February 3, 2023
Infrastructure Update
Stay informed on national infrastructure programs, funding, and developments with our weekly article.
Press Releases
Expanded Eligibility for FEMA's Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund Grant Program
January 30, 2023 | Source: FEMA
On Monday, FEMA announced expanded eligibility for The Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund grant program, which provides capitalization grants to fund revolving loans for resilience-related activities. Now, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands are eligible to apply for the program, as well as 20 federally recognized Tribal Nations that FEMA identified as having received major disaster declarations. Previously, limitations on eligibility resulted in only 15 Tribal Nations access to the program, but now all 574 federally recognized tribes are eligible to receive this funding through a state. For the first year of the program, FEMA will make $50 million available in capitalization grants. The deadline for proposals is April 28, 2023.
USDA Forest Service Accepting Grant Applications for Wood Innovations Projects, Community Wood Energy Facilities
January 31, 2023 | Source: USDA
On Tuesday, the USDA Forest Service announced $41 million through the 2023 Wood Innovations Grant and 2023 Community Wood Grant programs to support innovation and create new markets for wood products and renewable wood energy. The Wood Innovations Grant Program makes funding available to expand traditional wood use projects, advance wood energy markets, and promote wood use in commercial building construction to reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health, reduce the costs of forest management, and promote economically strong and environmentally healthy communities. The Community Wood Grant Program funds shovel-ready projects to install thermally led community wood energy systems or build innovative wood product facilities to support healthy forests and stimulate local economies by expanding renewable wood energy and innovative wood products manufacturing capacity. The application deadline for both grant programs is Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 5 p.m. local time.
Infrastructure, Safety, And Equity: A Conversation With Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
February 2, 2023 | Source: Forbes
On Thursday, Forbes published an interview the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT), Pete Buttigieg, on Thursday, highlighting how he has facilitated the distribution of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding since its implementation. Buttigieg discussed the need for increased safety on highways and how the department is ensuring that funds are distributed equitably. The department is increasingly prioritizing private-sector partnerships with small disadvantaged businesses, actualizing this effort by working with the U.S. Small Business Administration to expand outreach and resources to these businesses.
Featured Awards:
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $800 Million to Improve Local-Level Road Safety
February 1, 2023 | On Wednesday, the DOT announced a $800 million in grant awards for 510 projects through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program, a record amount of funding to improve roads and address traffic fatalities. The competitive grant program, established by President Biden’s historic infrastructure law, provides $5 billion over five years for regional, local, and Tribal initiatives — from redesigned roads to better sidewalks and crosswalks — to prevent deaths and serious injuries on the nation’s roadways.
DOE Invests More Than $130 Million to Lower Nation’s Carbon Pollution
January 30, 2023 |On Monday, the DOE announced $131 million for 33 research and development projects to advance the wide-scale deployment of carbon management technologies to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution. The projects will address technical challenges of capturing CO2 from power plants and industrial facilities or directly from the atmosphere and assess potential CO2 storage sites, increasing the number of sites progressing toward commercial operations.
DOT Announces New Infrastructure Investment for Nine Nationally Significant Mega Projects
January 31, 2023 | On Tuesday, the Biden-Harris Administration awarded nearly $1.2 billion from the new MEGA grant program for nine projects across the country. These projects will create good-paying jobs, grow the economy, strengthen supply chains, improve mobility for residents, and make our transportation systems safer for all users.
Biden-Harris Administration Invests $2.7 Billion to Improve and Expand Rural Electric Infrastructure
January 30, 2023 | The USDA is investing in 64 projects through the Electric Loan Program. This funding will benefit nearly 2 million rural people and businesses. The loans include $613 million to help rural utilities and cooperatives install and upgrade smart grid technologies. Smart grid can be a catalyst for broadband and other telecommunications services in unserved and underserved rural areas in addition to improving grid security and reliability.
Federal Funding Opportunities:
Details on infrastructure-related grants currently accepting applications:
| Opportunity Number | Opportunity Title | Agency | Deadline | Funding |
| EPA-I-OLEM-OBLR-22-11 | Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities | EPA | 02/14/2023 | $53,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0002867 | BIL: Long Duration Energy Storage Demonstrations FOA | DOE-GFO | 03/03/2023 | $349,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0002981 | Inflation Reduction Act (IRA): Home Efficiency & Electrification Rebate Programs | DOE-GFO | 03/3/2023 | RFI |
| DE-FOA-0002828 | BIL: DE-FOA-0002828: To Address Key Deployment Challenges for Offshore, Land-Based, and Distributed Wind | DOE-GFO | 03/10/2023 | $27,900,000 |
| FTA-2023-006-TPE | Areas of Persistent Poverty Program | DOT-FTA | 03/10/2023 | $20,041,870 |
| DE-FOA-0002890 | Research on General Plasma Science Collaborative Research Facilities | PAMS-SC | 03/27/2023 | $3,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0002779 | Additional Clean Hydrogen Programs (Section 40314): Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) | DOE-GFO | 04/7/2023 | $1,250,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0002756 | 2022 FOA for Energy Improvements at Public K-12 School Facilities - BIL - Renew America's Schools | DOE-GFO | 04/21/2023 | $80,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0002920 | Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office Funding Opportunity Announcement in Support of Hydrogen Shot | DOE-GFO | 04/28/2023 | $47,000,000 |
Committee Hearings on Infrastructure:
Upcoming Hearings:
House Committee on Natural Resources
10:15 AM (EST) | 2/7/23
Meeting: 118th Congress Organizational Meeting Notice
Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
12:00 AM (EST) | 2/7/23
Meeting: 118th Congress Organizational Meeting Notice
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
10:00 AM (EST) | 2/7/23
Hearing: FAA Reauthorization: Enhancing America’s Gold Standard in Aviation Safety
House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
10:00 AM (EST) | 2/8/23
Meeting: 118th Congress Organizational Meeting Notice
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
10:00 AM (EST) | 2/8/23
Hearing: Stakeholder Perspectives on the Impacts of the Biden Administration's Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule (Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment)
House Committee on Natural Resources
10:00 AM (EST) | 2/8/23
Hearing: Unleashing America’s Energy and Mineral Potential
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
10:00 AM (EST) | 2/9/23
Meeting: 118th Congress Organizational Meeting Notice
Past Hearings:
House Committee on Natural Resources
10:00 AM (EST) | 2/1/23
Hearings to examine solutions to meet America's broadband needs.
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
10:00 AM (EST) | 2/1/23
Hearings to examine the 2023 Farm Bill, focusing on trade and horticulture.
