PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 17, 2024

ECA ANNOUNCES SECOND FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR CONSENT-BASED SITING COMMUNITY GRANTS

Applications due October 18, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) is soliciting applications for local governments to build capacity through targeted education and outreach on nuclear waste storage and disposal issues; and to evaluate community interest in hosting or supporting a federal spent nuclear fuel storage or disposal mission using a community-centered consent-based siting approach.
ECA intends to award up to six (6) grants of up to $75,000 this fiscal year with an initial period of performance of twelve (12) months. Eligibility is restricted to a municipal or local government entity or group of municipal entities, state government created councils of local governments, community reuse organizations, and municipal government-related economic development entities. Additional information about eligible entities and the complete application can be found here: ECA Consent Based Siting Community Grant Application.

The deadline for submission is October 18, 2024.

This funding opportunity is part of ECA’s effort, as a U.S. Department of Energy Consent-Based Siting Consortia, to meet two key goals:

1. Build capacity in communities interested in consent-based siting and ensure they have the information – and informed representatives – to meaningfully engage on the issues a community will address as a potential host of a nuclear waste facility.
2. Facilitate deeper engagement and (re)create momentum by distributing resources for qualifying individual communities that demonstrate readiness to begin localized education and outreach to determine the potential for consent or to capture information that can help define the elements of consent.

In parallel with activities performed under these grants, ECA will be hosting public, regional educational meetings and smaller, targeted local peer-to-peer exchanges to help build trust among the public, industry, policymakers and concerned parties – based on experience – that nuclear waste can be safely managed in a way that is protective of human health and the environment, and in a way that offers community-driven and risk-based economic opportunity.

For more information, please contact ECA Director of Policy, Faith Sanchez at: faiths@energyca.org or (202) 828-2410.

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Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) is a non-profit membership organization of local governments and nuclear communities adjacent to or affected by U.S. Department of Energy activities. The mission of ECA is to bring together local government officials to share information, establish policy positions, and promote community interests to address an increasingly complex set of environmental, regulatory, and economic development needs. Additional information is available at www.energyca.org.