40101d Grid Resilience

Preventing Outages and Enhancing the Resilience of the Electric Grid

Program Overview

  • Under Section 40101(d) of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the U.S. Department of Energy is funding state grant programs to enhance electric grid resilience. These funds are congressionally approved and lawfully awarded. The Illinois Climate Bank will distribute $8 million annually for five years, prioritizing reliability, innovation, and disadvantaged communities. Funds support microgrids, weatherization, automation, and emission-reducing grid upgrades. Investments focus on equity, cost savings for low-income residents, workforce readiness, and sustainable infrastructure. Awards are based on population, land area, and risk factors to ensure effective mitigation and modernization.
  • The award is designed to strengthen and modernize Illinois’ power grid and to provide a reliable power infrastructure to all communities to have access to affordable, reliable, and clean electricity, focusing on the following:
    • Reliability and resiliency improvements in Equity Investment Eligible Communities (EIECs) that align with potential climate change impacts.
    • Grid investments that support environmental objectives such as reducing emissions and leveraging nature-based solutions.
    • Cost-saving measures that prioritize low- and moderate-income residents to lower their energy burden.
    • Supporting equity through building awareness in frontline communities, increasing access and opportunities for residents and businesses in EIECs, and supporting communities and small utilities in planning and investing in resiliency.
    • Ensuring safe operations and supporting the preparation of the workforce for emerging technology opportunities. State awards are based on a formula that includes factors such as population size, land area, probability and severity of disruptive events, and a locality’s historical expenditures on mitigation efforts.

Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFO)

IL40101(d) NOFO#IFA-GRID-02 (Closed June 30, 2025)

Illinois Finance Authority (IFA), in its capacity as the Illinois Climate Bank (CB), invites project proposals under Illinois’ award for the 40101(d) Federal Formula Grant Program: Preventing Outages and Enhancing the Resilience of the Electric Grid (Program). With this NOFO, IFA/CB invites eligible entities interested in applying for funding under this Program to file their pre-application proposals in compliance with the terms of this NOFO. IFA/CB reserves the right to revise any part of this NOFO by issuing addendum(s) at any time. Issuance of this NOFO, or subsequent addendum(s), if any, does not constitute a commitment by IFA/CB or the State of Illinois to fund any project. In addition, IFA/CB may cancel this NOFO at any time, without incurring any liability from responders or potential responders.

  • Pre-applications Due: June 30, 2025 by 5pm CT
  • How to Apply: Submit your application through GATA Grantee Portal at the link below
  • Total Available funding under this NOFO: $14,400,000.
  • Expected amounts of individual awards: $150,000 – $8,000,000 per project.
  • Anticipated start dates and periods of performance for new awards: Jan. 2026-2032.
  • Type of assistance instrument that may be awarded if applications are successful: Grant.
  • Cost Match: 48% of federal funding for Small Utilities (as defined in the NOFO) and 115% for all other eligible entities.

The ultimate allocations may differ, based on the project selection outcome. IFA/CB reserves the right to not award the full amount of funding available under this NOFO and to make the remainder available under future notices of funding opportunities. IFA/CB has discretion in selecting projects and reserves the right to only award the projects its merit review found most responsive to the funding objectives and Illinois priorities.

Application Materials: PLEASE NOTE: an updated Attachment A below replaces the previsous template that had an issue in column F in the “Part II.Metrics” tab.

AmpliFund Instructions:

Webinars:

 

 

IL40101(d) NOFO#IFA-GRID-01 (Closed June 24, 2024)

Documents:

AmpliFund Instructions:

Webinars:

Additional Resources

Build America, Buy America (BABA) Resources

The BUILD AMERICA, BUY AMERICA ACT (BABA), enacted as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) on Novemebr 15, 2021, established a domestic content procurement preferene for all federal financial assistance obligated for infrustructure projects after May 14, 2022. BABA requires that none of the funds made available for a federal financial assistance program for infrastructure may be obligated for a project unless all of the iron and steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in the project are produced in the United States. For more details see:

BABA Waivers can be approved if: a) in the public interest; b) nonavailability of specific items; c) cost is unreasonable; d) an urgent need in an unforeseen and exigent circumstance. For more details see:

Davis-Bacon Act (DBA) Resources

All projects funded, in whole or in part, by the IIJA that involve construction, alteration or repair are required to follow Davis-Bacon Act (DBA) standards (Section 41101 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act). The Davis-Bacon Act helps ensure that federally funded projects prioritize workers and protect communities by upholding local wage and labor standards. That includes the requirement that award recipients pay at least the prevailing wages to workers performing project construction. It also includes two regular tracking components – weekly payroll tracking and semiannual reporting – to ensure compliance. For more details see:

CHEERS Initiative 

Stakeholder Workshop

USDOE Guidance for 40101(d) Projects

NETL Resources

Stakeholder Engagement