Scroll down to the APPLY section below to learn more about all of our current grant and investment/loan opportunities.
Our projects
Click the map for a searchable database of all projects funded by the Met-Ed / Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund through December 31, 2018.
What We Do
The Met-Ed / Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund provides grants, loans, and equity investments to promote:
- the development and use of renewable energy and clean energy technologies
- energy conservation and efficiency
- sustainable energy businesses
- projects that improve the environment in the companies’ service territories, as defined by their relationship to the companies’ transmission and distribution facilities
Apply
The Met Ed Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund Workforce Development Program
The Met Ed Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund Workforce Development Program provides grants to organizations within the territories served by the Met Ed and Penelec electric companies for projects that provide Pennsylvania residents with training for the installation and maintenance of renewable energy systems. Programs that address a critical training and/or safety need will receive preference.
What is a grant?
A grant is a disbursement to a qualified organization for a specific purpose or to support the organization’s operations and does not need to be paid back (unless the funding is misused). A follow-up report is required for each grant received that describes how the money was used, what impact it had, and other relevant information.
When should I apply?
Applications for the Workforce Development Program will reopen on August 15, 2019, and are due by November 1, 2019.
How much money is available?
The fund will distribute three $25,000 grants for workforce development programs within the fund territories in 2019.
Do I qualify?
To qualify for a grant, the organization and/or program must:
- Be located in Pennsylvania.
- Be requesting a grant for a program that trains Pennsylvania residents to professionally install and/or maintain renewable energy systems. At least 50% of the students in the program must reside within the territories served by the Met Ed and Penelec electric companies.
What is a renewable energy system?
For the purpose of this grant program, renewable energy systems are those that offset standard grid-supplied power through the use of solar, geothermal, biomass, wind, and/or hydroelectric technologies, which may, in some cases, be paired with a battery back-up system for resiliency.
How do I apply?
To apply to the Met Ed Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund Grant Program, you must complete an application. Applications for the Workforce Development Program will reopen on August 15, 2019, and are due by November 1, 2019. Click on one of the links below to take you to the appropriate application:
Grants to create educational material about energy efficiency and to support buildings and retrofits
The Met Ed Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund Energy Audit Toolkit Program
The Met Ed Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund Energy Audit Toolkit Program will provide a grant to an organization within the territories served by the Met Ed and Penelec electric companies to create an Energy Audit Toolkit that can be used by organizations to do a “first-pass” on their own energy usage and potential for improvement. The toolkit should also include specific guidance on what happens during a professional energy audit and how to find a certified and unbiased auditor.
Energy Audit Toolkit Program
The goal of the Met Ed Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund Energy Audit Toolkit Program is to support the development of a comprehensive “toolkit” that will assist users in:
• assessing the energy usage of their building;
• developing options for reducing their energy usage;
• understanding what happens during a professional energy audit; and
• finding a certified and unbiased energy auditor that could further assist them. The program’s primary audience is organizations within the territories served by the Met Ed and Penelec electric companies in Pennsylvania (click here for map).
What is a grant?
A grant is a disbursement to a qualified organization for a specific purpose or to support the organization’s operations and does not need to be paid back (unless the funding is misused). A follow-up report is required for each grant received that describes how the money was used, what impact it had, and other relevant information.
When should I apply?
Applications for the Energy Audit Toolkit Program will be available March 1 with a June 30, 2019, deadline.
How much money is available?
The fund will provide one $30,000 grant to the strongest proposal in 2019.
Do I qualify?
To qualify for this grant, the organization and/or program must:
• be located in Pennsylvania;
• demonstrate expertise in the development of professional education/training materials in the area of energy efficiency; and
• design a toolkit that can be used by organizations within the Met Ed and Penelec service territories. Please note, the selected grant recipient will be responsible for delivering this finished product that can be used as a resource for other organizations.
What kind of projects qualify?
Here are some examples of the types of materials that might be included in an Energy Audit Toolkit:
• A video that introduces users to the goals and process of an energy audit.
• Worksheets (paper and/or online) with directions on how to assess your building’s energy
usage.
• A glossary of terms used in the process of assessing energy usage.
• Examples of clean energy building systems implemented in various parts of the
Commonwealth.
• A guide with “Next Steps” to take after evaluating your organization’s energy usage.
How do I apply?
The Sustainable Energy Fund will accept new applications for this program until June 30, 2019.
To apply to the Met Ed Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund Grant Program, you must complete an application. Click on one of the links below to take you to the appropriate application:
Further details to come.
News and Information
Pennsylvania’s Clean Energy Projects
The Saint Francis University Institute for Energy conducted a survey for the Met-Ed/Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund on Pennsylvania'a Clean Energy Projects. The primary objectives of this report were to: 1.) Discover and demonstrate stakeholders’ [...]
Pennsylvania’s Solar Future Plan
As the source of nearly 33 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania, electricity generation is a key area for renewable energy innovations to reduce these pollutants and the challenges they create for public [...]
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MET-ED / PENELEC SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FUND
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Gautier Steel: History in the Making
“This has been a long time coming and we’re very excited about this,” said Jacqueline Kulback, CFO & Controller at Gautier Steel.
Work had begun to fulfill the company’s first customer order of steel plates. Eventually, it will be rolling titanium and other specialty metals.
The Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF) of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies got a behind-the-scenes look as the mill did its early test runs. Gautier received a $25,000 grant and a $500,000 loan from the SEF to help to complete the nearly $20 million project.
15 years of PA’s sustainable energy funds
In 2000, the sustainable energy industry was bolstered by the creation of special funds across the Commonwealth to provide financial support for projects that promoted renewable and sustainable energy.
Two of those funds, the Metropolitan Edison Company Sustainable Energy Fund of Berks County Community Foundation and the Pennsylvania Electric Company Sustainable Energy Fund of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, marked their 15th anniversary in 2015.
Download the report here.
OUR COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS