Assistance to High Energy Cost Rural Communities

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The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the availability of up to $7 million in Fiscal Year 2014 for competitive grants to assist communities with extremely high energy costs. The grant funds may be used to acquire, construct, or improve energy generation, transmission, or distribution facilities serving communities with average annual residential expenditure for home energy exceeding 275 percent of the national average. On-grid and off-grid renewable energy projects and implementation of energy efficiency, and energy conservation projects are also eligible. Grant funds may not be used for the preparation of the grant application, or for: payment of utility bills, fuel purchases, routine maintenance or other routine operating costs, or for the purchase of any equipment, structures, or real estate not directly associated with provision of community energy services. This notice describes the eligibility and application requirements, the criteria that will be used by RUS to award funding, and information on how to obtain application materials.

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