Utility University: Navigate every opportunity – Federal grant funding

Session 1 | 12-1 p.m. CDT

Maximizing federal funding opportunities for utilities

Over the last three years, unprecedented legislation has been passed that directly impacts utility infrastructure. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provide historic incentives and opportunities for organizations to upgrade, modernize and innovate utility infrastructure.

Learning objectives:

1. Develop a baseline knowledge of relevant grants available through IIJA and IRA
2. Learn how not-for-profit and governmental utilities can now have access to financing through tax credits for projects previously only available to taxpaying entities through the IRA
3. Understand what you can be doing to ensure you won’t miss out on key sources of funding for upcoming projects

Presenter:

Doug Baldessari, CPA | Partner, Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors 

Dan La Haye, CPA | Senior Manager, Baker Tilly 

Session 2 | 1-2 p.m. CDT

Federal grant compliance and post-award management

Learning objectives:

Throughout this session learn how to set utilities up for successful post-award management of federal grants through best practices that ensure compliance, develop rapport with federal agencies, and maintain eligibility for further funding pursuit. This session will also provide an overview of the Code of Federal Regulation’s uniform standards for grant management and recent legislation’s impact on post-award requirements for governmental utilities.

1. Understand the fundamental compliance standards for federal grants in the Code of Federal Regulations, also known as 2 CFR §200
2. Prepare utilities for successful grant implementation and management by sharing best practices, including internal controls and written compliance policies, record retention, accounting and drawdown, evaluation metric tracking and reporting, and more
3. Discuss how recent legislation has impacted post-award management requirements

Presenter:

Miranda Wojciechowski, Ph.D. | Grant Writer, Baker Tilly 

Who should attend:

Leadership and professionals from municipal utilities, public utility districts, tribal utility authorities, and state, local and tribal government employees responsible for financial, management, public finance and human resource functions.