Powering Affordable Reliable Technology (PART) Energy Program

The Powering Affordable Reliable Technology (PART) Energy Program is administered by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), a Rural Development agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program is authorized pursuant to Section 22001 of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which amended Section 9003 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. The notice makes approximately $410 million in appropriated budget authority available to support loans under the PART Energy Program. The opportunity is identified as RUS-PART-2026, is categorized as discretionary, and has an Assistance Listing number of 10.757. RUS expects approximately 100 awards, with an award floor of $1 million and an award ceiling of $100 million. The program is intended to finance power generation projects involving Renewable Energy Resource systems or Energy Storage Systems that support Renewable Energy Resource projects. Qualified PART applicants may receive Project Loans or System Loans. The statutory authority also permits PART funds to finance projects that store electricity generated from eligible energy sources under Section 317 of the Rural Electrification Act. Project Loans or System Loans may be forgiven up to 40 percent when the awardee and project meet the applicable terms and conditions for loan forgiveness. The Administrator may increase the approximately $410 million funding level if additional funds become available or reduce the funding level if an insufficient number of high-quality projects are submitted. Cost sharing depends on the type of PART financing. Project Loan awards generally finance up to 75 percent of the total capitalized costs of a project, requiring awardees to provide at least 25 percent of the total capitalized project cost through cash or equity investments. The required contribution may not be derived from debt instruments. RUS may use its authority under Section 306F of the Rural Electrification Act to finance up to 100 percent of the costs of projects benefiting SUTA areas. PART System Loans may cover up to 100 percent of total project costs. Accordingly, the stated 25 percent contribution applies specifically to Project Loans subject to the identified SUTA exception, while the notice does not state a comparable matching contribution for System Loans. RUS will accept Letters of Interest and Applications from Operating Utilities that fall within the listed eligible entity types. These include for-profit organizations; state or local governments; Indian Tribes as defined by the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, including their wholly owned arms and instrumentalities; Alaska Native Corporations, including regional or village corporations established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; nonprofits; distribution electric cooperatives; generation and transmission electric cooperatives; and certificated electric utilities. Eligibility is therefore conditioned not merely on organizational form but on the applicant qualifying as an Operating Utility within the categories specified by RUS. This Grants.gov listing is a forecasted opportunity. RUS is soliciting Letters of Interest for loan Applications and will process and evaluate complete LOIs on a rolling basis in the order received. The forecast states that LOIs can be submitted beginning at 11:59 a.m. Eastern Time on September 8, 2026 and continuing until 11:59 a.m. Eastern Time on October 9, 2026. The estimated post date is September 8, 2026. The supplied material does not provide a separate full Application deadline, detailed application questions, required uploads, evaluation scoring criteria, estimated award date, project start date, or performance period. It also does not state that the program recurs annually, biennially, quarterly, or on another regular schedule. Questions concerning the PART Energy Program may be directed to the RUS Electric Program. The program telephone number is (202) 690-4492, and the PART Help Desk email address is SM.RD.RUS.PART-Questions@usda.gov. The opportunity was forecast on August 3, 2026 and last updated on August 20, 2026. Because the LOI submission window does not begin until September 8, 2026, the opportunity is presently in an early engagement stage rather than accepting submissions. No estimated award date or estimated project start date is supplied in the source.

RUS will process and evaluate complete LOIs on a rolling basis in the order received; submit the LOI early within the stated window because review order is based on receipt. Project Loan applicants should plan for at least 25% of total capitalized project cost from cash or equity unless the SUTA financing exception applies. Ensure the proposed financing is for an eligible Renewable Energy Resource system or an Energy Storage System supporting a Renewable Energy Resource project.