Rural Utilities Service · Department of Agriculture

Powering Affordable Reliable Technology (PART) Energy Program

Open

Deadline: Due Oct 9, 2026 · 2 days left
Award size: $1M – $100M
Total available: $410M · about 100 awards
Match ?: Required · Work out your budget and match
Who can apply: Set by the official notice: see Who can apply below
Where: Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee

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How this fits you

Available in Blount County (nationwide program)
Needs a match (see how much in the notice)
Only 2 days left to apply

Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.

Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/354883d0-cdf7-4353-90d4-59d5b8f7c331 · Printed from grantme.click/grants/8febc3bb-71b5-4f67-a05e-47991df9cab0

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About this grant

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is soliciting Letters of Interest (LOI) for loan Applications, announcing the Application process for those loans, and providing deadlines for Applications from eligible entities under the Powering Affordable Reliable Technology (PART) Energy Program. These loan funds will be made to qualified PART Applicants to finance power generation Projects for Renewable Energy Resource (RER) systems or Energy Storage Systems (ESS) that support RER Projects. The PART Program is making approximately $410 million in appropriated budget authority (BA) funding available under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). RUS will process and evaluate complete LOI on a rolling basis in the order they are received. The PART Program is to be carried out by the RUS pursuant to Section 22001 of the IRA. Section 22001 of the IRA amends Section 9003 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 by adding new subsection (h). Section 22001 of the IRA provides RUS with appropriated funds “for the cost of loans under Section 317 of the RE Act.” Additionally, Section 22001 of the IRA provides that PART funds may be utilized to finance Projects that store electricity generated from eligible energy sources listed under Section 317 of the RE Act. These Project Loans or System Loans will be forgiven up to forty percent (40%), provided the Awardee and the Project otherwise meet the terms and conditions of the loan forgiveness. Approximately $410 million in budget authority is being made available under this Notice. The Administrator reserves the right to increase this funding level should additional funds become available or reduce funding in the event an insufficient number of high-quality projects are submitted for consideration. Cost Sharing or Matching: (a) Project Loans. Awards will finance up to 75% of the total capitalized costs of a Project. Awardees will be required to provide at least 25% of the Project’s total capitalized cost in the form of cash or equity investments, which may not be derived from debt instruments. However, the Agency may utilize its authority under Section 306F of the RE Act and finance up to 100% of the costs of the Projects benefiting SUTA areas. (b) System Loans. PART System Loans may cover up to 100% of the...

Who can apply, from the official notice

RUS will accept LOIs and Applications from Operating Utilities as the followings: (a) For-profit organizations.(b) State or local governments. (c) Indian Tribes defined by the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-454; 108 Stat. 4791, 4792), including their wholly arms and instrumentalities. (d) Alaska Native Corporations, including regional or village corporations as defined under or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (Public Law 104-42; 85 Stat. 688)(e) Nonprofits. (f) Distribution electric cooperatives and generation and transmission electric cooperatives. (g) Certificated electric utilities

Ask a partner for a letter

Your schedule, working back from the deadline

Oct7
Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov
Sep18
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment (already past: do it now)
Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters.
Oct2
Finish a complete draft for a final review (already past: do it now)
Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft.
Oct7
Submit
Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog
Oct9
Deadline
From the funder.

Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.

Writing the need statement? Blount County facts with citations.

What the official notice requires

Pulled from the official notice PART_2026_NOFO_v2.pdf (26 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.

Registrations you need first (1)

SAM.gov, Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 11

“(iii) The LOI submitter's tax identification number and its Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number from the System for Award Management (SAM) registry.” Open page 11

The deadline is in 2 days. If your registration isn't already active, it may not be ready in time, so check it today. Get-ready checklist

Steps before the deadline

Loi · p. 11

“The LOI must include the information listed below in this Section.” Open page 11
Loi · p. 12

“(vi) Name and title of LOI submitter’s manager and/or point of contact, which must include general contact information, as well as an email address to receive RUS’ Invitation to Proceed.” Open page 12
Loi · p. 12

“If the LOI submitter does not have an operating history of such length, the LOI submitter must inform RUS in its LOI and provide RUS with additional information to establish the applicant’s financial strength.” Open page 12
Loi · p. 12

“The LOI submitter must also provide the balance sheet and income statements for the last three years of any entity or entities providing equity or security for the loan, with an explanation of the legal relationship to the LOI submitter.” Open page 12

What to submit

Environmental documentation · p. 13

“If the PART Applicant has not received written notice from RUS that the Project environmental review process is formally concluded as provided in 7 CFR 1b, it must submit documents that establish that a review is in progress and no ground disturbance…” Open page 13
Letters of support or commitment · p. 19

“The required financial equity position will be set forth in the Commitment Letter and the loan documents as a condition to the PART loan.” Open page 19

Length limits

Project: 1,500 words max · p. 12

“A technical description of the Project, which shall not exceed 1,500 words, and must include the following:” Open page 12

Dates in the notice

September 30, 2031 · p. 9

“Five (5) years from the date of environmental clearance, but no later than September 30, 2031 Use of Other Governmental Funds:” Open page 9

Mistakes that get applications rejected (3)

Missing a required part: Any non-Tribal PART Applicant that fails to provide a certification to provide service on the Tribal lands... · p. 16

“Any non-Tribal PART Applicant that fails to provide a certification to provide service on the Tribal lands identified in the proposed Project or the proposed service area will not be considered for funding.” Open page 16
Could get your application rejected: Letters of Interest will not be accepted after 11:59 a.m. · p. 17

“Letters of Interest will not be accepted after 11:59 a.m.” Open page 17
Could get your application rejected: Failure to follow this limitation could result in the PART Applicant being disqualified from the PART program. · p. 17

“Failure to follow this limitation could result in the PART Applicant being disqualified from the PART program.” Open page 17

About the federal program

Powering Affordable Reliable Technology Energy Program
Program number 10.757 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Utilities Service · Loan

How applications are judged

RUS will evaluate the LOIs based on on the criteria provided in 7 CFR part 1710 subpart D and will assess the following: (1) Financial coverage ratios. The Administrator may set financial coverage ratios based on the risk profile of the PART Applicant and specific loan terms. Those financial ratios will be included in the PART borrower�s loan documents with RUS. RUS Borrowers will be subject to their current debt service coverage ratios in their current loan documents, unless notified otherwise. (2) Financial Equity Requirements. As noted in Section 3.2 of this notice, RUS will require the Awardee to provide at least 25% equity in the Project for PART Project loans. However, the Administrator may consider requests to waive the 25% financial equity requirement for PART Awards where the Project will serve areas covered under SUTA. System Loans that provided RUS with a perfected senior lien on all assets of the PART Applicant will not have an equity requirement. The required financial equity position will be set forth in the Commitment Letter and the loan documents as a condition to the PART loan. RUS may consider allowing the Awardee to meet the financial equity requirements by utilizing any appliable direct payments or tax credits relating to the Project as provided in Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and its implementing regulations. If the Administrator allows a PART Applicant to meet the financial equity requirement by utilizing applicable tax credits or direct payments...

Match

Project loans require at least 25% equity/matching unless covered by agency discretion as explain in the NOFO. See NOFO for further details and for information about system loans.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal year 2025: This program has funded dozens of energy storage systems, new generation capacity, and transmission system improvements.

This program on SAM.gov

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Key facts