Mod 0003 Final.pdf

Department of Energy Golden Field Office 15013 Denver West Parkway Golden, Colorado 80401

DE-FOA-0001479

Amendment: 0003

DATE: February 24, 2016 FROM: Robert D. Kingsley, Contracting Officer TO: All Prospective Applicants

SUBJECT: Amendment 0003 to Notice of Opportunity for Technical Assistance (NOTA) “Remote Alaska Communities Energy Efficiency Competition”

1. The purpose of this amendment is to divide Phase 2 of the NOTA into two topic areas.

The “Phase Areas and Scope of Activities”, the “Content and Form of the Application” and the “Review Criteria” sections of the NOTA have all been modified to account for dividing Phase 2 into 2 topic areas.

2. Additional language was added to clarify allowable TA for integrated renewable energy.

Modifications to the NOTA have been highlighted in yellow. All other parts of the NOTA remain unchanged.

Questions concerning this NOTA shall be submitted not later than 3 calendar days prior to the application due date.

Department of Energy Golden Field Office 15013 Denver West Parkway Golden, Colorado 80401

DE-FOA-0001479

Amendment: 0002

DATE: January 26, 2016 FROM: Robert D. Kingsley, Contracting Officer TO: All Prospective Applicants

SUBJECT: Amendment 0002 to Notice of Opportunity for Technical Assistance (NOTA) “Remote Alaska Communities Energy Efficiency Competition”

1. The Purpose of this amendment is to extend the deadline for submitting applications for Pledge Designation (Phase 1) until 5 p.m. ET on February 2, 2016.

Questions concerning this NOTA shall be submitted not later than 3 calendar days prior to the application due date.

All other parts of the NOTA remain unchanged.

DE‐FOA‐0001479: Notice of Opportunity for Technical Assistance (NOTA) for Remote Alaska Communities Energy Efficiency Competition

Fiscal Year 2016 Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

And Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs

Key Dates Notice of Technical Assistance Issue Date

December 18, 2015

Informational Webinar (Optional)

Please register for Remote Alaska Communities Energy Efficiency Competition Notice of Technical Assistance Webinar on December 22, 2015. Slides will be available on EERE Exchange after the webinar.

Submission Deadline for Applications

Phase 1: Applications for Pledge Designation may be submitted beginning December 18, 2015 until 5 p.m. ET on February 2, 2016.

Phase 2: Applications for Energy Efficiency Technical Assistance may be submitted beginning March 1, 2016 until 5p.m. ET on March 31, 2016.

Expected Date for EERE Selection Notifications

For Phase 1: February 24, 2016 For Phase 2: April 27, 2016

Summary Information

Means of Submission

Applications for both Phases will be accepted:

online through the online application portal; EERE Exchange at https://eere‐Exchange.energy.gov, via email at AlaskaCompetition@hq.doe.gov via fax at 240‐562‐1640

Total Value of Technical Assistance to be Provided

Up to $600,000

Value of Technical Assistance Provided Per Project

DOE anticipates providing approximately $5,000 to $100,000 per selected project in the form of Technical Assistance provided by Technical Assistance teams.

Period of Performance

For Phase 1: The pledge designation and Community Efficiency Champion peer network will be active for up to 48 months.

For Phase 2: Technical Assistance period of performance will be for up to 36 months.

Eligible Entities

For Phase 1: Alaskan communities with no more than 8,000 residents For Phase 2: Entities designated as Community Efficiency Champions under Phase 1 For detailed Eligibility Qualifications refer to Section II. D. of this NOTA

Cost Share Requirement There is no Cost Share Requirement for either Phase under this Notice

Submission of Multiple Applications

Applications may request Technical Assistance for multiple projects. Only one application may be submitted per community. Though an organization may apply on behalf of multiple communities, only one application may be submitted per community.

Additional Information Additional information can be found at http://energy.gov/remote‐ alaskan‐communities‐energy‐efficiency‐competition

Questions Questions may be directed to AlaskaCompetition@hq.doe.gov. or via phone to U. S. Dept. of Energy, Golden Field Office 720‐356‐1764

Notice of Opportunity for Technical Assistance

SECTION I: DESCRIPTION AND PHASE

A. SUMMARY

The purpose of this Notice of Technical Assistance (NOTA) is to support the goals of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Remote Alaskan Communities Energy Efficiency Competition (RACEE Competition), announced by President Obama.1

The RACEE Competition will empower Alaskan communities and native Alaskan villages to develop effective tools to advance the use of reliable, affordable, and energy efficient solutions that are replicable throughout Alaska and other Arctic regions. This NOTA is intended to implement the first two phases of the RACEE Competition: Phase 1 will designate qualified Alaskan communities that pledge to reduce energy use as “Community Efficiency Champions”.

These “Champions” will gain access to a peer network and become qualified to apply for Phase 2, which will provide Technical Assistance (TA) to selected Community Efficiency Champions.

Applicants that become designated as Community Efficiency Champions will be expected to actively share information, best practices and lessons learned with their peers related to their energy efficiency plans and actions. This will be done through quarterly reporting for Phase 2 recipients and participation in monthly peer network activities for all recipients.

B. GOALS

DOE has several goals for the RACEE Competition that should be kept in mind by Applicants to this NOTA. Some of those goals include:

Accelerating efforts by remote Alaskan communities to adopt sustainable energy strategies and technologies;

Addressing high energy costs by incentivizing clean energy and energy‐efficiency solutions;

Empowering Alaskan communities to develop solutions that can effectively advance the use of reliable, affordable clean‐energy and energy‐efficient solutions that can be replicated throughout Alaska and other Arctic regions;

Engaging with existing convening efforts and Technical Assistance expertise by Alaska stakeholders to foster or enhance peer networks and benefit all Community Efficiency Champions.

C. BACKGROUND

DOE coordinates with the Arctic Executive Steering Committee (AESC), established in January 2015 by executive order “to prepare the Nation for a changing Arctic and enhance coordination of national efforts in the Arctic”. DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (IE) are collaborating to fund and develop the RACEE Competition and engage partners and stakeholders. DOE is focused on near‐ and

1 FACT SHEET: President Obama Announces New Investments to Combat Climate Change and Assist Remote Alaskan Communities, https://www.whitehouse.gov/the‐press‐office/2015/09/02/fact‐sheet‐president‐obama‐ announces‐new‐investmentscombat‐climate mid‐term results that can be replicated in other Arctic communities. Accordingly, emphasis will be on projects and activities with the greatest potential to create effective and replicable solutions, specifically those that assist DOE in supporting the remote Alaskan communities and native villages via peer‐to‐peer exchange.

D. PROGRAM STRUCTURE

This Notice is structured with two Phases. Phase 1 is a designation program that recognizes local and tribal communities in Alaska that are committed to reducing energy use as “Community Efficiency Champions”. This designation will provide access to a Community Efficiency Champion peer network and eligibility to apply to Phase 2. Phase 2 will provide Technical Assistance for selected communities to gather baseline energy data and develop plans to implement energy efficiency improvement projects. In addition, communities selected to receive Technical Assistance under Phase 2 will be eligible to apply for a future Funding Opportunity Announcement for funding to implement plans developed under this NOTA.

As described in more detail below, the designated Community Efficiency Champions will have the opportunity to access existing Federal Technical Assistance programs and be eligible to compete, through submission of a full application, for the Phase 2 targeted Technical Assistance from the Department of Energy (DOE). For Phase 2, if selected, it is anticipated most individual projects would receive Technical Assistance valued between $5,000 and $100,000.

In addition to the designation and targeted Technical Assistance opportunities, all designated Community Efficiency Champions communities will be invited to participate in a Peer Network convened by the Alaska partner. The network is intended to empower communities with the information and tools needed to make more informed, strategic decisions regarding their energy future and will provide great benefit, regardless of their participation in the NOTA Phase

2. This will allow communities facing similar problems and similar contexts to learn from each other. To accomplish this, the Alaska partner will connect with and potentially grow existing regional peer networks.

For projects selected under Phase 2 of this NOTA, DOE and its Alaska partners will provide tailored hands‐on Technical Assistance to the selected Community Efficiency Champions through the use of specifically assembled Technical Assistance teams. Members of these teams will be subject matter and technical experts in areas such as architecture, building science, finance, planning, project management, technologies, policy, regulation, etc. Significant participants of these teams will be selected at DOE’s and its Alaska partner’s discretion and could include Technical Assistance providers already providing assistance in Alaska, and DOE’s Laboratory System. Other entities may be added to the teams as necessary.

DOE anticipates entering into up to 20 agreements to provide Technical Assistance to selected organizations under Phase 2 of this Notice. The actual number of agreements and the value of Technical Assistance provided to each selected project will depend on the amount of Technical Assistance required by selected projects and the amount of funding available to support the Technical Assistance.

The period of performance of any individual agreements will be negotiated to accommodate the specific project being supported. The period of performance for typical projects will depend on project complexity and other factors, and will not exceed 36 months. Communities selected to receive Technical Assistance will also be eligible to apply to a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to receive funding to implement the plans developed. This FOA is expected to be opened in Summer 2016, though Technical Assistance activities may extend beyond the FOA dates.

Technical Assistance provided under this Notice is designed to help entities make informed decisions. Technical Assistance teams will provide information and options to enable planning and purchasing decisions. DOE and the Technical Assistance teams will not direct behavior, make decisions, or require entities to take any particular course of action.

E. PHASE AREAS AND SCOPE OF ACTVITIES

There are two Phases under this NOTA. Phase 1 designates eligible communities that pledge to reduce energy use as “Community Efficiency Champions”. This designation provides access to a Community Efficiency Champions peer network and eligibility to apply to Phase 2. Phase 2 will provide Technical Assistance to selected Community Efficiency Champions to gather baseline energy data and develop plans to implement energy efficiency improvements. Communities selected for Technical Assistance in Phase 2 will also be eligible to apply to a future FOA for funding to implement projects.

Phase 1 – Community Efficiency Champions Pledges

Phase 1 of the NOTA will collect pledges with commitments to reduce energy use, take action and share information in the peer network. DOE will select qualified Alaskan communities and native villages for designation as “Community Efficiency Champions”. Together the “Community Efficiency Champions” communities will comprise a peer network made up of Remote Alaskan communities and native Alaskan villages that pledge to reduce energy use by a minimum of 15% (per capita) by 2020, and participate in the DOE‐recognized peer network.

DOE hopes to engage a large group of Alaskan communities and native villages in the Pledge process. To ensure the pledge is a firm commitment, communities will be encouraged to provide baseline energy use data. Data collection consists of building inventory, energy use measurement and benchmarking and can be conducted before the pledge to provide accurate data in the pledge, or, after the pledge, to the communities selected in Phase 2 as part of the Technical Assistance provided to the Champion. Additional outreach by the Alaskan partner will help communities determine energy use and provide them with the necessary tools.

Applications should include the Pledge Form, available online at EERE Exchange, or via email request to AlaskaCompetition@hq.doe.gov and should be a maximum of five pages. The form will require information on population size, remote location, current energy use, plans to reduce energy use, cost of energy current energy use estimate and corresponding methodology. If a community identifies an eligible TA provider they know has done this work previously, DOE will use the information to understand the details of the community’s project concept. DOE is under no obligation to make this TA provider available to do the work.

Phase 2 ‐ Technical Assistance:

Phase 2 of the NOTA will provide up to 20 communities with Technical Assistance to gather baseline energy data and /or develop plans to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy integration improvements. The plans will be comprehensive and in some cases will enable the communities to apply for appropriate loan and grant programs. Technical Assistance deliverables for each plan include: project scope, energy baseline, cost estimate, project business plan, management team that addresses any organizational issues between tribes in a community or between a village and a tribe living within, design team, financing plan, and permitting strategy.

The goals of the Phase 2 Technical Assistance are to accelerate community energy planning, from current status to a point where they are nearer to or ready to apply for implementation funding, either via a grant or loan. The Community Efficiency Champions network will provide peer exchange on energy related education and training activities to ensure that any participating communities regardless of limited human capital or other resources, are not functionally excluded from implementing energy efficiency.

Topic Area 1:

Topic Area 1 is intended for communities that are in early planning stages and may limited or no energy use data. Under this Topic area, technical assistance is likely to start with activities such as the collection of energy use data (i.e. benchmarking), conducting energy audits on buildings, and/or developing a long‐term community energy strategy, or conducting an energy options analysis to identify potential future energy projects. The intent is that this Technical Assistance is to determine energy options and develop energy projects to a point necessary to apply for project funding. Project funding or financing may include grants associated with the RACEE Competition, or other grants or loans.

For example: If you have not had energy audits or tracked building energy use, you could apply under this Topic Area to have audits done, assistance in measuring energy use and help prioritizing which energy efficiency project to tackle first.

Topic 1 Communities characteristics might include

Have little to no detailed energy use data (For example: electricity and heating fuel information per‐building and/or community‐wide).

Have completed limited or no strategic energy planning

Have general ideas about energy use, but could use expert help in evaluating the most cost effective improvement plan

Have not received technical assistance related to energy use or energy efficiency in the last five years

Typical Topic 1 starting Technical Assistance activities

Walk through (Level 1) Energy Audits

Comprehensive Building inventory of all non‐residential buildings

Electricity and fuel use data collected for as many buildings as feasible

Evaluation of Powerhouse efficiency opportunities

Evaluation of Water / Sewer efficiency opportunities

Community Kick‐off Meeting and Community Energy Planning

Energy use and project cash flow analysis

Topic Area 2:

Topic Area 2 is intended for communities that already have baseline energy data and who may have identified potential energy efficiency and renewable energy integration projects.

Generally, communities applying under Topic Area 2 would already have building/facility energy use data, may have begun to develop energy strategies or energy efficiency projects, and who would benefit from more targeted project‐related technical assistance. Targeted technical assistance could include supplementing existing energy data, assistance with updating energy plans, or help in developing plans, scope of work and design for specific projects, etc. The goal of Technical Assistance under topic Area 2 is to develop projects to a point necessary to apply for project funding or financing. Project funding or financing may include grants associated with the RACEE Competition, or other grants or loans.

For example: If you have had building energy audits in the past eight years, have measured energy use and/or prioritized energy efficiency projects, you may request assistance under this

Topic Area to update that information or receive advice on those project plans before submitting an application under RACEE or for other funding or loan opportunities.

Topic 2 Communities characteristics

Have some energy audit information, from within the last 8 years

Have strategic energy planning, prioritized energy efficiency projects

Have identified targeted areas for improvement (e.g., specific buildings, projects)

Typical Topic 2 Technical Assistance activities

Engineering and design

Policy and regulatory planning

Project development assistance

Applications for Phase 2 must indicate which Topic Area is appropriate; Applicants can only apply to one Topic Area.

Selection Considerations

The Technical Assistance is intended to support projects that reduce energy use in ways that are relevant to each community, and can also likely be replicated in other Alaskan or Arctic communities. Successful applications will focus on energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy integration. Key areas of interest are in heating and weatherization, addressing community infrastructure with high energy usage/costs (such as, but not limited to, water treatment and distribution systems, washeterias, and schools), and electrical efficiency improvements, with a priority on first, end‐use energy efficiency measures, and second, supply‐ side energy efficiency measures. This includes proposals to integrate renewable generation that replaces existing inefficient capacity and equipment.

Proposals to add electrical generation capacity will be considered non‐responsive.

Examples of projects that could be developed under Phase 2 include but are not limited to:

Weatherization and retrofitting, developing and implementing improved long‐term maintenance programs; heat pumps; solar and biomass fueled systems (space and water); heat recovery systems; remote monitoring systems; digital control systems; upgrades to generators and power controls; water treatment system operations improvements; LED lighting and outdoor lighting upgrades; more efficient boilers; combined heat and power (CHP); thermally activated technologies; and electric distribution demand response.

Technical Assistance Application Requirements The TA applications will provide information on current community energy management and specific TA needs. For some, this would start with collection of energy usage data. Others may start with a facility energy audit. Still others may already have these things and need very little TA to be ready to apply for implementation grants. In order for a TA application to be responsive to the criteria for competition, applicants should address the following:

1. Demonstrate a high cost of energy, or a high percentage of energy costs for heating;

2. Demonstrate needs for energy usage data, analysis, maintenance and/or retrofits to reduce energy usage;

3. Provide a list of existing partnerships with technical providers or other agencies with resources and knowledge that you currently use and if they will be applicable to this project;

4. Provide anticipated technologies to implement and anticipated impacts of the proposed work on the community (economic, quality of life, social, health, etc.);

5. Address replicability and relevance of planned activities to other Remote Arctic Communities;

6. Demonstrate community economic need (to ensure the Competition benefits the communities with the most compelling needs);

7. Provide energy usage figures, an explanation of the source of information and the methodology used to meet the reduction and cost savings pledged;

8. Provide an estimate of the cost for the proposed project;

9. Request the type of the Technical Assistance desired for the project; and

10. Name a person to be the point of contact and specify how much of their time will be devoted to the Competition.

Eligible Uses of Technical Assistance Eligible Technical Assistance will include baseline data collection, monitoring and analysis, community training and education activities, feasibility planning, policy and regulatory planning, tools, modeling, engineering and design assistance, and other project development assistance. Communities selected to receive Technical Assistance can indicate their interest to field‐test diesel fuel meter systems.

Applicants may request Technical Assistance that is complementary to that provided by other Federal agencies supporting the RACEE Competition. However, applications that request Technical Assistance that has already been received by that community and/or is duplicative of that provided by other Federal agencies will not be considered under this Notice.

SECTION II: AGREEMENT INFORMATION AND ELIGIBILITY

A. TYPE OF AGREEMENT

The RACEE Community Efficiency Champions selected under Phase 1 of this Notice will receive the designation of RACEE “Community Efficiency Champions” and be given access to a Community Efficiency Champions Peer Network and other resources. In addition, Champions become eligible to apply for TA under Phase 2.

The Community Efficiency Champions selected under Phase 2 of this Notice will receive Technical Assistance provided through DOE by entities organized as Technical Assistance teams by DOE. It is anticipated that Technical Assistance under this NOTA will be provided via Technical Assistance agreements between (1) a Technical Assistance Provider and (2) Selected Community Efficiency Champions. DOE will provide the funding for the selected Technical Assistance project directly to the Technical Assistance Provider. With DOE’s approval, the Technical Assistance Providers can use the funds to support the selected Community Efficiency Champions on their Technical Assistance projects. In limited circumstances, the use of a Work for Others Agreement, a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), or a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) may be used instead of a Technical Assistance agreement. In addition, communities selected under Phase 2 will become eligible to apply for a future FOA for funding to implement projects.

There is no direct funding to the applicant under this Notice of Technical Assistance.

Selected Applicants will receive Technical Assistance, not funding.

B. ESTIMATED FUNDING

DOE anticipates that Technical Assistance resources valued at up to $600,000 will be available under this program in FY 2016, subject to availability of funding. DOE will provide the funding to the Technical Assistance Teams that will provide the Technical Assistance for the selected projects.

For Phase 1: DOE will not provide Technical Assistance under Phase 1.

For Phase 2: DOE anticipates providing approximately $5,000 to $100,000 per selected project in the form of Technical Assistance. DOE anticipates making up to 15 awards in either topic area, but not to exceed a total of 20 TA awards combined.

DOE is under no obligation to pay for any costs associated with preparation or submission of applications and reserves the right to provide Technical Assistance in whole or in part, to any, all, or none of the applications submitted in response to this Notice.

C. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

For Phase 1, pledge designation and Community Efficiency Champions peer network will be active for up to 48 months.

For Phase 2, the period of performance for Technical Assistance will be up to 36 months.

D. ELIGIBILITY

1. Phase 1 Eligible Entity.

Only the following types of Applicants are eligible to apply to this NOTA. Applicants that do not meet the requirements of this subsection will be deemed ineligible and their applications will not be reviewed or considered.

Specifically, EERE and IE intend to restrict eligibility for this NOTA to the following class of recipients:

Eligible communities will be Alaskan communities and native Alaskan villages with a population no greater than 8,000 residents.

“Communities” are defined as Alaskan local and tribal governments, or consortia thereof. For the purposes of this initiative, local governments may include a village, borough, municipality, town, township, local public authority (including any public and Indian housing agency), school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments, any other regional or interstate government entity, or any agency or instrumentality of a local government.

To be considered as a tribal government for the purposes of this Announcement, the entity must be any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) [43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.], which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Native populations because of their status as Native populations. In accordance with EPAct 2005 authorities and consistent with 2 CFR 910.126(b), eligibility for award as a tribal government under this NOTA is restricted to: (1) an Indian Tribe; or (2) Tribal Energy Resource Development Organization; and on whose (3) Indian Lands the project(s) will be located.

To be considered eligible, an “Indian Tribe” (including Alaska Native villages, but not regional or village corporations), must be federally recognized as listed in Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible to Receive Services from the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs, published by the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Federal Register on January 14, 2015, 80 FR 1942.

a) “Tribal Consortium” (plural consortia), for purposes of this announcement, means a group of Indian tribes (as defined above), that have chosen to submit a single application.

Under this announcement, a Tribal Consortium is eligible to submit an application provided the application is submitted by a single Indian tribe representing the Consortium.

b) “Tribal Organization,” for purposes of this announcement means any legally established organization of an Indian Tribe, which is controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by the recognized governing body of that Indian Tribe. A “Tribal Organization” may include, but is not limited to, a subsidiary, subdivision, or instrumentality of an Indian Tribe, established under Congressional, State or Tribal law to act on behalf of an Indian Tribe. Applications may be submitted by an authorized “Tribal Organization”, provided evidence of the authority to submit an application, relative to the proposed project, is supplied as part of the application. Evidence may include, but is not limited to, a constitution, resolution, ordinance, executive order, charter or other legal documentation. DOE will determine the sufficiency of the authorization based on the evidence submitted as part of the application.

c) “Inter‐Tribal Organization,” for purposes of this announcement, means any organization comprised of two or more Indian Tribes, established under Congressional, State, or Tribal law to act on behalf of the participating Indian Tribes. “Inter‐Tribal Organizations” may include, but are not limited to, inter‐tribal councils, regional tribal organizations or associations, and tribal federations. Applications may be submitted by an authorized “Inter‐Tribal Organization”, provided evidence of the authority to submit an application, relative to the proposed project, is supplied as part of the application. Evidence may include, but is not limited to, a resolution, ordinance, executive order, charter, P.L. 93‐638 contract, self‐governance compact, or other legal documentation. DOE will determine the sufficiency of the authorization based on the evidence submitted as part of the application.

2) “Tribal Energy Resource Development Organization” for purposes of this announcement means an “organization” of two or more entities, at least one of which is an Indian Tribe (see “Indian Tribe” above) that has the written consent of the governing bodies of all Indian Tribes participating in the organization to apply for a grant or loan, or other assistance under 25 U.S.C.

§ 3503, where “organization” means a partnership, joint venture, Limited Liability Company

(LLC) or other unincorporated association or entity that is established to develop Indian energy resources.”

3) “Indian Lands” or “Indian Country” for purposes of this Announcement, is defined as:

(a) any land located within the boundaries of an “Indian reservation” (see definition below), pueblo, or rancheria;

(b) any land not located within boundaries of an Indian reservation, pueblo, or rancheria, the title to which is held –

(i) in trust by the United States for the benefit of an Indian Tribe or an individual Indian;

(ii) by an Indian Tribe or an individual Indian, subject to restriction against alienation under laws of the United States; or

(iii) by a dependent Indian community; and

(c) land that is owned by an Indian Tribe and was conveyed by the United States to a Native Corporation pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq.), or that was conveyed by the United States to a Native Corporation in exchange for such land;

(d) lands held in fee simple (purchased or owned);

(e) lands under a long‐term Federal land lease (at least 20 years); and

(f) land that was conveyed to a Native Corporation pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq.) and subsequently conveyed to another entity, provided that entity is either a Native village or Tribal governmental entity or the land is held, invested, managed for and on behalf of a Native village or Tribal governmental entity.

For purposes of this Announcement and as defined under Part 503 of EPAct 2005, the term “Indian Reservation” includes an Indian reservation in existence in any State or States as of the date of enactment of Title V of EPAct 2005; a public domain Indian allotment; and a dependent Indian community located within the borders of the United States, regardless of whether the community is on original or acquired territory of the community; or within or outside the boundaries of any State or States.

If an eligible community is part of a regional, non‐profit or other organization, that organization can apply on behalf of its eligible communities with proper evidence of Tribal agreements and/or incorporation papers, and letters of commitment from the relevant communities. The organization would receive Technical Assistance in aggregate, reducing overhead costs, and engage the communities within the organization. Though an organization may apply on behalf of multiple communities, only one application may be submitted per community.

2. Phase 2 Eligible Entity For Phase 2, eligible entities will be those communities designated as Community Efficiency Champions under Phase 1, or eligible organizations applying on their behalf.

3. Eligible Uses of Technical Assistance. See Phase 2 under Section I.E for the types of projects eligible for Technical Assistance. Applicants may request Technical Assistance that is complementary to Technical Assistance provided by other Federal agencies supporting the RACEE Community Efficiency Champions. However, applications that request Technical Assistance that is duplicative of the Technical Assistance provided by other Federal agencies will not be considered under this Notice.

E. COST SHARING

Cost sharing is not required; however, a demonstration of community commitment to the proposed activity is encouraged for all applications. Cost share can be a demonstration of this commitment.

SECTION III: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. EVALUATION PROCESS

DOE will evaluate the applications in accordance with the evaluation process defined below.

After reviewing an application, DOE may contact the applicant to clarify information presented in the application and confirm understanding of the requirements for participation.

DOE will establish an evaluation team of technical and professional staff with relevant experience and/or expertise to review each eligible application received. The evaluation team will be responsible for reviewing, evaluating, and rating the applications as well as making recommendations to the Selection Official, who will make the final determination. DOE reserves the right to accept or reject all or part of any application received that exceeds the allowable budget for Technical Assistance.

For Phase 1, applications may be submitted beginning December 18, 2015, but no later than 5:00 PM ET on February 2, 2016

For Phase 2, applications may be submitted beginning March 1, 2016, but no later than 5:00 PM ET on March 31, 2016

This program is intended to accelerate the Community Efficiency Champion’s efforts and the period of performance must be completed within 36 months. Applicants will be expected to meet certain baseline requirements to receive Technical Assistance, as described below.

B. CRITERIA

1. Initial Eligibility Review Prior to a full evaluation, DOE will perform an initial eligibility review to determine that (1) the applicant is an eligible entity under this NOTA; (2) the information required has been submitted; (3) all mandatory requirements are satisfied; and (4) the application is responsive to the objectives of the NOTA. Applications that fail to pass the initial eligibility review will not be forwarded for further review and will be eliminated from further consideration.

2. Review Criteria Applications will be evaluated and selections will be made based on technical merit, innovation, and impact:

PHASE 1:

Community Efficiency Champion Applications will be reviewed and will be assigned a rating of Qualified or Not Qualified. The application must meet all requirements below to be determined Qualified under Phase 1:

Determination of Qualified or Not Qualified Applications:

Applicant must include a completed pledge form with signatures from all relevant community organizations and/or governments. This will include an agreement to:

1. Pledge to reduce energy use by at least 15% per capita by 2020;

2. Establish agreement among all local leadership (e.g. City, Tribe, Village Corporation) to work together toward the pledge;

3. Participate in the Community Efficiency Champion peer network;

4. Develop a community‐wide plan and schedule to achieve energy savings pledge including past successes with energy efficiency projects, barriers to energy efficiency projects and any Technical Assistance received previously on energy efficiency projects, name and description of the potential building or project, including estimated costs, suggested technical providers and partners to implement projects;

and the source of the estimates;

5. Identify and develop methods to track energy use and the impact of energy efficiency measures;

6. Provide Community name, population, current energy cost description, residential, proximity to large population center, major employer type and name, economic burden of energy on the community and any other major issues that affect the community;

7. Share information on the energy efficiency implementation models used to achieve the energy savings pledge; and

8. Provide regular progress reports on energy efficiency improvements, energy savings across the community, and energy performance at the facility level as the basis for recognition

PHASE 2:

Applications will be evaluated and selections will be made based on the following criteria:

Topic Area 1:

Technical Merit (40%)

Content of the plan to achieve the energy usage reductions. Content of the pledge and the plan refers to the completeness of the Project Summary and the community’s plan to address energy usage.

Applicant’s ability to manage the project including commitment of community members.

The extent to which the proposed work is clear, realistic and appropriate to the Community Efficiency Champion, including described energy usage profile and community economic considerations.

Use of partnerships to leverage resources and knowledge.

Innovation and replicability (20%)

Replicability of proposed project to other remote communities in other Alaska or Arctic regions.

Transformative and innovative aspects of the project for which Technical Assistance is sought.

Impact (40%)

Level of expected energy saved for the building, project, and/or for the community as a whole.

Level of impact to the local community, including a consideration of demonstrated needs (for example, economic need, high energy costs, need for maintenance and/or retrofits).

Sustainability of project impacts beyond the period of Technical Assistance performance

Topic Area 2:

Technical Merit (40%)

Completeness of the Project Summary and the plan to achieve the energy usage reductions.

Applicant’s ability to manage the project including commitment of community members. The extent to which the proposed work is clear, realistic and appropriate to the Community Efficiency Champion, including the described energy usage profile and community economic considerations.

Use of partnerships to leverage resources and knowledge

Innovation and replicability (20%)

Replicability of proposed project to other remote communities in other Alaska or Arctic regions.

Sustainability (i.e. lasting for multiple years) of project for which Technical Assistance is sought;

Transformative and innovative aspects of the project for which Technical Assistance is sought.

Impact (40%)

Level of expected energy and cost savings for the building, project, and/or for the community as a whole.

Level of impact to the local community, including a consideration of demonstrated needs (for example, economic need, high energy costs, need for maintenance and/or retrofits).

Sustainability of project impacts beyond the period of Technical Assistance performance.

C. OTHER SELECTION FACTORS

Program Policy Factors

In addition to the above criteria, DOE may consider the following Program Policy Factors in determining which Applications to select for Phase 2 Technical Assistance:

1. Geographical diversity of the selected projects.

SECTION IV: APPLICATION SUBMISSION

For Phase 1, applications may be submitted beginning December 18, 2015, but no later than 5:00 PM ET on February 2, 2016. For Phase 2, applications may be submitted beginning March 1, 2016, but no later than 5:00 PM ET on March 31, 2016.

Application Due dates are 5:00 PM ET on February 2, 2016 for Phase 1 and 5:00 PM ET on March 31, 2016 for Phase 2.

Applications for both Phases will be accepted through any ONE of the following means of submission:

The EERE online application portal; EERE Exchange at https://eere‐Exchange.energy.gov

Email at AlaskaCompetition@hq.doe.gov. or

Via fax at 240‐562‐1640 o When faxing please include a cover page with the following information:

To: DOE RACEE NOTA Applications From: Applicant Name and Contact information ATTN: Steven Palmeri # of Pages

The Applicant’s Principal Investigator (PI) should receive acknowledgement of receipt of the application within 24 hours (if an email address is included in the Applicant contact information on the application). Please contact AlaskaCompetition@hq.doe.gov if a receipt is not received.

CONTENT AND FORM OF THE APPLICATION

For Phase 1, the applicant must provide the following:

A completed, signed Pledge Form, (available in EERE Exchange under the NOTA “Pre‐ Application Attachments” section, or available through email request to AlaskaCompetition@hq.doe.gov) or by phone request to U. S. Dept. of Energy, Golden Field Office at 720‐356‐1764

The applicant will be required to submit a form with all required fields completed in accordance with the instructions on the form. The completed Pledge form will contain the following information:

1) Community name;

2) Community population;

3) Community proximity to large population center;

4) An Established agreement among all local leadership (e.g. City, Tribe, Village Corporation) to work together toward the pledge;

5) The name and description of the potential building or project, including estimated costs;

6) Brief statement how the community tracks energy use now and how TA could improve this;

7) A pledge to

a) Reduce energy use by at least 15% per capita by 2020;

b) Participate in the Community Efficiency Champion peer network;

c) Develop a community‐wide plan and schedule to achieve energy savings pledge, including past successes with energy efficiency projects;

d) Share information on the energy efficiency implementation models used to achieve the energy savings pledge; and

e) Provide regular progress reports on energy efficiency improvements, energy savings across the community, and energy performance at the facility level as the basis for recognition

Pledge Forms for Phase 1 must not exceed five pages. Additional pages will not be reviewed.

For Phase 2, the applicant must provide the following:

1. A completed, signed Application for Federal Assistance (Form SF‐424) in PDF format

(available in EERE Exchange under the NOTA “Full Application Attachments” section or available through email request to AlaskaCompetition@hq.doe.gov) or by phone request to U. S. Dept. of Energy, Golden Field Office, 720‐356‐1764 Complete all required fields in accordance with the instructions on the form. The list of certifications and assurances in Field 21 can be found at http://energy.gov/management/office‐management/operational‐management/financial‐ assistance/financial‐assistance‐forms , under Certifications and Assurances.

2. A Project Summary file (not to exceed 10 pages) with the following information and / or answers to the following questions:

a) Provide the Community Efficiency Champion name (name of Community) or name of

Organization (if applying on behalf of one or more communities):

b) Identify the Primary Point of Contact (Champion or organization applying on behalf of Champion)

(1) Name:

(2) Email:

(3) Phone Number:

c) Identify the Topic Area; Topic Area 1 or Topic Area 2:

Please provide a brief summary of why your Community’s Application qualifies for the selected Topic Area.

d) Provide the following Community and Energy Use Information:

(1) What are your current methods to measure or track energy use in the community? For example, do you consistently maintain a ledger for fuel deliveries and/or bills? Do you have a system for tracking extraction from the main fuel tank in town? Have you ever used the ARIS benchmark form?

(2) Provide a current estimate of your community’s energy use (such as how many kWhs of electricity, gallons of fuel oil, and gallons of diesel the community has used over the last month, year, or several years) and identify the source of the estimate. This can include energy used for electricity, heat and transportation.

(Note: you may use PCE information as a source of electricity used).

(3) What is the economic burden of energy in your community? Please provide the most recent retail price for electricity (per kilowatt‐hour, pre‐PCE) and heating oil (per gallon)

(4) What, if any, other major issues related to energy affect your community (e.g., transportation costs, inefficient diesel generators, etc.)?

(5) Please describe any buildings or projects you are targeting for this Technical Assistance application. For any buildings listed, please identify who owns the building, the use and size. For projects, please provide as much specifics as possible.

e) Does your community have needs in the following areas? List all that apply:

(1) Energy Project planning & project development

(2) Energy use tracking (electric and / or heat)

(3) Energy use measurement

(4) Building/facility energy audits

(5) Power house audit

(6) Heat recovery feasibility

(7) Water/sewer energy audit

(8) Assessing project finance options

(9) Analysis of energy use

(10) Maintenance needs for energy efficiency improvements

(11) Residential weatherization (# of homes)

(12) Community building/facility efficiency improvements (# of buildings, by building name and owner)

(13) Outdoor lighting upgrades

(14) Water/sewer efficiency improvements

(15) Power house upgrade

(16) Renewable energy integration

(17) Electric transmission and/or distribution upgrade

(18) Transportation efficiency (please describe)

f) Describe any other needs not addressed under the above categories

g) Briefly describe needed assistance related to the categories selected above:

h) Energy use measurement. Please describe how you measure or propose to measure changes in energy usage for this technical assistance project

i) Describe how you will ensure this project will have the support of all major leadership bodies within your community (e.g. city government, tribal government, village corporation, etc.).

j) Describe any Technical Assistance received related to community energy strategies or energy efficiency projects. Identify the provider, amount of assistance received in terms of equivalent dollar amounts if known, and the timeframe. Also identify if and when any of the following were developed:

i) An efficiency project plan;

ii) An energy usage baseline, including a description of any savings and methodology;

iii) Building/facility audits;

iv) Estimation of project costs(Include a description of the specific project);

v) Engineering studies(please be specific);

vi) Identification of management and design team;

vii) Permitting strategy

k) Please provide any success stories of energy projects in your community

l) Describe your strategy to reach the 15% reduction in per capita energy use across your community by answering the following questions.

i) What is your strategy in meeting your energy pledge goals? For example, identify specific targets (heating oil use reduction in x number of community buildings, reduce total energy used by the water treatment plant, etc.). As appropriate include both energy reduction goals and other goals, such as cost savings, improved livability of buildings, etc.

ii) How will this Technical Assistance help your community achieve your energy saving goals? Please describe and be as specific as possible.

iii) Please describe your community‐wide plan to achieve the energy reductions under your pledge and include a general timeline for meeting it, if possible. For Topic 2, please specify expected energy savings in quantifiable terms (e.g., kWhs of electricity saved per month, percentage reduction in fuel use).

iv) What has prevented you from undertaking energy projects in the past? How can the RACEE competition help you overcome those barriers?

v) Have you identified any providers (consultants/contractors/vendors) to assist you in developing or implementing your project plans? If so, please identify.

vi) Please provide a list of existing energy‐related and/or community partnerships that may be used to leverage resources and knowledge in implementing your energy efficiency strategy:

vii) What are the anticipated impacts of the proposed work on the community (economic, quality of life, social, health, etc.)?

viii) Can the results of the Technical Assistance you’ve requested be applied in other Remote Arctic Communities? Can you name other remote Alaskan communities or regions that would be interested in or need similar work?

ix) How will the project impacts be able to continue beyond the period of Technical

Assistance performance?

For Phase 2, all submissions must conform to the following form and content requirements, including maximum page lengths, described above.

DOE will not extend deadlines for Applicants who fail to submit required information and documents.

To be considered eligible for review, the Phase 2 Application must be:

Comprehensive in providing the requested information

Written in English

Formatted to fit on 8.5 x 11 inch paper with margins not less than one inch on every side. Use Times New Roman typeface, a black font color, and a font size of 12 point or larger (except in figures or tables, which may be 10 point font). A symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters or special characters, but the font size requirement still applies. References must be included as footnotes or endnotes in a font size of 10 or larger. Footnotes and endnotes are counted toward the maximum page requirement.

Formatted with the Champion Community Name prominently displayed on the upper right corner of the header of every page. Page numbers must be included in the footer of every page.

Within the specified maximum page limit, including cover page, charts, graphs, maps, and photographs when printed using the formatting requirements…