NOFO: Energy Efficient Agricultural Operation (US)

NRCS recognizes the importance of incorporating on-site energy evaluations on agricultural operations including greenhouses and the beneficial outcomes it can have on the environment. Energy Efficient Agricultural Operations (conservation standard 374) has been an underutilized practice in Massachusetts. This agreement will be used to provide training on energy efficiency for NRCS staff and affiliates while also providing needed technical assistance for NRCS customers with energy focused site visits.

The primary goal is to expand energy efficiency to NRCS customers throughout Massachusetts. The project list ranges in size from 1-acre farms to several hundred-acre farms. Applicants will identify the average number of energy efficiency site visits and written on-site energy improvement plans that they could complete in any year with a minimum of ten per year being acceptable for this agreement. NRCS will work with the selected applicant to make the choice of priority energy site visits each year of the agreement based on interest and need. Applicants will be required to hold 1-2 energy efficiency focused trainings per year for NRCS staff and partners to expand their knowledge on the subject. Applicants should provide a list of training ideas to NRCS for the length of the contract.

NRCS has been implementing several mechanisms to conduct energy improvements including reverse osmosis systems, circulation fans plate coolers, heat recovery systems, and automatic environmental controllers. NRCS Massachusetts would like to expand customer reach and increase program applications that include Energy Efficient Agricultural Operation and facilitating practices. This agreement will not include energy generation practices such as the installation of solar panels or windmills unless authorized by current or amended NRCS policy.

Objectives

• Specific objectives for the agreement include:
  • Hire/identify with NRCS approval an energy improvement technical specialist who will assist private landowners through NRCS programs by writing and implementing on-site energy improvement plans, conducting site visits, and having a minimum of 10 NRCS energy applications per year come out of the energy improvement specialists work in the agreement. NRCS will work with agreement holder on prioritizing energy site visits if there is more interest than availability of the energy improvement specialist.
  • The energy improvement technical specialist will work with local NRCS field offices to maintain communication on what customers they are working with on energy and will inform them and invite them to participate in any customer site visits. Energy Improvement specialists will send after visit summaries and on-site energy improvement plans to local NRCS field offices after site visits.
  • Energy improvement technical specialists are responsible for performing outreach to secure new NRCS customers interested in energy. NRCS can also forward customers to energy improvement specialists for technical assistance.
  • On-Site Energy Improvement Plans must be developed and implemented to meet all applicable NRCS policies and requirements including applicable Conservation Practice Standards (372, 374, 672), Design and Implementation Activities (DIAs), and Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities (CEMAs).
  • The agreement holder must conduct 1-2 energy improvement technical hands-on field trainings for NRCS staff and associates per year in the agreement. The agreement holder will work with NRCS to approve training topic, location, and agenda.
  • Agreement holder will develop a summary report at the end of the agreement term outlining the approach, benefits, roadblocks, and outcomes of the work completed to identify and improve energy efficiency on agricultural operations across Massachusetts. The report shall include alternatives for future work in continuing and expanding on-farm energy efficiency practices.

Funding Information

• The Federal funding agency expects to award approximately $400,000 through this opportunity. However, the agency retains the discretion to award a larger or lesser amount.
• The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $200,000 and the estimated funding ceiling is $400,000.
• Duration
  • Projects may be up to 5 years in duration. Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of September 2024.

Eligibility Criteria

• Neither foreign entities nor individuals are eligible to apply for this opportunity.
• This opportunity is open to all domestic applicants.
• Any award made pursuant to this NOFO will be made to a single entity. Applicants that apply as “partnerships” or other similar groupings must clearly describe the relationship between the applicant and the “partner” parties. In all but exceptional cases, it must be reflected in the award as an awardee/sub awardee relationship.
• An applicant organization may submit more than one application for different projects or proposing different approaches. In the case of applications submitted as revisions or corrections to a previously submitted application under this NOFO, the agency will consider the last application submitted prior to the established deadline.
• Awards made pursuant to this NOFO are not Farm Bill incentive contracts; therefore, the awards in and of themselves are not limited by the payment limitation in 16 USC Chapter 58. However, any agricultural producers receiving a payment through participation in a project awarded under this NOFO must meet the eligibility requirements of 7 CFR Part 12 and 7 CFR Part 1400 and have control of the land involved for the term of the proposed award period.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.