TOBACCO COMMISSION LAUNCHES THIRD ROUND OF $12 MILLION ENERGY INGENUITY FUND
NEW FUNDING ROUND TO BUILD ON SUCCESS OF PREVIOUS ROUNDS; CONTINUE COMMISSION’S MISSION OF BUILDING A STRONG ECONOMY IN SOUTHERN AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
The Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, an economic development agency under the Secretariat of Commerce and Trade, led by Executive Director Hon. James E. Campos, is now accepting applications for the latest round of its Energy Ingenuity Fund.
This round aims to build on the success of previous rounds of the program and continue to bring innovative energy projects, along with the jobs and investment that come with them, to Southern and Southwest Virginia. See below for examples of awarded projects from previous rounds of the program, as well as more information on how to apply for the latest round. Information on all funded projects from the latest round can be found HERE.
“Providing our communities with the energy resources they need to attract top employers and seize opportunities as they arise is critical to the success of Southern and Southwest Virginia, and the Commonwealth as a whole,” said Tobacco Commission Executive Director Hon. James Campos. “Governor Youngkin’s energy plan makes it clear that an all-of-the-above approach is needed to meet Virginia’s energy needs and I’m proud to see that this program is helping to meet those goals and move the Commonwealth forward.”
Tobacco Commission Director of Regional Energy Development and Innovation, Jerry Silva added, “It has been a great experience working with our localities and their partners to develop innovative, impactful projects like the ones featured here and I look forward to continuing that work in this latest round of the program. To learn more about the program, I invite all those interested to join me on March 6th when I’ll be speaking with the Dominion Innovation Center at the Energy Tech 2025 conference to highlight TRRC’s Energy Innovation Fund and spotlight some of our recent projects.”
Awarded Project Highlights
City of Danville
900 Mount Cross Road Battery Energy Storage System – $750,000 Grant/$750,000 Loan
This award will assist with the continued development of a 12-megawatt advanced battery energy storage system (“BESS”) in Danville Virginia that will be used to reduce peak load for Danville Utilities and will in turn save Danville Utilities tens of millions of dollars over the life of the project. These savings will be directly passed through to the commercial, industrial, and residential customers of Danville Utilities, helping ensure lower electricity costs for current and future residents as well as attract new businesses to the Tobacco Region. The project will also enable workforce training for the emerging BESS industry in Virginia which has been catalyzed by the Virginia Clean Economy Act, and the project will provide emissions reductions benefits and reduced transmission and generation requirements for the regional grid, as well as a clean source of local power for Danville Utilities.
Town of Richlands
Town of Richlands Energy Diversification Project – $2,000,000 Grant/$2,000,000 Loan
This award will assist the Town of Richlands with the purchase a Solar Mercury 50 natural gas fired turbine and generator. This generator will allow the Town to utilize a homegrown supply of natural gas to create and provide electricity to its citizens, current businesses, and to use as an economic development tool for attracting prospective businesses and other economic development projects. Currently, the transmission costs the Town pays to move energy from its assets in the Ohio River Valley area to Richlands have increased dramatically, which has significantly impaired the Town’s economic development capacity.
| Energy Ingenuity Fund Program Outline Funds are designated for energy-related projects in each of the Commission’s service regions, Southern and Southwest Virginia. A variety of energy project proposals will be accepted, with a focus on establishing a ‘best in class’ energy economy. Projects supported through this fund will capitalize on the region’s skilled workforce and promote an energy focused economy for the Tobacco Region, recognizing that regions with a strong focus on energy can better attract economic activity to their communities. Potential project areas include, but are not limited to: energy manufacturing supply chain, energy production, grid resiliency, energy storage, microgrids, hydrogen generation, smart cities, wind, small scale modular reactors, conversion of coal mines, and more. The Energy Ingenuity Fund will solicit applications through a competitive process to establish grant and loan agreements for high impact economic development projects meeting the following objectives: – Deployment of resources to amplify and accelerate investment in energy projects. – Collaboration between key partners in energy and economic development. – Enhancement and expansion of the region’s energy supply chain. – Development of more energy resiliency in Southern and Southwest Virginia. – Funding will be considered for projects within the Southern and Southwest Virginia areas of Virginia’s Tobacco Region. See the TRRC Coverage Area Map. For more information on TRRC program objectives please review the TRRC Strategic Plan and the Logic Models for this Program in the Plan as well as the Commission’s Funding Policies. |
| Deadline to Submit an Application: Energy Ingenuity Fund Program: March 10th – Please review the program Guidelines & Request for Proposals before beginning an application. A pre-application is no longer required. Please submit a full application by the March 10th deadline for consideration. To read more about the program please visit the Energy Ingenuity Fund page of our website, revitalizeva.org. |
| Eligibility Requirements Please note that: Applicants must be either a local governmental entity or a non-profit OR must be partnering with a local governmental entity or non-profit. All requests for grant funds require at least dollar-for-dollar (1:1) matching funds, with no more than 25% of the match requirement from “in-kind” sources. Please see the program Guidelines & Request for Proposals for full eligibility details. |
| Program Contacts For media inquiries: Jordan Butler Public Relations Director & Tobacco Region Opportunity Fund Manager (804) 894-9652 JButler@revitalizeva.org Questions from partners or potential applicants: Jerry Silva Director of Regional Energy Development and Innovation (804) 325-4363 JSilva@revitalizeva.org |