicable, enable the 

Agency to determine the technical merit 

of the project. 

Disadvantaged communities. Refers to 

the ‘‘disadvantaged communities that 

have been historically marginalized and 

overburdened by pollution and 

underinvestment in housing, 

transportation, water and wastewater 

infrastructure, and health care,’’ in 

Executive Order 14008, ‘‘Executive 


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Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at 

Home and Abroad,’’ January 27, 2021. 

Distressed energy communities. 

Twenty-five priority geographic areas 

hard-hit by declines in coal production 

and consumption and vulnerable to 

further economic distress with the 

closure of remaining coal mines and 

coal power plants. These areas are 

identified by the President’s Interagency 

Working Group, established by 

Executive Order 14008, as prioritized 

for near-term investment using existing 

Federal agency programs and funding 

from the FY2021 Budget and the 

American Rescue Plan, as specified in 

the ‘‘Initial Report to the President on 

Empowering Workers Through 

Revitalizing Energy Communities,’’ 

Appendix B. Counties Within Priority 

Communities, Areas With High 

Concentrations Of Direct Coal Sector 

Jobs (https://netl.doe.gov/sites/default/

files/2021-04/Initial%20Report%20on

%20Energy%20Communities_

Apr2021.pdf). 

Distressed rural communities. 

Economically distressed communities 

located in rural areas. 

Distributed renewable energy 

resources (DER). Small-scale units of 

power generation that operate locally 

and may be connected to a larger power 

grid at the distribution level, but may 

also operate independently or off the 

grid. Some examples of DER include but 

are not limited to: Solar photovoltaic 

panels, small wind, small biogas-fueled 

generators, electric vehicles and 

controllable loads, such as heating, 

ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) 

systems and electric water heaters. An 

important distinction of a DER is that 

the energy it produces is often 

consumed close to the source. When 

using renewable power sources, the 

intermittent nature of some resources 

creates a need for using multiple 

renewable resources, as well as a means 

to tie them together, manage and store 

their output. Energy storage 

technologies such as batteries and fly 

wheels are generally necessary for 

hardware such as wind and other 

turbine types, solar panels, and tidal 

generation units. To get the most out of 

the energy produced, these power 

sources and storage devices need to be 

managed by way of electronic 

management devices, which include 

inverters and software such as Storage 

Distributed Resource Schedulers 

(SDRS). 

DERs are commonly used to manage 

a number of smaller power generation 

and storage methods in residential, 

commercial and industrial sectors. They 

may be used by utility providers, 

businesses and individuals in the 

production and storage of renewable 

power or for backup power sources. 

These technologies are fundamental 

requirements of more advanced power 

grids such as smart grids and as such are 

considered eligible technologies for the 

purposes of the REPP. 

District organization. An organization 

as defined in Section 300.3 of Title 13, 

Code of Federal Regulations (or a 

successor regulation). 

Economically distressed communities. 

Communities identified by the Internal 

Revenue Service as Qualified 

Opportunity Zones; communities 

identified as disadvantaged or 

underserved communities by their 

respective States; communities 

identified on the Index of Deep 

Disadvantage referenced at https://

news.umich.edu/new-index-ranksamericas-100-most-disadvantaged

communities/, and communities that 

otherwise meet the definition of 

‘‘underserved communities’’ as stated in 

this section. 

Economic opportunity. A business 

situation or community circumstance 

which lends itself to the furtherance of 

the economic interests of the area and 

the local community by providing a 

catalyst or stimulus to growth or 

retention of commerce and industry in 

the area. 

Energy burden. The percentage of 

gross household income spent on energy 

costs. 

Environmental justice. The fair 

treatment and meaningful involvement 

of all people regardless of race, color, 

national origin, or income with respect 

to the development, implementation 

and enforcement of environmental laws, 

regulations and policies, and the 

equitable distribution of environmental 

benefits. Fair treatment means no group 

of people should bear a disproportionate 

share of the negative environmental 

consequences resulting from industrial, 

governmental, and commercial 

operations or policies. Meaningful 

involvement means people have an 

opportunity to participate in decisions 

about activities that may affect their 

environment or health. 

Equity. The consistent and systematic 

fair, just and impartial treatment of all 

individuals, including individuals who 

belong to underserved communities that 

have been denied such treatment, such 

as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and 

Native American persons, Asian 

Americans and Pacific Islanders and 

other persons of color; members of 

religious minorities; lesbian, gay, 

bisexual, transgender, and queer 

(LGBTQ+) persons; persons with 

disabilities; persons who live in rural 

areas; and persons otherwise adversely 

affected by persistent poverty or 

inequality as established in Executive 

Order 13985, ‘‘Advancing Racial Equity 

and Support for Underserved 

Communities Through the Federal 

Government’’ (Jan. 20, 2021). 

Indian Tribe. means the term as 

defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304(e). 

Opportunity Zone Communities. 

Economically distressed communities, 

as defined by individual census tract, 

nominated by America’s governors, and 

certified by the U.S. Secretary of the 

Treasury via a delegation of authority to 

the Internal Revenue Service. Under 

certain conditions, new investments in 

Opportunity Zones may be eligible for 

preferential tax treatment. There are 

8,764 Opportunity Zone Communities 

in the United States. 

Rural or rural area. An area of a State 

not in a city or town that has a 

population of more than 50,000 

inhabitants, and which excludes certain 

populations pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 

1991(a)(13)(H), according to the latest 

decennial census of the United States 

and not in the urbanized area 

contiguous and adjacent to a city or 

town that has a population of more than 

50,000 inhabitants. In making this 

determination, the Agency will use the 

latest decennial census of the United 

States. The following exclusions apply: 

(1) Any area in the urbanized area 

contiguous and adjacent to a city or 

town that has a population of more than 

50,000 inhabitants that has been 

determined to be ‘‘rural in character’’ as 

follows: 

(i) The determination that an area is 

‘‘rural in character’’ will be made by the 

Under Secretary of Rural Development. 

The process to request a determination 

under this provision is outlined in 

paragraph (1)(ii) of this definition. The 

determination that an area is ‘‘rural in 

character’’ under this definition will 

apply to areas that are within: 

(A) An urbanized area that has two 

points on its boundary that are at least 

40 miles apart, which is not contiguous 

or adjacent to a city or town that has a 

population of greater than 150,000 

inhabitants or the urbanized area of 

such a city or town; or 

(B) An urbanized area contiguous and 

adjacent to a city or town of greater than 

50,000 inhabitants that is within 1⁄4 mile 

of a rural area. 

(ii) Units of local government may 

petition the Under Secretary of Rural 

Development for a ‘‘rural in character’’ 

designation by submitting a petition to 

the appropriate Rural Development 

State Director for recommendation to 

the Administrator on behalf of the 

Under Secretary. The petition shall 

document how the area meets the 


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requirements of paragraph (1)(i)(A) or 

(B) of this definition and discuss why 

the petitioner believes the area is ‘‘rural 

in character,’’ including, but not limited 

to, the area’s population density, 

demographics, and topography and how 

the local economy is tied to a rural 

economic base. Upon receiving a 

petition, the Under Secretary will 

consult with the applicable governor or 

leader in a similar position and request 

comments to be submitted within 5 

business days, unless such comments 

were submitted with the petition. The 

Under Secretary will release to the 

public a Notice of a petition filed by a 

unit of local government not later than 

30 days after receipt of the petition by 

way of publication in a local newspaper 

and posting on the Agency’s website at 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

onerdguarantee, and the Under 

Secretary will make a determination not 

less than 15 days, but no more than 60 

days, after the release of the Notice. 

Upon a negative determination, the 

Under Secretary will provide to the 

petitioner an opportunity to appeal a 

determination to the Under Secretary, 

and the petitioner will have 10 business 

days to appeal the determination and 

provide further information for 

consideration. The Under Secretary will 

make a determination of the appeal in 

not less than 15 days, but no more than 

30 days. 

(iii) Rural Development State 

Directors may also initiate a request to 

the Under Secretary to determine if an 

area is ‘‘rural in character.’’ A written 

recommendation should be sent to the 

Administrator, on behalf of the Under 

Secretary, that documents how the area 

meets the statutory requirements of 

paragraph (1)(i)(B) of this definition and 

discusses why the State Director 

believes the area is ‘‘rural in character,’’ 

including, but not limited to, the area’s 

population density, demographics, 

topography, and how the local economy 

is tied to a rural economic base. Upon 

receipt of such a request, the 

Administrator will review the request 

for compliance with the ‘‘rural in 

character’’ provisions and make a 

recommendation to the Under Secretary. 

Provided a favorable determination is 

made, the Under Secretary will consult 

with the applicable Governor and 

request comments within 10 business 

days, unless gubernatorial comments 

were submitted with the request. A 

public Notice will be published by the 

State Office in accordance with 

paragraph (1)(ii) of this definition. There 

is no appeal process for requests made 

on the initiative of the State Director. 

(2) An area that is attached to the 

urbanized area of a city or town with 

more than 50,000 inhabitants by a 

contiguous area of urbanized census 

blocks that is not more than two census 

blocks wide. Applicants from such an 

area should work with their Rural 

Development State Office to request a 

determination of whether their project is 

located in a rural area under this 

provision. 

(3) For the Commonwealth of Puerto 

Rico, the island is considered Rural and 

eligible except for the San Juan Census 

Designated Place (CDP) and any other 

CDP with greater than 50,000 

inhabitants. Areas within CDPs with 

greater than 50,000 inhabitants, other 

than the San Juan CDP, may be 

determined to be Rural if they are ‘‘not 

urban in character.’’ 

(4) For the State of Hawaii, all areas 

within the State are considered rural 

and eligible except for the Honolulu 

CDP within the County of Honolulu and 

any other CDP with greater than 50,000 

inhabitants. Areas within CDPs with 

greater than 50,000 inhabitants, other 

than the Honolulu CDP, may be 

determined to be Rural if they are ‘‘not 

urban in character.’’ 

(5) For the purpose of defining a rural 

area in the Republic of Palau, the 

Federated States of Micronesia, and the 

Republic of the Marshall Islands, the 

Agency shall determine what 

constitutes rural and rural Area based 

on available population data. 

Rural community. A community 

located in a rural area. 

Rural energy community partnership 

(RECP). A partnership established to 

provide assistance to an identified 

community for purposes as specified in 

this Notice. Such purposes include but 

are not limited to: Community energy 

planning, capacity building, and 

technical assistance, community 

efficiency and weatherization and the 

deployment, installation, or equipping 

of community-scale renewable energy 

technologies or systems. The 

partnership must be comprised of at 

least two entities: A lead applicant 

entity (the Applicant) that satisfies 

section III. A(b) of this Notice, and one 

or more partner entities that satisfies 

section III. A(a) of this Notice. The 

applicant and partner entities as well as 

the partnership itself, are permitted to 

be pass-through entities and so must 

comply with 2 CFR 200.330 through 

200.332. A partner entity may be 

considered a contracting entity hired to 

perform services. The partnership need 

not be located in the identified 

community but must demonstrate that it 

is actively engaged with members of the 

community and must provide assistance 

specifically to the identified 

community. 

State. Any of the 50 States of the 

United States, the Commonwealth of 

Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, 

the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 

American Samoa, the Commonwealth of 

the Northern Mariana Islands, the 

Republic of Palau, the Federated States 

of Micronesia, and the Republic of the 

Marshall Islands. 

Technical assistance. Managerial, 

financial and operational analysis and 

consultation by qualified independent 

providers to assist project owners in 

identifying and evaluating problems or 

potential problems and to provide 

training that enables project owners to 

successfully implement, manage, 

operate and maintain viable projects. 

Underserved communities. 

Populations sharing a particular 

characteristic, as well as geographic 

communities, that have been 

systematically denied a full opportunity 

to participate in aspects of economic, 

social and civic life, as exemplified by 

the list in the definition of ‘‘equity.’’ 

Communities (including urban or rural 

communities and Indian tribal 

communities) that have limited access 

to affordable, healthy foods, including 

fresh fruits and vegetables, in grocery 

stores or farmer-to-consumer direct 

markets and that have either a high rate 

of food insecurity or a high poverty rate 

as reflected in the most recent decennial 

census or another Agency-approved 

census. For purposes of this Notice, an 

underserved community also refers to a 

community with environmental justice 

concerns or vulnerable populations, 

including people of color, low income, 

rural, tribal, indigenous, and homeless 

populations that may be 

disproportionately impacted by 

environmental harms and risks and has 

a local environmental or public health 

issue that is identified in the applicant’s 

required letter of intent or complete 

application. 

Used equipment. Any equipment that 

has been used in any previous 

application and is provided in an ‘‘as 

is’’ condition. 

II. Federal Award Information 

Type of Award: Competitive Grant. 

Available Funds: Under REPP, up to 

$10 million is made available until 

expended, to eligible participants. Of 

the total amount of available funds, not 

more than 20 percent or $2 million (or 

$400,000 on any individual award) is 

available for eligible project costs 

related to community energy planning, 

capacity building, technical assistance, 

community efficiency and 

weatherization. The balance of available 

funds but not less than 80 percent or $8 

million is available for eligible project 


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costs related to the deployment, 

installation or equipping of communityscale renewable energy systems, 

technologies or resources. 

Minimum Award: There is no 

minimum award. 

Maximum Award: $2,000,000. 

Anticipated Award Date: Spring 2022. 

Approximate Number of Awards: The 

number of awards will depend on the 

number of eligible participants and the 

total amount of requested funds. Should 

every successful applicant be awarded 

the maximum amount available of $2 

million, five awards will be made. 

III. Eligibility Information 

A. Eligible Applicants 

Applicants must meet all the 

following eligibility requirements. 

Applications which fail to meet any of 

these requirements by the application 

deadline will be deemed ineligible and 

will not be considered. 

(a) Eligible applicants to this program 

must be a RECP as defined in Section 

I.C. of this Notice, which may be 

comprised of, but are not limited to: 

(1) Private entities; 

(2) State and local entities; 

(3) Indian Tribes; 

(4) Municipalities and other public 

bodies. 

(b) The RECP must have a lead 

applicant who is responsible for the 

administration of the grant proceeds and 

activities. A lead applicant must be one 

of the following entities: 

(1) A District Organization; 

(2) An Indian Tribe, or a political 

subdivision of an Indian Tribe, 

including a special purpose unit of an 

Indian Tribe, or a consortium of Indian 

Tribes; 

(3) A State or a political subdivision 

of a State, including a special purpose 

unit of a State or local government 

engaged in economic development 

activities, or a consortium of political 

subdivisions; or 

(4) A public or private nonprofit 

organization. 

(c) Applicants must also meet the 

following requirements: 

(1) Applicants must not have been 

debarred, suspended or otherwise 

excluded from, or ineligible for 

participation in, Federal assistance 

programs under Executive Order 12549, 

‘‘Debarment and Suspension.’’ The 

Agency will check the Do Not Pay Portal 

(DNP) at the time of application and 

prior to funding any grant award to 

determine if the applicant has been 

debarred or suspended. In addition, an 

applicant will be considered ineligible 

for a grant due to an outstanding 

judgment obtained by the Government 

in a Federal Court (other than U.S. Tax 

Court), is delinquent on the payment of 

Federal income taxes, or is delinquent 

on Federal debt. The applicant must 

certify as part of the application that 

they do not have an outstanding 

judgment against them. The Agency will 

check the Do Not Pay System at the time 

of application and also prior to funding 

any grant award to verify this 

information. 

(2) Any corporation must not have 

been convicted of a felony criminal 

violation under any Federal law within 

the past 24 months or have any unpaid 

Federal tax liability that has been 

assessed, for which all judicial and 

administrative remedies have been 

exhausted or have lapsed, and that is 

not being paid in a timely manner 

pursuant to an agreement with the 

authority responsible for collecting the 

tax liability, unless a Federal agency has 

considered suspension or debarment of 

the corporation and has made a 

determination that this further action is 

not necessary to protect the interests of 

the Government. 

B. Eligible Project 

The purpose of the REPP is to provide 

financial assistance for rural 

communities to further develop 

renewable energy to help meet our 

nation’s energy needs and combat 

climate change while prioritizing 

environmental justice, racial equity and 

economic opportunity. 

To be eligible for this program, 

projects must contribute to the 

establishment or development of clean 

energy communities through the 

deployment of community-scale 

distributed renewable energy 

technologies or systems. Community 

scale means no larger than 2 megawatts 

in generation capacity, as defined in 

Section I. C. of this Notice. Eligible 

technologies are commercially available 

renewable energy systems e.g., wind, 

solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, 

biomass or bioenergy, and distributed 

renewable energy resources as defined 

in Section I. C. of this Notice. 

C. Priority Considerations 

(a) Targeted assistance priority will be 

afforded to: 

(1) Distressed Rural Communities; 

(2) Distressed Energy Communities; 

(3) Communities with High Energy 

Burdens (as identified by the Dept. of 

Energy, Low-Income Energy 

Affordability Data (LEAD) Tool); 

(4) Centers for Disease Control— 

Socially Vulnerable Communities; 

(5) Qualified Opportunity Zone 

Communities; and 

(6) Disadvantaged Communities. 

(b) Consideration for Alternative 

Renewable Energy Technologies—to 

communities that plan, execute, or 

deploy renewable energy generation 

technologies other than solar 

photovoltaic of at least 40 percent of 

total generation capacity as measured by 

megawatts of alternative generation 

capacity/megawatts of total generation 

capacity. 

D. Cost Sharing or Matching 

REPP requires matching funds of no 

less than 20 percent of the total eligible 

project costs of any activity carried out 

using REPP grant funds. Applicants will 

certify and demonstrate that any 

required matching funds will be 

available during the grant period and 

provide appropriate documentation 

with the application, as referenced in 

Section IV.B of this Notice. Matching 

funds are those project funds required to 

be provided by the applicant to receive 

a REPP grant. The applicant is 

responsible for securing the remainder 

of the total eligible project costs not 

covered by grant funds. Matching funds 

are comprised of eligible in-kind 

contributions from third parties or cash. 

In-kind contributions by the applicants 

cannot be used to meet the matching 

fund requirement. 

Written commitments for matching 

funds (e.g., letters of commitment and 

bank statements) must be submitted 

with the certification of matching funds 

when the application is submitted. 

Funds provided by the applicant in 

excess of the required matching funds 

are not matching funds. Passive thirdparty equity contributions are 

acceptable for REPP projects, including 

equity raised from the sale of Federal 

tax credits. 

In the event of ineligible, overstated, 

or otherwise unsubstantiated claims in 

the certification of matching funds, the 

Agency reserves the right to adjust an 

application’s grant request such that it 

is commensurate with eligible matching 

funds, or take otherwise action as 

deemed appropriate. 

When calculating the matching funds 

requirement, round up or down to 

whole dollars as appropriate. To 

calculate the matching funds 

requirement, multiply the total eligible 

project costs of each eligible activity by 

0.20. A list of requirements, inclusions, 

and exclusions pertaining to matching 

funds follows: 

(1) Matching funds must meet all 

requirements (i)–(iv): The funds must 

be: 

(i) Spent on eligible project costs 

during the grant period (see III. E.); 

Funds made available under REPP may 

be used for equipment, infrastructure, 


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and related expenses to support the 

deployment of community-scale 

distributed renewable energy 

technologies. 

(ii) From eligible sources; 

(iii) Spent in advance or as a pro-rata 

portion of grant funds being spent; and 

(iv) Provided by the applicant in cash, 

or by third parties in the form of cash 

or in-kind contributions. 

(2) Matching funds may include (i)– 

(iii): 

(i) Other Federal grants as authorized; 

(ii) Reasonable and customary travel 

expenses as long as written policies are 

established to explain how these costs 

are reimbursed, including the rates for 

reimbursement, which shall not exceed 

travel rates of the Federal government; 

and 

(iii) The number of hours worked, 

provided the value associated with any 

in-kind contribution in the form of 

number of hours worked which is being 

used to meet a matching funds 

requirement is documented and 

verified. 

(3) Matching funds cannot include 

(i)–(vi): 

(i) Other Federal grants unless 

provided by authorizing legislation; 

(ii) Cash or in-kind contributions 

donated outside of the grant period; 

(iii) In-kind contributions provided by 

those individuals, businesses or 

cooperatives which are being potentially 

benefited by the assistance requested in 

the application; the Agency considers 

this to be a conflict of interest or the 

appearance of a conflict of interest; 

(iv) In-kind contributions that the 

Agency determines are overvalued; 

(v) Any project costs that are 

ineligible under the REPP; or 

(vi) Any project costs that are 

restricted or unallowable under 2 CFR 

part 200. 

Applicants may arrange with public 

or private entities such as, but not 

limited to, commercial technology 

providers, renewable energy 

promotional organizations, community 

development organizations, or Tribes, 

and other such entities, to secure such 

non-Federal funds or in-kind 

contributions. 

As allowed by law, Federal assistance 

from other programs such as the 

Department of Energy Weatherization 

Assistance Program How to Apply for 

Weatherization Assistance | Department 

of Energy, State Energy Program State 

Energy Program | Department of Energy, 

Energy Transitions Initiative 

Partnership Project (ETIPP), as well as 

assistance from AmeriCorps Energy 

Corps Energy Corps—Helping Design a 

Green-Collar Workforce and the 

Environmental Protection 

Administration, Environmental Justice 

Grants, may be considered as Matching 

funds. There are also state-led programs 

and private sector efforts to help 

provide such funding, e.g., the Database 

of State Incentives for Renewables & 

Efficiency, https://www.dsireusa.org/. 

Funds from such programs may be 

included as part of any matching 

contribution requirement as long as the 

application demonstrates how the funds 

will contribute to REPP purposes and 

priorities and they are not ineligible as 

outlined above. 

E. Eligible Project Costs 

Eligible project costs are only those 

costs incurred during the grant period 

and that are directly related to the use 

and purposes of the REPP. Eligible 

project costs may include: 

(1) Costs directly associated with 

activities to be carried out at or in direct 

partnership with the RECP including 

capacity building, community energy 

planning, technical assistance, and 

reporting results or outcomes to the 

Agency during the disbursement, 

performance, and annual reporting 

portions of this program, as well as 

materials, machinery and equipment 

associated with efficiency and 

weatherization, in an amount up to 20 

percent of awarded funds; 

(2) Retrofitting of existing, or 

purchase and installation of new, 

distributed renewable energy 

technologies, including any associated 

materials, machinery and equipment 

(limited to 2 megawatts; MW); 

(3) Construction, retrofitting, and 

replacement; 

(4) Fees for construction permits and 

licenses; and 

(5) Professional service fees for 

qualified consultants, contractors, 

installers and other third-party service 

providers. 

F. Ineligible Project Costs 

The following are ineligible project 

costs for REPP: 

(a) Used equipment; 

(b) Vehicles; 

(c) Business operations that derive 

more than 10 percent of annual gross 

revenue (including any lease income 

from space or machines) from gambling 

activity, excluding State or Tribal 

authorized lottery proceeds, conducted 

for the purpose of raising funds for the 

approved project as approved by the 

Agency; 

(d) Business operations deriving 

income from activities of a sexual nature 

or illegal activities; 

(e) Real property or land; 

(f) Lease payments including lease to 

own and capitalized leases; 

(g) Any project that creates or appears 

to be a conflict of interest. Conflict of 

interest, for purposes of this program 

includes, but is not limited to: 

(i) Distribution or payment of grant 

and matching funds to an individual 

owner, partner, or stockholder, or to a 

beneficiary or immediate family of the 

applicant when the recipient will retain 

any portion of ownership in the 

applicant’s or borrower’s project. Grant 

and matching funds may not be used to 

support costs for services or goods going 

to, or coming from, a person or entity 

with a real or apparent conflict of 

interest. 

(ii) Assistance to employees, relatives 

and associates. The Agency will process 

any requests for assistance under this 

subpart in accordance with 7 CFR part 

1900, subpart D. 

(iii) No member of or delegate to 

Congress shall receive any share or part 

of this grant or any benefit that may 

arise there from; but this provision shall 

not be construed to bar, as a contractor 

under the grant, a publicly held 

corporation whose ownership might 

include a member of Congress. The U.S. 

Department of Agriculture Departmental 

Regulations that contain other 

compliance requirements are referenced 

in paragraphs VI. and VIII., of this 

Notice. Applicants who are found to be 

or have been in violation of applicable 

Federal laws will be deemed ineligible; 

(h) Funding of political or lobbying 

activities; 

(i) Using funds to pay off any Federal 

direct or guaranteed loan or any other 

form of Federal debt; 

(j) Any incurred expense, equipment 

purchase or paid service prior to the 

grant period; and 

(k) Any expense associated with 

applying for this program except as 

described in E(1); 

G. Other Eligibility Requirements 

(a) Completeness. Applications that 

fail to meet all eligibility criteria by the 

application deadline or that fail to 

provide sufficient information to 

determine eligibility or priority scoring 

will not be considered for funding. 

(b) Purpose eligibility. Applications 

must propose to establish clean energy 

communities through the deployment of 

community scale, distributed renewable 

energy technologies. 

(c) Project eligibility. All project 

activities must be for the benefit of 

communities and their residents located 

in the rural service area. 

(d) Environmental requirements. 

Applicants are cautioned against taking 

any actions or incurring any obligations 

prior to the Agency completing the 

environmental review that would either 


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limit the range of alternatives to be 

considered or that would have an 

adverse effect on the environment, such 

as the initiation of construction. If the 

applicant takes any such actions or 

incurs any such obligations, it could 

result in project ineligibility. Projects 

involving construction are subject to the 

environmental requirements of 7 CFR 

part 1970, local building codes and all 

Federal, State, Tribal, and local 

accessibility standards. 

(e) Multiple application eligibility. 

Only one application can be submitted 

per applicant and the application must 

be submitted by the lead applicant as 

defined in section III. A. of this Notice. 

If two applications are submitted by the 

same lead applicant, both applications 

will be determined ineligible for 

funding. If it is determined that an 

applicant is affiliated with another 

entity that has also applied, both 

applications will be deemed ineligible 

and will not be considered. An affiliate 

is an entity controlling or having the 

power to control another entity, or a 

third party or parties that control or 

have the power to control both entities. 

(f) Grant period. The grant period is 

not to exceed 36 months from date of 

award, unless otherwise specified in the 

financial assistance agreement or agreed 

to by the Agency. Under extenuating 

circumstances, a one-time, no cost 

extension for up to 24 months may be 

requested by the recipient. 

(g) Satisfactory progress. The 

advancement of grant proceeds is 

contingent upon satisfactory progress. 

Satisfactory performance includes being 

up to date on all financial and 

performance reports as prescribed in the 

grant award, and current on tasks and 

timeframes for utilizing grant and 

matching funds as approved in the work 

plan and budget. Any changes in project 

cost, sources of funds, scope of services, 

or any other significant changes in the 

project or applicant, must be reported to 

and approved in writing by the Agency. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

A. Electronic Application and 

Submission 

Applications must be submitted in 

form and content as described in this 

section. Applications must be submitted 

electronically. No other form of 

application submission will be 

accepted. Applications will not be 

accepted through mail, courier delivery, 

in person delivery, email, or fax. 

Application guidance materials 

including a complete application guide 

and submission instructions are 

available on the Rural Energy Pilot 

Program website under the To Apply 

tab, https://www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/energy-programs/rural-energypilot-program. 

B. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

(a) Applicants must submit required 

letters of intent and complete 

applications as noted in Section IV 

Application and Submission 

Information, by the dates identified in 

the DATES section of this Notice. 

(b) Applications must contain all 

parts necessary for the Agency to 

determine applicant and project 

eligibility, conduct the technical 

evaluation, calculate a priority score, 

rank and compete the application, as 

applicable, in order to be considered. 

All applications determined to be 

insufficient for these purposes shall be 

deemed as incomplete and will not be 

considered for funding. 

(c) Applicants must have a Dun and 

Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering 

System (DUNS) number which can be 

obtained at no cost via a toll-free request 

line at (866) 705–5711 or at https://

fedgov.dnb.com/webform. Each lead 

applicant applying for grant funds 

(unless the applicant is an individual or 

Federal awarding agency that is 

excepted from the requirements under 2 

CFR 25.110(b) or (c) or has an exception 

approved by the Federal awarding 

agency under 2 CFR 25.110(d)) is 

required to: (i) Register in the System for 

Award Management (SAM) before 

submitting its application; (ii) provide a 

valid unique entity identifier in its 

application; (iii) continue to maintain 

an active SAM registration with current 

information at all times while the 

Agency is considering an application or 

while a Federal grant award or loan is 

active; and, (iv) complete the Financial 

Assistance General Certifications and 

Representations in SAM. The Federal 

awarding agency may not make a 

Federal award to an applicant until the 

applicant has complied with all 

applicable unique entity identifier and 

SAM requirements and, if an applicant 

has not fully complied with the 

requirements by the time the Federal 

awarding agency is ready to make a 

Federal award, the Federal awarding 

agency may determine that the 

applicant is not qualified to receive a 

Federal award and use that 

determination as a basis for making a 

Federal award to another applicant. 

Applicants should be advised that a 

SAM registration may require up to 10 

business days or more and are strongly 

cautioned against waiting until the 

application deadline date to begin. 

(d) Please note that applicants can 

locate information on this funding 

opportunity at http://www.grants.gov by 

using the Assistance Listing Number 

(10.379) or the Funding Opportunity 

Number (RBCS–REPP–2021). The 

downloadable application package for 

this program will be available at https:// 

www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/ 

energy-programs/rural-energy-pilotprogram. 

(e) Letter of Intent 

Applicants must submit a letter of 

intent (REPP LOI) prior to submitting a 

complete application. A Guide and 

instructions for submitting the REPP 

LOI are available on the Rural Energy 

Pilot Program website, under the To 

Apply tab, https://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

programs-services/energy-programs/ 

rural-energy-pilot-program. 

The REPP LOI may not exceed 15 

standard (8.5′′ x 11′′) pages with 1′′ 

borders on all sides, including any 

charts, tables, diagrams and 

illustrations. No information provided 

in excess of the 15-page limitation will 

be considered. The REPP LOI should be 

in a narrative form using a minimum of 

11-point font and must consist of the 

following components: 

(1) Rural Energy Community 

Partnership information including: 

(i) The members and structure of the 

partnership; 

(ii) the date of Charter or Articles of 

Incorporation; 

(iii) the governance or leadership 

board; 

(iv) identification of the lead 

applicant; 

(v) description of each partner’s ties to 

the region, their roles in the execution 

of the REPP pilot, and any history of 

previous collaboration among partners; 

(vi) Description of the partnerships 

involvement with community 

leadership; 

(vii) Statement on whether the 

partnership was formed specifically to 

apply for the REPP Grant or for other 

purposes, and; 

(viii) the amount and source of 

anticipated matching funds to be 

provided. 

(2) Description of whether the 

geographic region to be served is in a 

rural area as defined in Section I. C. of 

this Notice. 

(3) Description of the geographic 

region to be served including county 

names and zip codes using the five 

indicators listed in (i). through (vi). 

below, and providing supporting 

documentation to describe the relative 

economic distress and energy burdened 

circumstances of the geographic region 

to be served: 


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(i) Using the Distressed Communities 

Index 2020 DCI Interactive Map— 

Economic Innovation Group (eig.org), to 

discuss relative distress scores and 

economic distress characteristics of the 

region such as unemployment rates and 

income levels. 

(ii). Using the Low-Income Energy 

Affordability Data (LEAD) Tool | 

Department of Energy (https://

www.energy.gov/eere/slsc/maps/leadtool) to describe relative energy burden 

of geographic region to be served. 

(iii). Using the CDC Social 

Vulnerability Index, https://

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/ 

at-a-glance_svi.html to describe the 

relative environmental health burden of 

the geographic region to be served. 

(iv). Using the OZ Activity Map— 

Economic Innovation Group (eig.org) to 

document the geographic region to be 

served is a Qualified Opportunity Zone. 

(v). Indicating whether/which county 

names/zip codes in the geographic 

region to be served are primarily of 

distressed communities with high 

concentrations of employment in coal, 

oil and gas industries, and coal-fired 

generation facilities transitioning away 

from fossil fueled energy production 

listed among the Distressed Energy 

Communities identified here, https://

ruraldevelopment.maps.arcgis.com/ 

apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=

86027863e066487ca1b33dc9217a70d1. 

(vi). Disadvantaged communities— 

Provide a brief narrative with 

supporting information to demonstrate 

how the geographic region to be served 

meets the definition of a Disadvantaged 

Community. 

(4) Description of how REPP resources 

for community energy planning, human 

capacity building, technical assistance, 

efficiency and weatherization will be 

used by the RECP to address the relative 

economic distress and energy burdened 

circumstances of the geographic region 

to be served. 

(5) Identification of, to the extent 

possible, all distributed renewable 

energy technologies and activities that 

will be prioritized and executed by the 

RECP to address the relative economic 

distress and energy burdened 

circumstances of the geographic region 

to be served. 

(i) Discussion of any specific plans, 

activities or priorities for solar 

photovoltaic renewable energy 

technology to be deployed. 

(ii) Discussion of any specific plans, 

activities or priorities for renewable 

energy technologies other than solar 

photovoltaic, such as wind, geothermal, 

biomass, bioenergy, micro hydroelectric, 

to be deployed. 

(iii) Discussion of any specific plans, 

activities or priorities for distributed 

energy storage or management 

technologies, e.g., batteries, flywheels, 

smart grids, etc., as defined in Section 

I. C. of this Notice. 

(iv) Information on any electric 

utilities, firms or industries involved as 

well as any existing interconnections 

and networks (or lack thereof) in the 

geographic region to be served. 

(v) Description of any participation 

and scale of small and disadvantaged 

businesses that may be involved. 

Describe the opportunities or potential 

for economic growth in the region and 

any competitive advantages that may 

exist by virtue of the RECP. 

(vii) An executive summary, project 

action plan and scope of work, 

including if the proposal is a portion of 

a larger project (if so provide brief 

summary of larger project). Include the 

RECP’s strategy, activities, budget, goals 

and objectives for the use of REPP 

funds. These objectives may include but 

are not limited to the ability to 

withstand disruptive events, economic 

and energy resilience, increased 

environmental justice, improved racial 

equity, expanded economic 

opportunity, and the stability or 

diversification of distributive energy 

resources. 

Include proposed performance 

measures that express successes and 

challenges of meeting the RECP’s goals 

and objectives and report its 

accomplishments during the grant 

period and provide annual outcome 

reports for three years after project 

completion. Performance measures may 

include but are not limited to renewable 

energy generation and energy efficiency/ 

energy savings (measured in kilowatt 

hours), project sustainability and 

resilience measured by inclusion of 

institutional partners and continued 

commitment of project financing, and 

community benefits measured in terms 

of power purchase agreement/ 

subscription income (in dollars per 

kilowatt hour), reduced greenhouse gas/ 

carbon dioxide emissions (in metric 

tons of CO2 equivalence), reduced 

energy burdens (in percentage of 

household incomes), measured 

environmental justice, measured equity, 

measured economic opportunity, etc. 

The applicant should also provide 

information on the sustainability of the 

RECP at the conclusion of the REPP 

grant period. 

(6) The REPP LOI must be signed by 

a senior executive from the lead 

applicant entity who shall be 

responsible for the administration of the 

grant proceeds and activities. 

(f) Complete Application 

A complete application must contain 

all the required forms and proposal 

elements as described in this section. To 

be eligible to submit a complete 

application, applicants must first have 

submitted to the Agency a required LOI 

as specified in Section IV. B. (1) of this 

Notice. Applicants that have submitted 

a required LOI and have received a 

letter of invitation from the Agency may 

submit a Complete Application. A 

Guide and instructions for submitting 

the Complete Application are available 

on the Rural Energy Pilot Program 

website, under the To Apply tab, 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/energy-programs/rural-energypilot-program. 

Applications lacking sufficient 

information for the Agency to determine 

eligibility and score the application will 

be deemed as incomplete and will not 

be considered for funding. Information 

submitted after the application deadline 

will not be accepted. 

The lead applicant must be registered 

in the System for Award Management 

(SAM) and submit a complete 

application consisting of the elements 

specified in Section IV. B. (2) (a)(l) as 

applicable to this section. 

The Agency requires the following 

information as part of the application: 

(1) Form SF–424, ‘‘Application for 

Federal Assistance.’’ In 8.a. please place 

DUNS (or replacement identifier 

number (in parentheses)) after legal 

name; 

(2) Form SF–424C, ‘‘Budget 

Information- Construction Programs,’’; 

(3) Form SF–424D, ‘‘Assurances— 

Construction Programs,’’; 

(4) SF–LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying 

Activities’’; 

(5) RD Form 400–1, ‘‘Equal 

Opportunity Agreement,’’; 

(6) RD Form 400–4, ‘‘Assurance 

Agreement’’; 

(7) Environmental checklist; 

(8) Certification of matching funds; 

(9) Certification that the lead 

applicant is a legal entity in good 

standing (as applicable) and operating 

in accordance with the laws of the 

state(s) or Tribe(s) where the applicant 

exists; 

(10) The application must identify 

whether or not the lead applicant has a 

known relationship or association with 

an Agency employee. If there is a known 

relationship, the lead applicant must 

identify each Agency employee with 

whom the lead applicant has a known 

relationship; and 

(11) Revisions and updates to 

materials submitted to the Agency with 

the LOI as specified in Section IV. B. (1) 

of this Notice. 


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(12) Narrative descriptions and 

supporting materials including 

proposed performance measures, as 

appropriate, addressing each of the 

priority scoring criteria in accordance 

with Sections V. Application Review 

Information, paragraphs A, and B of this 

Notice regarding the RECP’s ability and 

commitment to develop of communityscale renewable energy technologies or 

systems; proposed community and 

regional objectives and impacts; 

geographic region to be served of 

significant consequence to the REPP 

priorities of advancing environmental 

justice, racial equity, and economic 

opportunity; strength of local support of 

the RECP, activities, projects, and 

entrepreneurial commitment; RECP’s 

readiness to administer the REPP grant 

successfully; and key Administration 

priorities. 

(13) Any other information deemed 

necessary and requested by the Agency 

due to the facts and circumstances for 

a particular application. 

C. Submission Date and Time 

(a) Letters of intent must be submitted 

in the manner specified for letters of 

intent in the DATES section of this 

Notice, to be eligible for grant funding. 

(b) Complete applications must be 

submitted in the manner specified for 

complete applications in the DATES

section of this Notice, to be eligible for 

grant funding. 

(c) Applicants are advised to review 

the REPP website for instructions on 

registering your organization as soon as 

possible to ensure that you can meet the 

electronic application deadline. 

Applications will not be accepted after 

the deadline. 

D. Intergovernmental Review of 

Applications 

Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, 

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs,’’ does not apply to this 

program. 

E. Funding Restrictions 

Funding limitations as specified in (a) 

thru (f), apply to applications submitted 

under this Notice. 

(a) Only one REPP application may be 

submitted per REPP applicant. A REPP 

applicant may receive only one award 

in this competition. If it is determined 

that an applicant is affiliated with 

another entity that has also applied, 

both applications will be deemed 

ineligible and will not be considered. 

(b) There is no minimum REPP grant 

award. 

(c) The maximum REPP grant award 

is not to exceed $2,000,000. 

(d) REPP grants are awarded on a cost 

share basis for not more than 80 percent 

of total eligible project costs. 

(e) No REPP grant award may exceed 

an amount calculated as 80 percent of 

total eligible project costs or the 

maximum REPP grant award amount of 

$2,000,000, whichever is the lesser. Not 

more than 20 percent of awarded funds, 

or $400,000, whichever is the lesser, 

may be used for eligible project costs 

directly associated with activities to be 

carried out at or in direct partnership 

with the RECP including capacity 

building, community energy plans, 

technical assistance, and reporting 

results or outcomes to the Agency 

during the disbursement, performance, 

and annual reporting portions of this 

program, as defined in Section I.C. of 

this Notice, as well as materials, 

machinery and equipment associated 

with efficiency and weatherization. 

Administrative (indirect) costs of the 

grantee will not exceed 10% of the grant 

amount for the duration of the project. 

Said administrative costs limitation is to 

be included in the 20 percent limitation 

specified in this subsection. 

(f) Project funds, including grant and 

matching funds, cannot be used for 

ineligible grant purposes as provided in 

Section IV. B. of this Notice, 2 CFR part 

200, subpart E, ‘‘Cost Principles,’’ and 

the most current Federal Acquisition 

Regulation or successor regulations. 

F. Compliance With Other Federal 

Statues and Other Submission 

Requirements 

(a) Environmental information. 

National Environmental Policy Act. All 

recipients under this Notice are subject 

to the requirements of 7 CFR part 1970. 

However, technical assistance awards 

under this Notice are classified as a 

Categorical Exclusion according to 7 

CFR 1970.53(b), and usually do not 

require any additional documentation. 

The Agency will review each grant 

application to determine its compliance 

with 7 CFR part 1970. The applicant 

may be asked to provide additional 

information or documentation to assist 

the Agency with this determination. 

Applicants are advised in all cases of 

new facilities construction to contact 

the RD State Environmental Coordinator 

to determine environmental 

requirements as soon as practicable. 

(b) Civil Rights compliance 

requirements. All grants made under 

this Notice are subject to Title VI of the 

Civil Rights Act of 1964 as required by 

the USDA (7 CFR part 15, subpart A) 

and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation 

Act of 1973. 

V. Application Review Information 

The Agency’s National Office will 

review applications to determine if they 

are eligible for assistance based on the 

requirements specified in this Notice, 

and other applicable Federal 

regulations. 

A priority score will be afforded to 

complete applications deemed eligible 

to compete by an evaluation panel of 

subject matter experts from USDA/DOE/ 

EPA (and others as required by the 

Agency), in accordance with the point 

allocation specified in this Notice. 

Given the purpose of the REPP, higher 

priority will be afforded to RECP 

projects deemed most likely to develop 

renewable energy to help meet our 

nation’s energy needs and combat 

climate change while prioritizing 

environmental justice, racial equity, and 

economic opportunity. 

Applications will be selected for 

funding by ranked order until the 

funding limitation of $10 million has 

been reached. Applications that cannot 

be fully funded may be offered partial 

funding at the Agency’s discretion. 

A. Scoring Criteria 

The Agency will score each complete 

and eligible REPP application using the 

criteria specified in paragraphs (a) 

through (e) of this section with a 

maximum score of 100 points possible. 

Applications will be evaluated based 

on the following: Impact to the 

community, support from relevant 

decision makers and community 

leaders, likelihood that projects can be 

completed, and alignment with REPP 

goals. Points will be allowed only for 

factors indicated by well-documented 

plans which, in the opinion of the 

Agency, provide assurance that the 

projects have a high probability of being 

accomplished. Points will be awarded at 

the discretion of the Agency to each 

scoring criteria with a minimum and 

maximum number of points available. 

Applicants that demonstrate the 

experience or ability to deliver the 

stated criteria will be awarded higher 

points in that criteria. 

(a) Further develop renewable energy. 

Application materials demonstrate the 

RECP’s ability and commitment to 

addressing Priority Considerations as 

specified in Section III. C., of this 

Notice. One point will be awarded for 

each of the six priority considerations 

being proposed to be served by the 

project as outlined in Section III.C.(a). 

Up to six points will be awarded for 

projects that plan, execute, or deploy 

renewable energy generation 

technologies other than solar 

photovoltaic of at least 40 percent of 


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total generation capacity as measure by 

megawatts of alternative generation 

capacity/megawatts of total generation 

capacity. Up to six points will be 

awarded for projects that can be 

delivered within 36 months of the grant 

award. Up to seven points will be 

awarded to projects leveraging other 

Federal, State, Tribal, and local 

assistance resources for community 

planning, human-capacity building, 

technical assistance, efficiency, 

weatherization, and improvements in 

high-speed broadband service to the 

region. 

Points are awarded on a scale of 0 to 

25 with a maximum of 25 points being 

awarded. (b) Community and regional 

impacts. Application materials describe 

in full, the community objectives to be 

achieved through RECP efforts at the 

completion of REPP assistance. These 

objectives are to be identified by the 

community and can include the ability 

to withstand disruptive events, 

economic and energy resilience, 

increased environmental justice, 

improved racial equity, expanded 

economic opportunity, and the stability 

or diversification of distributive energy 

resources. 

Points are awarded on a scale of 0 to 

25 with a maximum of 25 points being 

awarded. 

(c) Targeted region. Application 

materials should describe the 

geographic region to be served, 

including county names and zip codes, 

and demonstrate that the geographic 

region served by the RECP is of 

significant consequence to the REPP 

priorities of advancing environmental 

justice, racial equity, and economic 

opportunity. 

(1) Using the Distressed Communities 

Index 2020 DCI Interactive Map— 

Economic Innovation Group (eig.org), 

discuss relative distress scores and 

economic distress characteristics of the 

region such as unemployment rates and 

income levels. A maximum of 5 points 

may be awarded under this sub-criteria. 

(2) Using Low-Income Energy 

Affordability Data (LEAD) Tool | 

Department of Energy describe relative 

energy burden of geographic region to 

be served. A maximum of 5 points may 

be awarded under this sub-criteria. 

(3) Using CDC Social Vulnerability 

Index, https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ 

placeandhealth/svi/at-a-glance_svi.html 

describe the relative environmental 

health burden of the geographic region 

to be served. A maximum of 5 points 

may be awarded under this sub-criteria. 

(4) Using the OZ Activity Map— 

Economic Innovation Group (eig.org) 

document the geographic region to be 

served as a Qualified Opportunity Zone. 

A maximum of 5 points may be awarded 

under this sub-criteria. 

(5) Indicate which counties or zip 

codes in the geographic region to be 

served are primarily distressed 

communities with high concentrations 

of employment in coal, oil and gas 

industries, and coal-fired generation 

facilities transitioning away from fossil 

fueled energy production listed among 

the Distressed Energy Communities 

identified at: https://

ruraldevelopment.maps.arcgis.com/ 

apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=

86027863e066487ca1b33dc9217a70d1. 

A maximum of 5 points may be awarded 

under this sub-criteria. 

(6) Disadvantaged communities— 

Provide a brief narrative with 

supporting information to demonstrate 

how the geographic region meets the 

definition of a Disadvantaged 

Community. A maximum of 5 points 

may be awarded under this sub-criteria. 

Points are awarded on a scale of 0 to 

25 with a maximum of 25 points being 

awarded. 

(d) Project and community support. 

Applications should demonstrate the 

strength of local support of the RECP, 

activities, projects, and entrepreneurial 

commitment. Points will be awarded for 

the RECP’s demonstration of its sources 

of funding, personnel and technical 

resources committed to the project; 

inclusion of institutional partners 

expanding access to capital and 

willingness to potentially invest in 

projects emerging from the RECP. A 

maximum of 10 points may be awarded 

under this sub-criteria. Points shall also 

be awarded for demonstrated resources 

that will sustain the project beyond the 

term of the REPP grant period. A 

maximum of 5 points may be awarded 

under this sub-criteria. 

Points are awarded on a scale of 0 to 

15 with a maximum of 15 points being 

awarded. 

(e) Demonstrated readiness and 

likelihood of success. Application 

materials demonstrate the RECP’s 

readiness to administer the REPP grant 

successfully, with strong documentation 

to indicate the likelihood of 

implementing technical assistance, 

weatherization, energy efficiency and 

renewable energy projects in the 

community (a maximum of 3 points 

may be awarded under this sub-criteria); 

a stakeholder engagement plan (a 

maximum of 2 points may be awarded 

under this sub-criteria); the existence of 

an energy resilience goal (a maximum of 

3 points may be awarded under this 

sub-criteria); and the availability or 

expectation of project financing (a 

maximum of 2 points may be awarded 

under this sub-criteria). 

Points are awarded on a scale of 0 to 

10 with a maximum of 10 points being 

awarded. 

B. Administrator Points 

The Agency retains the discretion to 

afford priority to applications that will 

advance key Administration priorities: 

(1) Assist Rural communities recover 

economically from the impacts of the 

COVID–19 pandemic, particularly 

disadvantaged communities; 

(2) Ensuring all rural residents have 

equitable access to RD programs and 

benefits from RD funded projects; and 

(3) Reduce climate pollution and 

increasing resilience to the impacts of 

climate change through economic 

support to rural communities. 

The Agency also retains the discretion 

to afford priority to applications that 

achieve geographic distribution of REPP 

grant awards across the maximum 

number of States and target diverse 

communities. 

A maximum of up to 10 points will 

be awarded, with justification, at the 

discretion of the Administrator. 

C. Review and Selection Process 

The Agency’s National Office will 

review applications to determine if they 

are complete and eligible for assistance 

based on requirements specified in this 

Notice, and other applicable Federal 

regulations. Applications so deemed, 

will be evaluated by an independent 

review panel and afforded a priority 

score in accordance with the point 

allocation as specified in Section V. A. 

of this Notice. 

The Administrator may choose to 

award up to 10 Administrator priority 

points based on the criterion specified 

in Section V. B. of this Notice. Any 

awarded Administrator points will be 

added to the cumulative score for a total 

possible score of 110 points. 

Applications will be selected for 

funding according to rank, beginning 

with the highest priority score and 

proceeding until the available funding is 

exhausted. Applications that cannot be 

fully funded may be offered partial 

funding at the Agency’s discretion; as in 

the event of a ranked tie among two or 

more applications. Unfunded 

applications will not be carried forward 

into any future competition. Successful 

applicants must comply with 

requirements identified in Section VI. 

Federal Award Administration 

Information. 

VI. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

A. Federal Award Notices 

Applicants selected for funding, will 

receive a signed Notice of Federal award 


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by postal or electronic mail containing 

instructions and requirements necessary 

to proceed with execution and 

performance of the award. 

Applicants selected for funding must 

comply with all applicable statutes, 

regulations, and Notice requirements 

before the grant award will be funded. 

Applicants not selected for funding 

will be notified in writing and informed 

of any review and appeal rights. Awards 

to successfully appealed applications 

will be limited to available funding. 

B. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

Additional requirements that apply to 

grantees selected for this program can be 

found in the Grants and Agreements 

regulations codified in 2 CFR parts 180, 

400, 415, 417, 418, 421; 2 CFR parts 25 

and 170; and 48 CFR 31.2, and 

successor regulations to these parts. 

In addition, all recipients of Federal 

financial assistance are required to 

report information about first tier 

subawards and executive compensation 

(see 2 CFR part 170). Grantees are 

required to have the necessary processes 

and systems in place to comply with the 

Federal Funding Accountability and 

Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109– 

282) reporting requirements (see 2 CFR 

170.200(b), unless exempt under 2 CFR 

170.110(b)). 

The following additional 

requirements apply to grantees selected 

for awards within this program: (a) 

Execution of an Agency-approved 

financial assistance agreement; and (b) 

acceptance of a written letter of 

conditions; and submission of the 

following Agency forms: (1) Form RD 

1940–1, ‘‘Request for Obligation of 

Funds.’’ (2) Form RD 1942–46, ‘‘Letter 

of Intent to Meet Conditions.’’ and (3) 

Form RD 400–1 for construction 

projects. 

C. Reporting 

Financial and project performance 

reports must be provided by grantees 

and contain the information specified in 

paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section. 

(1) Semi-Annual Reports. After grant 

approval and through grant completion, 

grantees are required to provide an SF– 

425, ‘‘Federal Financial Report,’’ and a 

performance report on a semiannual 

basis (due 30 working days after the end 

of the semiannual period). For the 

purposes of this grant, semiannual 

periods end on June 30th and December 

31st. 

The project performance reports shall 

include the following: 

(a) A listing and description of all 

activities funded with grant proceeds 

and matching funds; 

(b) A description or assessment of 

progress towards program initiatives 

identified in the application for the 

grant and a discussion of any issues or 

challenges which may have occurred 

and the steps taken to mitigate or 

address them; and 

(c) A measurement of progress during 

the project period that incorporates, but 

is not limited to, the following 

performance goals as agreed to by the 

Agency and as specified in the letter of 

conditions—renewable energy 

generation from solar PV & alternative 

renewable energy systems (in thousands 

of kilowatt hours); energy savings from 

efficiency & weatherization (in 

hundreds of kilowatt hours); project 

sustainability & resilience; and 

community benefits such as but not 

limited to power purchase agreement/ 

subscription income (in dollars per 

kilowatt hour), reduced greenhouse gas/ 

carbon dioxide emissions (in metric 

tons of CO2 equivalence), reduced 

energy burdens (in percentage of 

household incomes), measured 

environmental justice, measured equity, 

and measured economic opportunity. 

(2) Annual Outcome Reports. Upon 

project completion, grantees are 

required to provide an annual outcome 

report for three years. The first report is 

due at the completion of the first full 

calendar year following the year in 

which the project was completed. The 

remaining reports are required for 

subsequent calendar years. Reports are 

due January 31st. The annual outcome 

report shall continue to incorporate the 

performance goals as identified in VI. C. 

1 (c) above (reported on an annual 

basis), as well as any other measures 

specified in the financial assistance 

agreement and letter of conditions. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For further information contact: 

Anthony Crooks: telephone (202)205– 

9322, email: RuralEnergyPilotProgram@

usda.gov or consult the REPP program 

web page at https://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

programs-services/energy-programs/ 

rural-energy-pilot-program where 

program guidance as well as application 

and matching funds templates may be 

obtained. 

VIII. Other Information 

A. Paperwork Reduction Act 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 

chapter 35), RBCS requested that the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) conduct an emergency review by 

January 19, 2022 of a new information 

collection that contains the Information 

Collection and Recordkeeping 

requirements contained in this notice. 

In addition to the emergency clearance, 

the regular clearance process is hereby 

being initiated to provide the public 

with the opportunity to comment under 

a full comment period, as the Agency 

intends to request regular approval from 

OMB for this information collection. 

Comments from the public on new, 

proposed, revised, and continuing 

collections of information help the 

Agency assess the impact of its 

information collection requirements and 

minimize the public’s reporting burden. 

Comments may be submitted 

regarding this information collection by 

the following method: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

https://www.regulations.gov, and, in the 

lower ‘‘Search Regulations and Federal 

Actions’’ box, select ‘‘RBCS’’ from the 

agency drop-down menu, then click on 

‘‘Submit.’’ In the Docket ID column, 

select Docket No. RBS–21–Business0030 to submit or view public 

comments and to view supporting and 

related materials available 

electronically. Information on using 

Regulations.gov, including instructions 

for accessing documents, submitting 

comments, and viewing the docket after 

the close of the comment period, is 

available through the site’s ‘‘User Tips’’ 

link. 

The burden for the REPP collection of 

information includes both the upfront 

one-time application and the on-going 

reporting, which will include mid-year 

and an annual reporting. The reporting 

may include additional reports for 

projects that run longer. Comments are 

invited on (a) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of burden including 

the validity of the methodology and 

assumption used; (b) ways to enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (c) 

ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, including using 

appropriate automated, electronic, 

mechanical, or other technological 

collection techniques on other forms 

and information technology. 

Title: Rural Energy Pilot Program 

(REPP). 

OMB Control Number: 0570–New. 

Type of Request: New Information 

Collection. 

Abstract: The purpose of the REPP to 

further develop renewable energy to 

help meet our nation’s energy needs and 

combat climate change while 

prioritizing environmental justice, racial 

equity, and economic opportunity. 

Cost-share grants of up to 80 percent 

of total eligible project costs but not 

more than $2 million will be made 

available to assist eligible entities with 


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developing, installing, equipping, and 

maintaining community scale 

distributive energy resources 

The information solicited from 

applications by this NOFO is required to 

(1) determine whether participants meet 

the eligibility requirements to be a 

recipient of grant funds; (2) evaluate 

project eligibility; (3) determine 

technical and financial viability; (4) 

calculate priority scores and rank in 

order to compete the applications for 

funding. Lack of adequate information 

for these purposes could result in the 

improper administration and 

appropriation of Federal grant funds. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 11 hours per 

response. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

25. 

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 

325. 

Estimated Total Recordkeeping 

Hours: 15. 

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 3,462. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

(including recordkeeping) on 

Respondents: 3,477 hours. 

Copies of this information collection 

can be obtained from MaryPat Daskal, 

Regulatory Division Team 2, Rural 

Development Innovation Center, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, 1400 

Independence Ave. SW, Washington, 

DC 20250. Phone: 202–690–4492. All 

responses to this information collection 

and recordkeeping Notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

also become a matter of public record. 

B. Nondiscrimination Statement 

In accordance with Federal civil 

rights laws and U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) civil rights 

regulations and policies, the USDA, its 

Mission Areas, agencies, staff offices, 

employees, and institutions 

participating in or administering USDA 

programs are prohibited from 

discriminating based on race, color, 

national origin, religion, sex, gender 

identity (including gender expression), 

sexual orientation, disability, age, 

marital status, family/parental status, 

income derived from a public assistance 

program, political beliefs, or reprisal or 

retaliation for prior civil rights activity, 

in any program or activity conducted or 

funded by USDA (not all bases apply to 

all programs). Remedies and complaint 

filing deadlines vary by program or 

incident. 

Program information may be made 

available in languages other than 

English. Persons with disabilities who 

require alternative means of 

communication to obtain program 

information (e.g., Braille, large print, 

audiotape, American Sign Language) 

should contact the responsible Mission 

Area, agency, or staff office; the USDA 

TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 

(voice and TTY); or the Federal Relay 

Service at (800) 877–8339. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, a complainant should 

complete a Form AD–3027, USDA 

Program Discrimination Complaint 

Form, which can be obtained online at 

https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ 

ad-3027, from any USDA office, by 

calling (866) 632–9992, or by writing a 

letter addressed to USDA. The letter 

must contain the complainant’s name, 

address, telephone number, and a 

written description of the alleged 

discriminatory action in sufficient detail 

to inform the Assistant Secretary for 

Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature 

and date of an alleged civil rights 

violation. The completed AD–3027 form 

or letter must be submitted to USDA by: 

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–9410; or 

(2) Fax: (833) 256–1665 or (202) 690– 

7442; or 

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Karama Neal, 

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–00943 Filed 1–18–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Bureau of Industry and Security 

Information Systems Technical 

Advisory Committee; Notice of 

Partially Closed Meeting 

The Information Systems Technical 

Advisory Committee (ISTAC) will meet 

on February 2, 2022, at 1:00 p.m., 

Eastern Standard Time. The meetings 

will be available via teleconference. The 

Committee advises the Office of the 

Assistant Secretary for Export 

Administration on technical questions 

that affect the level of export controls 

applicable to information systems 

equipment and technology. 

Wednesday, February 2 

Open Session 

1. Welcome and Announcements 

2. Working Group Reports 

3. Industry Presentation 

Closed Session 

4. Discussion of matters determined to 

be exempt from the provisions 

relating to public meetings found in 

5 U.S.C. app. 10(a)(1) and 10(a)(3). 

The open session will be accessible 

via teleconference. To join the 

conference, submit inquiries to Ms. 

Yvette Springer at Yvette.Springer@

bis.doc.gov, no later than January 26, 

2022. 

To the extent time permits, members 

of the public may present oral 

statements to the Committee. The public 

may submit written statements at any 

time before or after the meeting. 

However, to facilitate distribution of 

public presentation materials to 

Committee members, the Committee 

suggests that public presentation 

materials or comments be forwarded 

before the meeting to Ms. Springer. 

The Assistant Secretary for 

Administration, with the concurrence of 

the delegate of the General Counsel, 

formally determined on January 7, 2022, 

pursuant to Section 10(d) of the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 

U.S.C. app. (l0)(d))), that the portion of 

the meeting concerning trade secrets 

and commercial or financial information 

deemed privileged or confidential as 

described in 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(4) and the 

portion of the meeting concerning 

matters the disclosure of which would 

be likely to frustrate significantly 

implementation of an agency action as 

described in 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(9)(B) shall 

be exempt from the provisions relating 

to public meetings found in 5 U.S.C. 

app. 10(a)(1) and l0(a)(3). The remaining 

portions of the meeting will be open to 

the public. 

For more information, contact Yvette 

Springer via email. 

Yvette Springer, 

Committee Liaison Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2022–00885 Filed 1–18–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–JT–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

International Trade Administration 

[C–580–879] 

Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel 

Products From the Republic of Korea: 

Final Results and Partial Rescission of 

Countervailing Duty Administrative 

Review; 2019 

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, 

International Trade Administration, 

Department of Commerce. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce 

(Commerce) determines that 


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