Commissioner Nikki Fried Announces $2 Million Florida Wastewater Plant Energy Grant Program

Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) announced the launch of the Florida Wastewater Treatment Plant Energy Program, a $2 million grant program to upgrade publicly-owned wastewater treatment plants with energy-efficient technology.

This new grant initiative was developed by the FDACS Office of Energy based on the findings of their study[ ] entitled “Mapping the Energy Landscape of Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants in the State of Florida.” This recently completed study provides a baseline on energy efficiency and renewable energy measures and practices at water and wastewater treatment plants in Florida, and recommendations on how to reduce energy use and operating costs. The study found that Florida’s wastewater treatment plants could save annually 26,763,827 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 6,354 tons of carbon dioxide through energy efficiency improvements.

“Energy costs can be as high as 40 percent for wastewater treatment plants. Reducing energy use and operating costs are more important now than ever, as resources could potentially be diverted to address the ongoing pandemic,” said Commissioner Fried. “Putting into action the results of our Office of Energy’s study with a solid $2 million grant investment creates a tremendous opportunity. With this funding, we can help Florida’s publicly-owned wastewater treatment plants reduce energy use, operating costs, and greenhouse gases through new energy-efficient technology.”

Background: The Florida Wastewater Treatment Plant Energy Program was developed to advance the energy-water nexus, a priority outlined by Commissioner Fried's Florida Climate and Energy Plan[ ], released in October 2019 at the Florida Climate and Energy Summit. The plan discussed how water resources and energy production rely on each other and discusses the importance of protecting our water sources and having energy efficient processes involving water. In addition to reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, the FDACS Office of Energy is continuing its efforts to achieve energy equity by investing in projects that aim to reduce energy burden for Florida consumers. The Florida Wastewater Treatment Plant Energy Program will consider factors that will reduce the total energy consumption but also the costs of wastewater treatment.

Eligibility: Florida publicly-owned wastewater treatment plants are the only eligible applicants for this program. Eligibility of applicants, projects, and activities, and locations is determined based on the definitions and other criteria addressed in the Notice of Federal Financial Assistance Funding Opportunity (NOTICE), its attachments, and associated documents.

Application Process: Applications must be submitted to the FDACS Purchasing Office by 5:00 PM EST on October 30, 2020. Each applicant may submit only ONE application in response to this NOTICE. However, the applicant may propose multiple project activities and numerous project locations in one application.

An applicant packet consists of the following documents:

• NOTICE
• FDACS-02032 Application for Federal Financial Assistance Subaward[ ]

Funding Availability:
Total funding available: $2 million
Maximum award: $500,000
Minimum award: $15,000

Application Tips:

• Read the entire NOTICE document
• Address each scoring criteria
• Submit the application package well in advance of the deadline to ensure it arrives on time
• Do not alter the FDACS-02032 Application for Federal Financial Assistance Subaward
• Original document (application) must match copies attached

Cost Share: Applicants are required to provide a minimum fifteen percent (15%) cost share/match of the total project cost for this program.

Applications must be submitted in hard copy to:
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

            Purchasing Office
            407 South Calhoun Street
            Mayo Building - Room SB-8
            Tallahassee, FL 32399-0800

Please see the NOTICE and its attachments for full details regarding program requirements, eligibility, and application submittal. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all information is completed correctly and submitted before the deadline.

Questions: Direct any questions to the FDACS Purchasing Office at Bids@FDACS.gov. Answers will be posted on the Vendor Bid System, FDACS website, and the FDACS Office of Energy website.

To learn more about the FDACS Office of Energy, including other programs, policy initiatives, and the Florida Energy and Climate Plan, visit their website.

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