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GFO-22-612 – Electric School Bus Bi-Directional Infrastructure

Grantor:
CA Energy Commission
Departmental Grant ID:
GFO-22-612
Portal ID:
28163
Status:
Closed
Opportunity Type:
  • Grant
Last Updated:
Categories:

Details

Purpose:

The purpose of this solicitation is to fund projects that support the ability to enable managed charging and bi-directional power flow for electric school buses and their associated infrastructure.

Description:

This is a two-phased competitive grant solicitation. The California Energy Commission’s (CEC’s) Clean Transportation Program announces the availability of up to $15,000,000 in grant funds for Phase 1 projects that will install bi-directional direct current fast charging stations at key building sites throughout California school districts. (See sections below for information on Phase 2). The purpose of this solicitation is to fund projects that support the ability to enable managed charging and bi-directional power flow for electric school buses and their associated infrastructure.

As California has seen over the last few summers, and as is expected to be the case for years to come, extreme heat and other climate change impacts threaten the reliability of California’s electrical grid. California must now account for increasing levels of large fires, droughts beyond historical levels, and increased energy demand due to hotter temperatures. Additionally, with the continuing threat of wildfires, utilities may proactively schedule Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events to reduce the risk of their infrastructure causing or contributing to a wildfire. These events can leave communities and essential facilities without power for extended periods of time, creating hardships for vulnerable communities. 

The objective of this solicitation is to mitigate the impact of PSPS events and wildfires and to create additional energy resources during periods of high electricity demand. Electric school buses with bi-directional capabilities can help offset some of the impacts and challenges of grid reliability and PSPS events. Some California school districts already have electric school buses that are ready to take advantage of the benefits of vehicle-to-grid integration (VGI), with many more electric school buses expected to be ordered throughout the state in the near future. These districts will need the expertise to understand the most beneficial uses for their new technologies and how they can positively impact their communities. 

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants:

  • Business
  • Individual
  • Nonprofit
  • Public Agency
  • Tribal Government

Phase 1 of this solicitation is open to all private entities with a business presence in California.

Phase 2 of this solicitation is open to all project teams awarded in Phase 1.

Eligible Geographies:

Have a business presence in California.

Matching Funding Requirement:

Applications must include a minimum match of 10 percent of the total project costs.

Important Dates

The date (and time, where applicable) by which all applications must be submitted to the grantmaker. Time listed as “00:00” equates to midnight.
The date on which the grantor expects to announce the recipient(s) of the grant.
Week August 28, 2023
The length of time during which the grant money must be utilized.
Until funds expire

Funding Details

The total projected dollar amount of the grant.
$15,000,000
A single grant opportunity may represent one or many awards. Some grantors may know in advance the exact number of awards to be given. Others may indicate a range. Some may wish to and wait until the application period closes before determining how many awards to offer; in this case, a value of “Dependent” will display.
Dependent
Grant opportunities representing multiple awards may offer awards in the same amount or in varied amounts. Some may wish to wait until the application period closes before determining per-award amounts; in this case, a value of “Dependent” will display.
Dependent
Certain grants require that the recipient(s) provide a letter of intent.
No
Certain grants require that the recipient(s) be able to fully or partially match the grant award amount with another funding source.
10%
The funding source allocated to fund the grant. It may be either State or Federal (or a combination of both), and be tied to a specific piece of legislation, a proposition, or a bond number.
  • State

Funding Source Notes:

The Budget Act of 2021 (Assembly Bill (AB) 128, Ting, Chapter 21, Statutes of 2021, as amended by Senate Bill (SB) 129, Skinner, Chapter 69, Statutes of 2021 and SB 170, Chapter 240, Statutes of 2021) appropriated $785 million from the General Fund to support infrastructure deployments and manufacturing projects for zero-emission light-duty and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

The manner in which the grant funding will be delivered to the awardee. Funding methods include reimbursements (where the recipient spends out-of-pocket and is reimbursed by the grantor) and advances (where the recipient spends received grant funds directly).
  • Reimbursement(s)

Funding Method Notes:

Funds are disbursed on a reimbursement basis (where the Recipient spends out-of-pocket and is reimbursed by the grantor).

How to Apply

State agencies/departments recommend you read the full grant guidelines before applying.

Resources

For questions about this grant, contact:
Crystal Willis, 1-916-529-1108, Crystal.Willis@energy.ca.gov

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