Transportation & Infrastructure

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), includes guaranteed federal formula funding already coming to our state and local area. North Carolina is estimated to receive more than $10.4 billion in long-term funding, including $7.2 billion for federal highways, an estimated $1 billion for broadband infrastructure and affordability, and $457 million for bridges replacements and repairs.

The Law also increases existing federal grant programs and establishes many new programs which allow our community to apply for and secure even more funding. All competitive federal grants will be made available online at https://www.Grants.Gov/, and I encourage you to sign up for alerts and notifications. Below,, you will find more information about several key federal grant opportunities available to help our community access funding for infrastructure projects.

Transportation:

• Rebuilding American Infrastructure Sustainably and Equitably (RAISE) Grants–
  The BIL includes a minimum of $7.5 billion over five years, and up to $15 billion subject to appropriations, for RAISE Grants to help state and local governments fund multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to support through traditional U.S. Department of Transportation funding. Last year, Rep. Manning helped secure nearly $20 million in federal funding for the city of High Point through the RAISE grant. You may find out more about the FY 2022 RAISE Grant Program, including the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) by clicking here. The deadline for FY22 RAISE Grant applications is April 14, 2022.

• Bus & Bus Facilities Competitive Grants – This program at the Department of Transportation provides capital funding to replace, rehabilitate, purchase, or lease buses and bus related equipment and to rehabilitate, purchase, construct, or lease bus-related facilities – as well as capital funding for low or no emissions bus projects. Applications are expected to open for the FY 2022 grant program in the first quarter of 2022. You may read the Fact Sheet about this program by clicking here, and sign up for updates from the DOT/FTA by clicking here.
  
  
• National Infrastructure Project Assistance (also known as “Megaprojects” or MEGA)– The BIL establishes a new, $5 billion competitive grant program to support multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional projects of regional or national significance. Communities are eligible to apply for funding to complete critical large projects that would otherwise be unachievable without assistance. Selection criteria for the program will be posted on the Department of Transportation website in February 2022.

• Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grants – The BIL provides $8 billion for this Department of Transportation program that supports highway and rail projects of regional and economic significance. Applications will open in the first quarter of 2022. Learn more about how to apply here.

• Safe Streets and Roads for All – This new $5 billion competitive grant program at the Department of Transportation will provide funding directly to and exclusively for local governments to support their efforts to advance “vision zero” plans and other complete street improvements to reduce crashes and fatalities, especially for cyclists and pedestrians. Applications are expected to open in May 2022.

• Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grants – In addition to the $5 billion formula program distributed to states, this $2.5 billion discretionary grant program at the Department of Transportation will fund the strategic deployment of publicly accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure, as well as hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling infrastructure, along designated alternative fuel corridors and in communities. You may submit comments on program design to the Department of Transportation by January 28th here, and after January 28th here.

• Clean School Bus Program – This new $5 billion competitive grant program at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will provide funding to replace existing school buses with low- or zero-emission school buses, like those made in High Point by union workers at Thomas Built Buses. Applications for funding will be made available here later this spring.

• Reconnecting Communities – The BIL creates a first-ever $1 billion program at the Department of Transportation to reconnect communities divided by transportation infrastructure – particularly historically disadvantaged communities too often nearly destroyed or cut in half by a highway. This new competitive program will provide dedicated funding to state, local, metropolitan planning organizations, and tribal governments for planning, design, demolition, and reconstruction of street grids, parks, or other infrastructure to address these legacy impacts. Applications will open in the second quarter of 2022.

• Rural Surface Transportation Grant - This new $2 billion competitive grant program at the Department of Transportation will improve and expand surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas, increasing connectivity, improving safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, and generate regional economic growth. This amount includes specific set asides for small projects ($200 million), rural roadway lane departure improvements ($300 million), and the Appalachian Development Highway System ($500 million). Applications will open in the first quarter of 2022.

Climate, Energy & Environment:

• Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program – This existing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program will distribute $1 billion to support communities undertaking hazard mitigation projects to reduce the risks they face from disasters and other natural hazards. FY21 applications are open until January 28th, 2022 and hundreds of millions of dollars in funding remains available. Communities will apply as sub-applicants under their states. Applications for FY22 are expected to open no later than September 30th, 2022. You may find out more about the program here.

• Flood Mitigation Assistance – $3.5 billion from this existing FEMA program can be used for projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program. FY21 applications are open until January 28th, 2022. Communities will apply as sub-applicants under their states. Applications for FY22 are expected to open no later than September 30th, 2022. You may find out more here.

• Brownfields Remediation Program – This existing EPA program will provide $1.2 billion in grants and technical assistants to communities to assess and safely clean-up contaminated properties and offer job training programs. Communities are currently able to request funding for Targeted Brownfields Assessments through their regional EPA office. Additional competitive funding opportunities will be announced this spring. More information available here.

• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants – This Department of Energy block grant program will provide $550 million to states, local governments, and tribes for projects that reduce energy use, increase energy efficiency, and cut pollution. The first funding opportunity is expected for release in the Fall of 2022. You may find out more here.

• Grants for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Improvements in Schools – This new Department of Energy Program will provide $500 million for local government education agencies and nonprofit partners to make energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean vehicle upgrades and improvements at public schools. The opportunity to apply for funding is expected to be open in the Fall of 2022.
  
• Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas – This new Department of Energy program will provide $1 billion to entities in rural or remote areas (defined as cities, towns, or unincorporated areas with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants) to increase environmental protection from the impacts of energy use and improve resilience, reliability, safety, and availability of energy. Applications for funding are expected to be open in the Fall of 2022.

• Grants for Energy Efficiency and Resilience Code Adoption – This Department of Energy program will provide $225 million to state energy agencies, in partnership with local building code agencies, codes and standards developers, utilities, and other entities, to enable sustained, cost-effective implementation of updated building energy codes to save customers money on their energy bills. Applications for funding are expected to be open by the end of 2022.

• Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs – This new Department of Energy program will provide $8 billion to support the development of at least four regional clean hydrogen hubs to improve clean hydrogen production, processing, delivery, storage, and end use. Applications for funding will open in the Summer of 2022.

• Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program – This new $1 billion program at the Department of Agriculture will provide grants to communities at risk from wildfire to develop or revise their community wildfire protection plans and carry out projects described within those plans. It will include a mix of formula and competitive funds. Applications are expected to open early in 2023.

Broadband, Cyber, and Other Programs:

• ReConnect Program – This existing Department of Agriculture program will provide almost $2 billion in loans and grants for projects that provide broadband in rural areas. Applications will likely open in the 3rd quarter of 2022 (and towns in rural areas can apply to the current $1.15B in loans and grant funding, application deadline: February 22, 2022). More information is available here.

• Middle Mile Grants Program – This new $1 billion program at the Department of Commerce provides grants for the construction, improvement or acquisition of middle mile broadband infrastructure. Applications will likely open during the second quarter of 2022.

• State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program – This new $1 billion program at the Department of Homeland Security makes available federal funds to state, local, and tribal governments to address cybersecurity risks and cybersecurity threats to information systems that they own or operate. Applications will likely open during the third quarter of 2022.

• Smart Grid Investment Grant Program and Energy Sector Operational Support For Cyber Resilience Program – These two Department of Energy programs will provide $3 billion and $50 million, respectively, for electric utilities, including municipal and co-operative utilities, to modernize the electricity grid and increase resilience to cybersecurity threats. Applications for the Smart Grid program are expected to be open by the end of 2022, and applications for the Cyber Resilience program are expected to be open in the Summer of 2022.

• Water & Groundwater Storage and Conveyance – This existing $1 billion program at the Department of Interior provides funding for water storage projects with capacity between 2,000 and 30,000 acre-feet – as well as projects convey water to or from surface water or groundwater storage. The Department will hold its final stakeholder sessions this month and open applications later this spring.

• Emergency Watershed Protection Program – This existing Department of Agriculture program will provide $300 million in technical and financial assistance to project sponsors for the design and construction of measures to help repair damages from a recent disaster. Applications open in February. More information is available here.
  

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