By Pat Frazier, Chief Operating Officer
Cloverland Electric Cooperative is consistently monitoring Federal and State agencies for available grant dollars to assist our membership in advancing the cooperative at a reduced burden to the membership. Since the pandemic, these efforts have been significantly ramped up as government spending has increased in the utility space. As more emphasis has been placed on renewable fuels, broadband and electric vehicles, Cloverland is actively pursuing more grant dollars for these areas. Since 2020, Cloverland has formulated and submitted applications for the following programs:
Broadband:
- Rural Development Opportunity Fund (RDOF) – This program funded projects that supplied high speed broadband services to rural areas and citizens in historically underserved areas. Cloverland participated in the reverse auction, however funding was ultimately awarded to Atlantic Energy Group (AEG) which contracts Highline for implementation.
- National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Middle Mile Grant – This program funded projects to construct a middle mile broadband backbone in rural areas to improve the ability for last mile providers to provide services. Our application as submitted was ultimately denied.
Generation and Infrastructure:
- USDA Rural Readiness Grant – This grant funded projects that assisted rural areas in completing studies and projects that promoted rural areas and allowed historically underserved areas to promote future development. Cloverland submitted a project to fund our Sault-to-Sault transmission tie line study and was ultimately denied.
- Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Innovation and Resilience Partnerships (GRIP) Round 1 – This grant funded projects that promoted the use of renewable fuels, energy storage, reliability, resiliency and innovative projects for a sustainable energy grid. Cloverland applied in cooperation with Sault Tribe to construct a solar generation facility with integrated battery storage and a software program to optimize the asset. We were ultimately denied funding.
- DOE GRIP Round 2 – This program was the same as GRIP Round 1 with the only difference that Cloverland submitted a different project in cooperation with the Bay Mills and Sault Tribes to place a large amount of solar generation and battery storage on tribal lands in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. This grant was submitted in January and is awaiting approval.
- USDA Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) Program – In cooperation with Bay Mills Indian Community, this program funded solar generation projects in areas that were historically underserved and disadvantaged as categorized by the USDA. This project includes a medium-sized solar facility and is awaiting approval.
- Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) Reliability and Resiliency Grant – This program funded projects that promoted reliability and resiliency for electric infrastructure. Cloverland submitted a grant to place battery storage at a substation to promote reliability and resiliency but was ultimately denied.
Electric Vehicles
- National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (NEVI) – This program funded 80% of an electric vehicle charging station provided it met federal guidelines set forth in the grant. Cloverland applied in November and is awaiting a decision from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).
- EGLE Lake Michigan Circuit Program – This program funds electric vehicle charging projects at select locations along US-2 to promote a loop surrounding Lake Michigan allowing for electric vehicle travel around the lake. Cloverland is submitting two applications for two separate spots along US-2 and will await decisions