On May 19, 2025 Illinois Finance Authority (IFA), in its capacity as the Illinois Climate Bank (CB), posted a new Notice of Funding Opportunity IFA-GRID-02 (NOFO). With this NOFO IFA/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). IFA/CB invites eligible entities interested in applying for funding under this Program to file their pre-application proposals as specified in the NOFO.
The award is designed to strengthen and modernize Illinois’ power grid, provide a reliable power infrastructure to all communities, focusing on improvements in Equity Investment Eligible Communities (EIECs) that align with potential climate change impacts. Priority projects are projects proposed by small utilities (selling not more than 4,000,000 MWh electricity per year) providing benefits to the EIEC communities.
- 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: Winter 2026-2032.
- Type of assistance: Grant.
- Cost Match: 48% of federal funding for Small Utilities and 115% for all other eligible entities.
Eligible Activities include activities, technologies, equipment, and hardening measures to reduce the likelihood and consequences of disruptive events, including: weatherization; fire-resistance and fire prevention; monitoring and control technologies; undergrounding; utility pole management; relocation or reconductoring of power lines; vegetation and fuel-load management; DER for enhancing system adaptive capacity during disruptive events; adaptive protection and advanced modeling; hardening of power lines, facilities, substations, of other systems; replacement of old overhead conductors and underground cables.
Eligible Entities include: electric grid operator; electricity storage operator; electricity generator; transmission owner or operator; distribution provider; fuel supplier; other relevant entities approved by the Secretary of Energy.
Due: June 30, 2025, by 5:00 PM CDT
Please visit our IL 40101(d) Program page for more information.