announce that the application window for the Community Electrical Innovation (CEI) program opened on Monday June 16th. CEI is a $10 million grant program funded by a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recover (CDBG-DR) award to the territory that will give community based organizations that serve low to moderate income (LMI) individuals and vulnerable populations the opportunity to apply for funding to install solar and battery microgrids.
In order to apply for CEI you can visit VIEO’s website at https://energy.vi.gov/cei and navigate to the fillable PDF form, or visit our headquarters at #2 Estate Carlton Suite 3 on St. Croix, or # 8000 Nisky Center 2nd Floor Suite 208 on St. Thomas and request a hard copy. For more information about the application process, and details about how CEI will be administered, please read the Notice of Funding Opportunity posted on the CEI webpage. Completed applications can be returned to VIEO either in physical form, or submitted electronically at info@eo.vi.gov
VIEO, as a subrecipient to the grant, with the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority (VIHFA) as the grantee, will operate CEI from June 2025 through June 2029.
Investing in Resilient Communities:
Many organizations lack the resources to invest in backup power solutions, making them more vulnerable during outages. As a result of CEI’s implementation VIEO will create a network of solar and battery microgrids that will support the delivery of services to LMI individuals and vulnerable populations by lowering energy costs for the entities that provide these services, and reduce the impact on their operations caused by routine power outages. Eligible organizations include, but are not limited to:
• Daycares & Head Start programs
• Homeless shelters & transitional housing facilities
• Retirement homes & assisted living facilities
• Healthcare clinics & community centers
• Educational institutions & nonprofit organizations
Application & Program Timeline
• Application intake begins in June 2025 in paper format and digitally at https://energy.vi.gov/.
• Eligible entities will be selected based on program criteria, including impact on LMI communities, project feasibility, and energy resilience benefits
• VIEO will oversee the technical implementation and compliance, ensuring projects align with local and federal energy sustainability goals
For a comprehensive overview of the program, please see the USVI Electrical Grid Action plan at https://cdbgdr.vihfa.gov/cdbg-electrical/. Any program inquiries can be directed to egrid@vihfa.gov or media@vihfa.gov.
