Connected Communities 2.0 seeks to validate grid-edge technology innovations in real-world situations and provide new tools for grid operators, utilities, planners, and the communities they serve and includes buildings, renewables, vehicles, industrial loads, and thermal energy networks as potential grid-edge technical measures.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) has two major topical areas:

• Connected Communities, focused on grid edge technical measures in buildings, industry, and transportation to prepare the electric grid for these new loads, and improve the customer benefits and grid resilience.
• Smart Charge Management, focused on various unique urban, suburban, and rural use cases to build confidence in it as an effective approach for electric vehicles to provide flexibility and value to the electric grid.

This FOA is part of EERE’s efforts to issue over $100 million for field demonstrations and other research to support better planning and operation of the electric grid.

Required concept papers are due Aug. 20, 2024, at 5 p.m. E.T, and full applications are due Oct. 10, 2024, at 5 p.m. E.T.

Find out more.