HomeMy WebLinkAboutAlaska Renewable Energy Grant Fund 09-16-2016-REF
Renewable Energy Grant Fund
The Alaska Renewable Energy Grant Fund (REF) provides benefits to Alaskans by assisting
communities across the state to reduce and stabilize the cost of energy. The program is designed
to produce cost-effective renewable energy for heat and power to benefit Alaskans statewide. The
program also creates jobs, uses local energy resources, and keeps money in local economies.
The Alaska Legislature created the Renewable Energy Grant Fund (REF) and recommendation
program in 2008, with the intent to appropriate $50 million annually for five years. In 2012 the
Legislature extended the program for an additional ten years.
Funding for the program has varied over the years with funding levels for the past three years of
$25M, $22.8M and $11.5M (including re-appropriations, details on page 2). The Legislature
authorized Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) to manage the REF project application process,
project evaluations, recommendations, completion of grant agreements, disbursement of funds to
grantees, and 10 years of energy data collection. Requests for applications are typically issued in
July each year with applications due in September.
Current Status:
AEA continues to work with the grantees awarded funding for REF. Additionally, AEA has
reviewed and scored 52 applications that were received in response to the Request for
Applications for Round IX and has presented a list of recommended project to the legislature
for funding consideration.
Allison Creek Hydro
project was funded by the
REF. Copper Valley
Electric Association will
be having the
Commissiong ceremony
October 5.
Revised: September 16, 2016
Photo by Darin Sauls-CVEA
Renewable Energy Grant Fund
Page 2
Rounds I – VIII Grant and Funding Summary (as of September 8, 2016)
Round I Round
II
Round
III
Round
IV
Round
V
Round
VI Round VII Round
VIII Totals
Applications
Received 115 118 123 108 97 85 86 67 799
Applications
Funded 80 30 25 74 19 23 26 10 287
Grants Currently in
Place 9 3 7 26 12 16 25 10 108
Amount Requested1
($M) $ 453.8 $ 293.4 $ 223.5 $ 123.1 $ 132.9 $ 122.6 $ 93.0 $ 43.8 $ 1,486.1
AEA
Recommended
($M)
$ 100.0 $ 36.8 $ 65.8 $ 36.6 $ 43.2 $ 56.8 $ 59.1 $ 20.6 $ 418.9
Appropriated ($M) $ 100.0 $ 25.0 $ 25.0 $ 26.62 $ 25.9 $ 25.0 $ 22.03 $ 9.54 $ 259
Match Budgeted
($M)5 $ 31.1 $ 4.5 $ 12.4 $ 83.3 $ 9.1 $ 7.8 $ 10.7 $ .3 $ 153.3
Footnotes:
1. Total grant amount requested
2. $26.6 Million was appropriated for Round IV, and an additional $10.0 million was appropriated from
rounds I, II and III for use in Round IV.
3. $20.0 Million was appropriated for Round VII, and an additional $2.8 million was reappropriated from
previous rounds for use in Round VII.
4. $9.5 million was reappropriated from Mt. Spurr Geothermal Project (FSSLA 2011 Ch5, pg137) for
round VIII and $2 million reappropriated from previous rounds for use in round VIII.
5. Represents only amounts recorded in the grant document and does not capture all funding need to
complete all phase of the project.