Met-Ed / Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund offers grants

Two regional grants, one for green building projects and one for clean energy workforce development programs, are being offered through the Met-Ed / Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund.  

The fund, which is co-managed by Berks County Community Foundation in Reading and the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies in Johnstown, distributes grants within the service territories of the Met-Ed and Penelec electric companies. The application deadline is Aug.31. 

The fund will award one green building grant of $300,000 to $500,000 to support the construction of a green, sustainable, and/or natural building or the renovation of an existing building using energy efficiency principles. Projects may be new construction or a retrofit and must be completed within three years, the fund said. 

 It will also award one grant of up to $100,000 to support clean energy workforce development programs. Requests should focus on the implementation of a workforce development program that can be deployed in 2023. 

 Eligible applicants for both grants must be located in and/or serve the residents located within the territories served by the Met-Ed and Penelec electric companies in Pennsylvania. Grant funding is prioritized for nonprofit entities, however commercial or industrial organizations may apply.  

Since inception, the Met-Ed / Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund has approved 259 grants totaling $5,861,637; 50 loans totaling $25,043,724; and three equity investments totaling $1,600,000.