The Met-Ed / Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund Fund of the Berks County Community Foundation will distribute $238,000 in grants throughout the Pennsylvania service territories of the Met-Ed and Penelec energy companies in 2021 for projects and programs that support the development and use of clean energy technologies and energy efficiency.
Grants will range from $2,000 to $50,000 depending on the scope of the projects. Applications in both the Met-Ed and Penelec territories are now open and will be accepted through March 15, with decisions to be made in May 2021. Please note that there will be no fall grant round for the Met-Ed / Penelec SEF this year.
Previously, grant applications for the Met-Ed / Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund were accepted year-long on a rolling basis. Note that these are no longer rolling grant opportunities. Applications must be completed online by the deadline to be considered.
While the fund primarily provides grants for nonprofits, it may also consider making program-related investments from time to time, providing capital that must be paid back (loans). In particular, program-related investments are often considered over grants for for-profit businesses.
The benefit of a program-related investment is the ability to receive a larger amount of capital for a project than what is available through the grant program. Program-related investments range from $25,000 to $500,000.
Eligible applicants must be located and/or serve residents within the territories of the Met-Ed and Penelec electric companies in Pennsylvania. Grant funding is prioritized for nonprofit entities, however commercial or industrial organizations may apply. Individuals/residents are not eligible to apply.
More information, as well as maps and zip codes of areas serviced by Met-Ed and Penelec, is available at www.bccf.org/sustainable-energy-fund/.
To apply in the Met-Ed territory, click here or visit https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=BerksCF. For previously-funded projects, see this map.
The mission of the fund is to support the development and use of renewable energy and clean energy technologies, energy conservation and efficiency, sustainable energy businesses, and projects that improve the environment in the companies’ service territories, as defined by their relationship to the companies’ transmission and distribution facilities.
The Met-Ed / Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund is administered by Berks County Community Foundation and the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies.
