Deadline: 16 August 2019

In support of the U.S. government’s Asia EDGE (Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy) initiative, the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) has announced an opportunity for organizations to submit applications to carry out technical assistance and cooperative activities in the Indo-Pacific region under ENR’s Energy Governance and Capacity Initiative (EGCI) and Power Sector Program (PSP).

Program Goals and Objectives

• Strengthen national and regional government capacity to develop stable, open, efficient, transparent, and competitive hydrocarbon, mineral, and power sectors to mobilize investment and strengthen policy and regulatory frameworks.
• Promote policy and regulatory reforms that mobilize investment and support transparent, market-based governance of the hydrocarbon, mineral, and power sectors, including competitive and transparent tendering and procurement processes, modern regulatory approaches to energy market development.
• Accelerate uptake and integration of diverse and advanced energy technologies to promote supply diversification.
• Increase bilateral and regional energy resource trade (e.g., electric power, natural gas including liquefied natural gas (LNG), etc.) and commercial transactions, and where possible, the establishment of well-functioning regional power and natural gas markets.
• Provide expert commercial or technical guidance on power generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure options to improve grid operations and planning capabilities, as well as incorporate alternative, modern and advanced technologies into power systems.
• Expand the professional development of women in energy across the Indo-Pacific region through capacity building, training, mentorship, and networking opportunities involving women in the energy sectors of Asia and the United States.
• Increase national and regional government capacity to assess and address potential environmental or social impacts of power projects.

Award Information

• Award Ceiling: $5,000,000
• Award Floor: $1,000,000

Activities

Activities may include the following:

• Advisory support and capacity building activities for host governments (energy ministry officials), electric utilities, regulators from the hydrocarbon, mineral, and power sectors, and civil society organizations to develop, revise, and support legal, regulatory, and policy and planning structures to promote market-based policy and regulatory reforms and stimulate private investment.
• Best practices related to modern geological/geophysical data analysis and management.
• Workshops and seminars on leasing, revenue management, and regulatory best practices for oil, gas, and mining sectors.
• Specialized assistance and training to develop competitive and transparent tendering and bidding processes for hydrocarbon, mineral, and power sector projects, and mechanisms to attract optimal, best value investment.
• Comprehensive programming focused on the professional development of women in energy, including implementation of leadership workshops, professional development modules, and a mentorship/ job shadow program involving women across Asia and the United States. Activities should target women working in energy careers in government, private companies, energy finance, and civil society/academia.
• Regional engagement and technical assistance to overcome political, legal, regulatory, and technical obstacles to the benefits bilateral energy market development and regional energy market integration, in order to build more competitive energy markets (including natural gas and electric power), increase access to cheaper energy, expand access to energy services, increase energy trade, and bolster connectivity and energy security.
• Workshops, trainings, seminars, roundtables, or other events designed to facilitate the removal of institutional and regulatory roadblocks impeding progress on hydrocarbon, mineral, and power sector projects and reforms.
• Best practices to help disseminate standards for carbon capture and storage (CCS).
• Guidance on innovative financing mechanisms and viable revenue generation models related to hydrocarbon, mineral, and power sector projects to incentivize the flow of private capital.
• Assistance on assessing, avoiding, and mitigating potential environmental or social impacts of hydrocarbon, mineral, and power projects.
• National and/or regional energy sector Investment Forums to match potential investors with opportunities in Asian markets.
• Support to promote international best practices in power sector regulation related to generation, transmission, and distribution through the application of integrated resource planning and other appropriate modeling tools.
• Assistance to support the development, integration, of renewable energies in national and regional energy mixes.
• Training, technical assistance, and guidance on energy resource system optimization and planning to improve the physical functioning of electric power system operations, including transmission planning, congestion management, dispatch, reactive power management, technical loss reductions, grid modernization techniques, and network access.

Participants and Audiences

• Primary: Foreign government officials.  Power market authorities from the energy ministries, electric utilities, electricity regulators, and system operators.
• Secondary: Civil society, including academic organizations, civil society organization representatives, and private sector representatives.

Priority Region

Indo-Pacific, including: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, select Pacific Island Forum countries, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam.

Eligible Applicants

Eligibility is limited to U.S. non-profit/nongovernmental organizations subject to section 501 (c) (3) of the U.S. tax code, foreign non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and public international organizations.

How to Apply

Proposals must be submitted electronically via given website.

For more information, please visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=317952