Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin: The States With the Most Open Energy Grants Right Now

If you manage facilities or energy projects in the Midwest or Southeast, you're operating in one of the richest regions for state and local energy funding in the country. Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin consistently rank among the top states for open grant and loan programs — and the majority of eligible organizations aren't applying for them.

Here's what's currently available in each state — and how to find out what's open where you operate. All programs referenced below are searchable in the UtilityGenius database.

Ohio: 29 Open Programs

Ohio's funding landscape is anchored by the Ohio Department of Development, which runs multiple concurrent programs: the Energy Efficiency Program for Manufacturers and Nonmanufacturers, the Energy Loan Fund, and the CDBG Economic Development Program — a federal passthrough that funds both energy and infrastructure upgrades. The state also benefits from active transportation-linked grant programs through the Ohio Department of Transportation, making it one of the few states where EV charging infrastructure projects can draw from multiple independent funding streams simultaneously.

For manufacturers in particular, Ohio's programs are unusually accessible — eligibility thresholds are lower than many comparable states, and several programs accept rolling applications rather than fixed annual windows.

See all 29 open Ohio programs. Browse Ohio grants and incentives on UtilityGenius — free to search.

Tennessee: 17 Open Programs

Tennessee's programs skew heavily toward economic development grants, which is a meaningful advantage for manufacturers and businesses making capital investments in energy efficiency. The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development runs programs including the FastTrack Economic Development Fund and the Grant Opportunity Fund, both of which can offset the cost of qualifying energy and infrastructure improvements tied to job creation or business expansion.

For municipal clients and government facility managers, Tennessee also has active programs through the Department of Environment and Conservation supporting environmental and energy infrastructure at the community level — a frequently overlooked funding source for public sector projects.

All 17 open Tennessee programs are searchable on UtilityGenius. Sign up free to filter by technology and incentive type.

Wisconsin: 28 Open Programs

Wisconsin punches above its weight in energy funding depth. The state combines a strong set of CDBG-funded programs through the Department of Administration — covering economic development, emergency assistance, and public facilities — with the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands' State Trust Fund Loan Program, one of the most flexible low-interest loan vehicles available to public entities in any state.

Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources and Department of Transportation operate independent funding streams on top of that, meaning a single well-structured project may qualify under multiple agencies. It's a strong state for incentive stacking — combining grant, loan, and rebate funding on the same project.

Explore all 28 open Wisconsin programs. Search Wisconsin on UtilityGenius and see what your projects qualify for.

What About Your State?

South Carolina leads all states with 29 open programs. Minnesota has 23. North Carolina, California, Missouri, and Kansas each have 20 or more. Across 52 states and territories, there are over 570 currently open programs — and that number changes every quarter as new cycles open and old ones close.

The challenge isn't that funding doesn't exist in your state. It's knowing where to find it, tracking deadlines, and identifying which programs align with your specific project types and customer profiles.

Stop relying on agency newsletters and word of mouth. UtilityGenius maintains a live, searchable database of every open state and local program. Create your free account and see what's available in your state today.