Hawaii Energy, the state’s Public Benefits Fund administrator that focuses on energy-efficiency education and clean-energy initiatives, announces the application period for its 2023-24 EmPOWER Grant program.
This program is designed to help local nonprofits, small businesses and restaurants reduce their energy usage and operating costs.
Applications will be available beginning Aug. 1 and must be submitted by Sept. 29. Organizations may apply for a grant of up to $6,000, depending on the equipment type, which may cover up to 100% of eligible project costs.
“Our local nonprofits, small businesses and restaurants often face more challenges with implementing energy-saving measures that can help them reduce their carbon footprint, and ultimately, save money on operational expenses,” said Caroline Carl, executive director of Hawaii Energy. “We are excited this year to offer more than $700,000 to help more applicants fund more energy-efficiency upgrades and be able to start saving quickly.
“The projects done in the last three years of providing these grants will generate more than $13 million in electricity bill savings over the next 15 years, and, on average, are saving applicants more than $1,000 a year on their energy bills.”
For more information about the 2023-2024 EmPOWER Grant program, Hawaii Energy will be hosting a virtual webinar on Tuesday, Aug. 1, at 11 a.m. Interested applicants may register for the webinar at HawaiiEnergy.com/empower-grant.
A full list of eligible equipment, applications and frequently asked questions are available online at HawaiiEnergy.com/empower-grant. Applications must be submitted by Sept. 29 at 11:59 p.m. to HE-Grants@Leidos.com.
All eligible applications are competitively reviewed and applicants, if selected for a grant award, will receive their grant funding as a reimbursement after Hawaii Energy verifies the completion of their project. There is no requirement that any purchases are made by an applicant before they learn whether they will be offered a grant award.
Preference will be given to organizations that serve populations identified as ALICE (asset-limited, income-constrained, employed) or rural/other hard-to-reach communities, as well as organizations that have not participated with Hawaii Energy before.