Wilson Sonsini's Energy and Climate Solutions group is pleased to provide our Clean Energy & Climate Solutions Federal Funding Database. As a new electronic platform, the database will develop and grow to serve as a central aggregation of relevant clean energy federal funding opportunities across the federal government with current or prospective openings for applications—a single source to track clean energy and climate solutions federal funding opportunities across the federal government (the DOE, EPA, USDA, and DOT, among others).
At present, the database is seeded with currently available opportunities funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and previous appropriations, but it will grow over time, and we intend to build in enhanced searchability and other options. As the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is implemented and subsequent funding announcements pursuant to the BIL and the CHIPS Act of 2022 are announced, the database will be updated with announcements of several billion dollars’ worth of grant, loan, and other non-dilutive awards from the federal government, specific deadlines, opportunities to engage, eligibility requirements, and links to application information. These federal funding opportunities are non-dilutive, support a redundant and therefore stable capital stack, bring a host of reputational benefits, and allow enterprises to leverage federal systems and expertise.
For a general guide to understanding how this federal funding works at a high level, particularly for those with less background on these topics, please see our white paper, Federal Funding Opportunities for Scaling Climate Solutions.
Clean Energy Demonstration Program on Current and Former Mine Land
The Department of Energy has issued a Request for Information to inform its award-making process to fund projects to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of carrying out clean energy projects on current and former mine land. Up to five 5 clean energy projects are to be carried out in geographically diverse regions, at least 2 of which shall be solar projects. The Department expects to issue a formal funding announcement in 2023. An estimated $500 million is available for this program.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Grid Modernization, CCUS, Energy Storage
General Department of Energy R&D Funding (Multiple Subject Areas)
The Department of Energy's Office of Science has an annual open solicitation that covers all research areas across the Office of Science and is open throughout the Fiscal Year. The current solicitation is open until September 30, 2022, or until it is succeeded with a subsequent issuance. Under this solicitation, the Office of Science will fund projects that are focused in the following program areas: Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Isotope R&D and Production, and Accelerator R&D and Production. All entities are eligible to apply, however, these funds are targeted towards basic science and early-stage research. Award amounts can reach up to approximately $5 million.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Biofuels, CCUS, Energy Storage, Conservation/Fish & Wildlife Habitat Restoration
Loan Programs Office Title 17 Innovative Clean Energy Loan Guarantees
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has posted a Innovative Clean Energy Solicitation under Title 17 to issue loan guarantees for projects that “avoid, reduce, utilize, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases” and “employ new or significantly improved technologies as compared to commercial technologies in service in the United States.” These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. This solicitation has approximately $4.5 billion in loan guarantee authority, and an additional amount of loan guarantee authority will be authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations.
Solar, Batteries, Hydrogen, Wind, EV Charging, Electric Vehicles, Transmission, CCUS, Energy Storage
Loan Programs Office Tribal Direct Loans and Loan Guarantees
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has issued a solicitation under its Tribal Loan Guarantee authority (TELGP) to issue direct loans and loan guarantees for certain eligible projects for energy development on Native lands, including electricity generation, transmission, and distribution facilities, energy storage, energy resource extraction, energy transportation facilities, heating and cooling facilities, cogeneration facilities, and distributed energy project portfolios. Further, DOE will prioritize projects that decrease energy burden, decrease environmental exposure and burdens, increase access to low-cost capital, increase clean energy job development and training, increase minority-owned or disadvantaged business enterprises, and increase energy resilience, among other environmental justice factors. These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. This solicitation has approximately $2 billion in loan guarantee authority, with further funding available to help defray application costs. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations. For this program, "Eligible Lenders" are those that are financial institutions, eligible Tribes, and others as defined in the solicitation that have existing relationships with eligible borrowers for an eligible project.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Biofuels, Wind, Transmission, Grid Modernization, CCUS, Energy Storage
Low-Income Community Solar Subscription Platform
The Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technology Office is currently seeking responses to a Request for Information regarding the development of a new platform to identify and make community solar with verified savings more accessible to Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) recipients. SETO is interested in freedback from all stakeholders, inlcuding community solar subcription managers and developers. Via the National Community Solar Partnership, run by SETO, DOE hopes to launch this program that will serve as a digital bridge between LIHEAP recipients intererested in community solar and vetted community solar providers. The platform will facilitate LIHEAP recipients to identify community solar providers. After an initial pilot stage in 3-5 states, DOE will open the program to interested states to support the platform. The platform hopes to reduce customer acquisition and management costs, build investor confidence in low-income community solar programs by minimizing the perceived credit risk of low-income subscribers and facilitate access to low-cost financing for the development of low-income community solar installations, and expand the community solar market in the United States. Solar developers and community solar providers may be interested in providing information to DOE to inform the launch of this program.
Perovskite Photovoltaics Research and Development Funding Opportunity
The Department of Energy has announced a funding opportunity for projects that reduce photovoltaics hardware costs and environmental impacts and increase perovskite module performance. Topic Area 1 seeks to fund up to ten research projects at a maximum of $1.5M per project in federal funds to produce low-cost, high-throughput photovoltaics module designs and processing methods to reduce the environmental burden; materials usage, market price, and availability in the metallization and contacting steps; and end-of-life handling of photovoltaic modules to support the transition to a decarbonized electricity system by 2035. Topic Area 2 seeks to fund up to two projects that will bring together teams of researchers from multiple institutions and/or companies to improve coordination among domestic researchers and address the major issues in perovskite solar cell devices that limit the durability, scale-up, and efficiency. A letter of intent must be submitted by August 5, 2022 at 5p.m. ET and a concept paper must be submitted by August 12, 2022. The full application is due October 17, 2022 with selection notifications expected in December 2022.
Pumped Storage Hydropower Wind and Solar Integration and System Reliability Initiative
The Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy has $10 million to provide financial assistance to eligible entities to carry out project design, transmission studies, power market assessments, and permitting for a pumped storage hydropower project to facilitate the long-duration storage of intermittent renewable electricity. The estimated application opening date is still to be determined.
Solar, Wind, Transmission, Grid Modernization, Energy Storage
Rural Energy for America Program
The Department of Agriculture's Rural Energy for America (REAP) program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing. These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. Further, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has appropriated over $2 billion in additional funding for the REAP program, so we expect this REAP Program to continue and be potentially expanded.
Solar, Hydrogen, Biofuels, Wind, Energy Storage
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technologies Office, issued a funding opportunity announcement to award projects that address one of two topic areas: (1) full-scale demonstration projects that seamlessly integrate renewable generation with other large-scale or aggregated distributed energy resource (DER) technologies to provide ancillary services and improve reliabilirt; (2) award projects that assist in the development of understanding of how protection systems will operate under very-high IBR scenarios through advancements in modeling and simulation capabilities. This funding announcement will support demonstration projects that will last for 6-12 months at wind, solar, or hybrid power plants at least 10 MW in size. Awards will range from $2 million to $17 million, and an estimated 6-10 total awards will be made. Concept papers are due September 1, 2022 at 5pm Eastern. Full applications are due November 10, 2022 at 5pm Eastern.
Solar, Batteries, Wind, Grid Modernization, Energy Storage
Solar Energy Research and Development
The Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy office will fund awards under cooperative agreements to fund research, development, demonstration, and commercialization activities to improve solar energy technologies. Application opening is expected in the 3rd quarter of 2022. $40 million is available for the program. Private, for-profit entities are eligible to apply. Funding may come in the form of grants, small business vouchers, prize competitions, or other mechanisms. Eligible projects will include establishing or maintaining demonstration facilities and projects. No further detail is available at this time, but more information on precise eligible projects and scoping parameters will be available in Q3 of 2022 when the announcement is made public.
Solar Energy Technology Recycling Research, Development, and Demonstration Program
The Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy office will issue awards via cooperative agreements and operating contracts with National Laboratories to fund projects that increase the reuse and recycling of solar energy technologies, including efficiency and cost effectiveness of the recovery of raw materials from solar components and systems, minimize environmental impacts from recovery and disposal processes, advancing technologies and processes for the disassembly and recycling of solar devices, developing alternative materials, designs, and manufacturing processes, and other project categories. DOE has $20 million for the program over a five-year period.
Solar Manufacturing Incubator Funding Opportunity
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) is funding RD&D that enables cost reductions, next-gen solar technologies, and American solar manufacturing especially in cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaics. There are two focus topic areas. Topic Area 1 is focused on R&D activities with the goal of develop new products or manufacturing processes in a proof of concept stage and bring them to prototype stage with valid pathways to commercial success. Topic Area 2 is focused on demonstration activities related to the domestic production of CdTe technology. A letter of intent must be submitted by September 16, 2022 at 5:00pm ET with full applications due on October 3, 2022. Award notification is expected January 31, 2023. Individual awards will range between $500k and $10 million.
The Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy office will issue grants to states to invest in smart manufacturing technologies. Eligible uses include access to high-performance computing resources for small and medium manufacturers and implementation of smart manufacturing technologies and practices. The estimated application opening date is the 4th quarter of 2022. $50 million is available for the program, and more information on specific project eligibility and timelines will accompany the application opening later this year.
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) and Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) are requesting information on technical and commercial challenges and opportunities for vehicle photovoltaic systems. This is not a funding announcement, but DOE may issue a funding announcement for vehicle photovoltaic systems depending upon the responses received in this RFI.
Solar, EV Charging, Electric Vehicles
Wind Energy Technology Manufacturing Recycling Research, Development, and Demonstration Program
The Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy office will fund research, development, demonstration, and commercialization projects to create innovative and practical approaches to increase the reuse and recycling of wind energy technologies. Eligible uses can include advancing technologies and processes for the disassembly and recycling of wind energy devices, recovery of raw materials, developing alternative materials, designs, and manufacturing processes, and other aspects of wind energy technologies and disassembly and resource recovery. $40 million is available for the program over a five-year period, and funding award opportunities are yet to be announced.
The Department of Energy has announced that it will fund research, development, demonstration, and commercialization activities to improve wind energy technologies. This is a very broad funding category that may include early-stage R&D, education and outreach, prize competitions, and analyses and reports, among others. Applications are expected to open in Q3 2022 and more details will be forthcoming. $60 million is available for the program.
Clean Energy Demonstration Program on Current and Former Mine Land
The Department of Energy has issued a Request for Information to inform its award-making process to fund projects to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of carrying out clean energy projects on current and former mine land. Up to five 5 clean energy projects are to be carried out in geographically diverse regions, at least 2 of which shall be solar projects. The Department expects to issue a formal funding announcement in 2023. An estimated $500 million is available for this program.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Grid Modernization, CCUS, Energy Storage
Clean Energy Vehicle, Charging Deployment, and Related Technologies Funding Announcement
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, will fund RD&D activities for a range of innovative technologies and solutions for on-road and off-road vehicles to develop and accelerate the charging infrastructure and reduction of vehicle GHG emissions. The focus will include projects that advance electric drive technologies using less rare-earth materials, will focus on cost-effective deployment of EV charging infrastructure for those without easy home charging, mobility options for underserved communities, battery and electrification technologies, materials technologies, energy-efficient commercial off-road vehicle technologies, medium/heavy duty vehicle corridor charging, and advanced engine and fuel technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce GHG emissions. DOE expects to make approximately $95.7 million available in funding for the full program, with individual awards ranging from $300k to $7.5 million. Interested applicants should view the Teaming List for interested entities, and immediately begin working on a concept paper, which is required to maintain eligibility. Concept papers are due August 25, 2022 at 5pm ET. Full applications are due November 10, 2022, and DOE expects to make selection decisions around March 2023.
Batteries, Hydrogen, Biofuels, EV Charging, Electric Vehicles, Grid Modernization, CCUS, Energy Storage
General Department of Energy R&D Funding (Multiple Subject Areas)
The Department of Energy's Office of Science has an annual open solicitation that covers all research areas across the Office of Science and is open throughout the Fiscal Year. The current solicitation is open until September 30, 2022, or until it is succeeded with a subsequent issuance. Under this solicitation, the Office of Science will fund projects that are focused in the following program areas: Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Isotope R&D and Production, and Accelerator R&D and Production. All entities are eligible to apply, however, these funds are targeted towards basic science and early-stage research. Award amounts can reach up to approximately $5 million.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Biofuels, CCUS, Energy Storage, Conservation/Fish & Wildlife Habitat Restoration
The Department of Energy's Grid Deployment Office is requesting information and feedback from stakeholders on issues related to the development of hydroelectric incentive programs authorized under sections 243 and 247 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58) (EPAct 2005), as amended by sections 40332 and 40333 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Specifically, the RFI seeks feedback on capital improvements, improving grid resiliency, dam safety, and environmental mitigation efforts. This RFI may result in a future award notification. DOE has a combined $753.6 million for these programs. Responses are due September 6, 2022.
Hydroelectric, Energy Storage, Conservation/Fish & Wildlife Habitat Restoration
Industrial Decarbonization RD&D Funding
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, on behalf of the Advanced Manufacturing Office, will issue a FOA around August 2022 to fund high-impact, applied research and development and prototype or pilot-scale demonstration projects to expedite the adoption of transformational industrial technology necessary to reduce energy usage and GHG emissions from high GHG-emitting industrial subsectors. This FOA will include technologies that focus on decarbonizing chemicals (advanced separations and advanced reactors, for example), decarbonizing iron and steel (ire-based or scrap-based iron and steelmaking operations, for example), decarbonizing food and beverage products, decarbonizing cement and concrete (novel cement formulations and process routes, utilization of low carbon fuels, and carbon capture technologies, for example), decarbonizing paper and forest products (wood drying technologies, for example), and cross-sector technologies such as low temperature waste heat to power and industrial heat pump technologies. Total award amount and individualized award amount details are forthcoming in the FOA.
Biofuels, Industrial Decarbonization Technologies, Wastewater, CCUS, Energy Storage
Loan Programs Office Title 17 Innovative Clean Energy Loan Guarantees
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has posted a Innovative Clean Energy Solicitation under Title 17 to issue loan guarantees for projects that “avoid, reduce, utilize, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases” and “employ new or significantly improved technologies as compared to commercial technologies in service in the United States.” These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. This solicitation has approximately $4.5 billion in loan guarantee authority, and an additional amount of loan guarantee authority will be authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations.
Solar, Batteries, Hydrogen, Wind, EV Charging, Electric Vehicles, Transmission, CCUS, Energy Storage
Loan Programs Office Tribal Direct Loans and Loan Guarantees
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has issued a solicitation under its Tribal Loan Guarantee authority (TELGP) to issue direct loans and loan guarantees for certain eligible projects for energy development on Native lands, including electricity generation, transmission, and distribution facilities, energy storage, energy resource extraction, energy transportation facilities, heating and cooling facilities, cogeneration facilities, and distributed energy project portfolios. Further, DOE will prioritize projects that decrease energy burden, decrease environmental exposure and burdens, increase access to low-cost capital, increase clean energy job development and training, increase minority-owned or disadvantaged business enterprises, and increase energy resilience, among other environmental justice factors. These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. This solicitation has approximately $2 billion in loan guarantee authority, with further funding available to help defray application costs. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations. For this program, "Eligible Lenders" are those that are financial institutions, eligible Tribes, and others as defined in the solicitation that have existing relationships with eligible borrowers for an eligible project.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Biofuels, Wind, Transmission, Grid Modernization, CCUS, Energy Storage
Program Upgrading Our Electric Grid and Ensuring Reliability and Resiliency
The Department of Energy will issue $5 billion in competitive federal financial assistance to states, local governments, and Tribes to support electric sector owners and operators with projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to hardening and enhancing resilience and reliability of transmission, storage, and distribution infrastructure. Formal funding notice is expected later in 2022.
Transmission, Grid Modernization, Energy Storage
Pumped Storage Hydropower Wind and Solar Integration and System Reliability Initiative
The Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy has $10 million to provide financial assistance to eligible entities to carry out project design, transmission studies, power market assessments, and permitting for a pumped storage hydropower project to facilitate the long-duration storage of intermittent renewable electricity. The estimated application opening date is still to be determined.
Solar, Wind, Transmission, Grid Modernization, Energy Storage
Rare Earth Elements Demonstration Facility
The Department of Energy's Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains has $140 million at a 50 percent cost-share to provide grants to demonstrate the feasibility of a full-scale integrated rare earth element extraction and separation facility and refinery facilities. The program seeks to fund projects that (A) provide environmental benefits through use of feedstock derived from acid mine drainage, mine waste, or other deleterious material; (B) separate mixed rare earth oxides into pure oxides of each rare earth element; (C) refine rare earth oxides into rare earth metals; or (D) provide for separation of rare earth oxides and refining into rare earth metals at a single site. DOE has already collected information through a Request for Information and next milestone is to open applications for funding.
The Department of Energy will fund 6-10 regional clean hydrogen hubs set forth in in Section 40314 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With $8 billion in funding, the Hubs will create a network of hydrogen producers and related technology manufacturers, consumers, and local connective infrastructure to accelerate the use of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier. The FOA will be issued around September or October 2022, and concept papers will likely be due 6-8 weeks after this announcement, with invitations to submit a full proposal following weeks after that deadline. Interested entities will want to connect with a regional hub planning on submitting a response to the upcoming FOA, which are principally organized through multi-state or regional consortiums. Hub applicants will have approximately 4 months to apply, and each regional Hub selected by the program administrators will receive at the low-end approximately $400-500 million and at the high end approximately $1 billion in federal awards with a 50 percent non-federal cost share. Applicant cost-share must be derived from non-federal sources (except where allowed by law), and importantly, DOE Loan Programs Office financing may not be used. The Hubs will be structured in four phases, covering project planning, project development, permitting, and financing, installation, integration, and construction, and ramp-up and sustained operations.
Nuclear, Hydrogen, Industrial Decarbonization Technologies, Wastewater, CCUS, Energy Storage
Rural Energy for America Program
The Department of Agriculture's Rural Energy for America (REAP) program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing. These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. Further, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has appropriated over $2 billion in additional funding for the REAP program, so we expect this REAP Program to continue and be potentially expanded.
Solar, Hydrogen, Biofuels, Wind, Energy Storage
Solar and Wind Grid Services Reliability Demonstration
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technologies Office, issued a funding opportunity announcement to award projects that address one of two topic areas: (1) full-scale demonstration projects that seamlessly integrate renewable generation with other large-scale or aggregated distributed energy resource (DER) technologies to provide ancillary services and improve reliabilirt; (2) award projects that assist in the development of understanding of how protection systems will operate under very-high IBR scenarios through advancements in modeling and simulation capabilities. This funding announcement will support demonstration projects that will last for 6-12 months at wind, solar, or hybrid power plants at least 10 MW in size. Awards will range from $2 million to $17 million, and an estimated 6-10 total awards will be made. Concept papers are due September 1, 2022 at 5pm Eastern. Full applications are due November 10, 2022 at 5pm Eastern.
Solar, Batteries, Wind, Grid Modernization, Energy Storage
The Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy issued an FOA for innovative research and development activities supporting the existing nuclear fleet and development of new and next-generation reactor designs and technologies. This Funding Announcement is designed to provide support for the revitalization and expansion of the U.S. nuclear industry by encouraging growth of a pipeline of advanced nuclear reactors, specifically through public-private partnerships. Eligible projects can include cross-cutting basic/fundamental, applied R&D, and demonstration/commercial application R&D activities. Specifically, technical areas will include advanced nuclear reactor designs, including small modular reactors, first-of-a-kind reactor design, certification, and licensing issues, advanced manufacturing for nuclear parts and components, sensors, instrumentation, and control systems, and many more areas. Given the complex regulatory and licensing issues at play for nuclear facilities, this funding announcement also includes specific regulatory assistance grants for supporting work with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Applications are due September 14, 2022. The total expected funding for all awards over the five-year period is $250 million, contingent upon congressional appropriations. Awards range from $50k for regulatory assistance grants to $20 million for first-of-a-kind nuclear demonstration readiness projects.
Clean Energy Demonstration Program on Current and Former Mine Land
The Department of Energy has issued a Request for Information to inform its award-making process to fund projects to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of carrying out clean energy projects on current and former mine land. Up to five 5 clean energy projects are to be carried out in geographically diverse regions, at least 2 of which shall be solar projects. The Department expects to issue a formal funding announcement in 2023. An estimated $500 million is available for this program.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Grid Modernization, CCUS, Energy Storage
Clean Energy Vehicle, Charging Deployment, and Related Technologies Funding Announcement
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, will fund RD&D activities for a range of innovative technologies and solutions for on-road and off-road vehicles to develop and accelerate the charging infrastructure and reduction of vehicle GHG emissions. The focus will include projects that advance electric drive technologies using less rare-earth materials, will focus on cost-effective deployment of EV charging infrastructure for those without easy home charging, mobility options for underserved communities, battery and electrification technologies, materials technologies, energy-efficient commercial off-road vehicle technologies, medium/heavy duty vehicle corridor charging, and advanced engine and fuel technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce GHG emissions. DOE expects to make approximately $95.7 million available in funding for the full program, with individual awards ranging from $300k to $7.5 million. Interested applicants should view the Teaming List for interested entities, and immediately begin working on a concept paper, which is required to maintain eligibility. Concept papers are due August 25, 2022 at 5pm ET. Full applications are due November 10, 2022, and DOE expects to make selection decisions around March 2023.
Batteries, Hydrogen, Biofuels, EV Charging, Electric Vehicles, Grid Modernization, CCUS, Energy Storage
Clean Hydrogen Manufacturing, Recycling, and Electrolysis
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy will fund projects that promote a research, development, demonstration, commercialization, and deployment program for purposes of commercialization to improve the efficiency, increase the durability, and reduce the cost of producing clean hydrogen using electrolyzers. Currently the Department has issued an RFI, and a funding announcement is expected in the 4th quarter of 2022. An estimated $100 million is available for this program.
The Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Office will fund community-scale geothermal projects aimed at deploying new or retrofitted geothermal heating and cooling systems, identifying solutions for environmental justice conditions, assisting communities to develop career and technical education and workforce transition initiatives for geothermal heating and cooling, developing case studies about geothermal projects, publishing data and information about geothermal heating and cooling system deployments. Applications are due October 11, 2022 at 5:00pm ET with selections expected in March 2023. DOE will award $300,000 to $13 million dollar awards for eligible projects. DOE expects to make 1-10 awards under the initial phase and 1-4 awards in the second phase following a downselect process ranging from $2.5 to $10 million.
General Department of Energy R&D Funding (Multiple Subject Areas)
The Department of Energy's Office of Science has an annual open solicitation that covers all research areas across the Office of Science and is open throughout the Fiscal Year. The current solicitation is open until September 30, 2022, or until it is succeeded with a subsequent issuance. Under this solicitation, the Office of Science will fund projects that are focused in the following program areas: Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Isotope R&D and Production, and Accelerator R&D and Production. All entities are eligible to apply, however, these funds are targeted towards basic science and early-stage research. Award amounts can reach up to approximately $5 million.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Biofuels, CCUS, Energy Storage, Conservation/Fish & Wildlife Habitat Restoration
Loan Programs Office Title 17 Innovative Clean Energy Loan Guarantees
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has posted a Innovative Clean Energy Solicitation under Title 17 to issue loan guarantees for projects that “avoid, reduce, utilize, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases” and “employ new or significantly improved technologies as compared to commercial technologies in service in the United States.” These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. This solicitation has approximately $4.5 billion in loan guarantee authority, and an additional amount of loan guarantee authority will be authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations.
Solar, Batteries, Hydrogen, Wind, EV Charging, Electric Vehicles, Transmission, CCUS, Energy Storage
Loan Programs Office Title 17 Innovative Nuclear Loan Guarantees
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has posted an Innovative Nuclear Solicitation under Title 17 to issue loan guarantees for certain eligible nuclear projects, including new technologies that reduce GHG emissions and include advanced nuclear facilities, manufacturing of nuclear supply components and advanced reactors, uranium conversion, uranium enrichment, nuclear fuel fabrication, uprates, upgrades, and pink hydrogen. These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. This solicitation has approximately $10.9 billion in loan guarantee authority. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations.
Loan Programs Office Tribal Direct Loans and Loan Guarantees
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has issued a solicitation under its Tribal Loan Guarantee authority (TELGP) to issue direct loans and loan guarantees for certain eligible projects for energy development on Native lands, including electricity generation, transmission, and distribution facilities, energy storage, energy resource extraction, energy transportation facilities, heating and cooling facilities, cogeneration facilities, and distributed energy project portfolios. Further, DOE will prioritize projects that decrease energy burden, decrease environmental exposure and burdens, increase access to low-cost capital, increase clean energy job development and training, increase minority-owned or disadvantaged business enterprises, and increase energy resilience, among other environmental justice factors. These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. This solicitation has approximately $2 billion in loan guarantee authority, with further funding available to help defray application costs. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations. For this program, "Eligible Lenders" are those that are financial institutions, eligible Tribes, and others as defined in the solicitation that have existing relationships with eligible borrowers for an eligible project.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Biofuels, Wind, Transmission, Grid Modernization, CCUS, Energy Storage
The Department of Energy will fund 6-10 regional clean hydrogen hubs set forth in in Section 40314 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With $8 billion in funding, the Hubs will create a network of hydrogen producers and related technology manufacturers, consumers, and local connective infrastructure to accelerate the use of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier. The FOA will be issued around September or October 2022, and concept papers will likely be due 6-8 weeks after this announcement, with invitations to submit a full proposal following weeks after that deadline. Interested entities will want to connect with a regional hub planning on submitting a response to the upcoming FOA, which are principally organized through multi-state or regional consortiums. Hub applicants will have approximately 4 months to apply, and each regional Hub selected by the program administrators will receive at the low-end approximately $400-500 million and at the high end approximately $1 billion in federal awards with a 50 percent non-federal cost share. Applicant cost-share must be derived from non-federal sources (except where allowed by law), and importantly, DOE Loan Programs Office financing may not be used. The Hubs will be structured in four phases, covering project planning, project development, permitting, and financing, installation, integration, and construction, and ramp-up and sustained operations.
Nuclear, Hydrogen, Industrial Decarbonization Technologies, Wastewater, CCUS, Energy Storage
Rural Energy for America Program
The Department of Agriculture's Rural Energy for America (REAP) program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing. These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. Further, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has appropriated over $2 billion in additional funding for the REAP program, so we expect this REAP Program to continue and be potentially expanded.
Solar, Hydrogen, Biofuels, Wind, Energy Storage
Clean Energy Vehicle, Charging Deployment, and Related Technologies Funding Announcement
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, will fund RD&D activities for a range of innovative technologies and solutions for on-road and off-road vehicles to develop and accelerate the charging infrastructure and reduction of vehicle GHG emissions. The focus will include projects that advance electric drive technologies using less rare-earth materials, will focus on cost-effective deployment of EV charging infrastructure for those without easy home charging, mobility options for underserved communities, battery and electrification technologies, materials technologies, energy-efficient commercial off-road vehicle technologies, medium/heavy duty vehicle corridor charging, and advanced engine and fuel technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce GHG emissions. DOE expects to make approximately $95.7 million available in funding for the full program, with individual awards ranging from $300k to $7.5 million. Interested applicants should view the Teaming List for interested entities, and immediately begin working on a concept paper, which is required to maintain eligibility. Concept papers are due August 25, 2022 at 5pm ET. Full applications are due November 10, 2022, and DOE expects to make selection decisions around March 2023.
Batteries, Hydrogen, Biofuels, EV Charging, Electric Vehicles, Grid Modernization, CCUS, Energy Storage
General Department of Energy R&D Funding (Multiple Subject Areas)
The Department of Energy's Office of Science has an annual open solicitation that covers all research areas across the Office of Science and is open throughout the Fiscal Year. The current solicitation is open until September 30, 2022, or until it is succeeded with a subsequent issuance. Under this solicitation, the Office of Science will fund projects that are focused in the following program areas: Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Isotope R&D and Production, and Accelerator R&D and Production. All entities are eligible to apply, however, these funds are targeted towards basic science and early-stage research. Award amounts can reach up to approximately $5 million.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Biofuels, CCUS, Energy Storage, Conservation/Fish & Wildlife Habitat Restoration
The Department of Energy's Grid Deployment Office is requesting information and feedback from stakeholders on issues related to the development of hydroelectric incentive programs authorized under sections 243 and 247 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58) (EPAct 2005), as amended by sections 40332 and 40333 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Specifically, the RFI seeks feedback on capital improvements, improving grid resiliency, dam safety, and environmental mitigation efforts. This RFI may result in a future award notification. DOE has a combined $753.6 million for these programs. Responses are due September 6, 2022.
Hydroelectric, Energy Storage, Conservation/Fish & Wildlife Habitat Restoration
Industrial Decarbonization RD&D Funding
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, on behalf of the Advanced Manufacturing Office, will issue a FOA around August 2022 to fund high-impact, applied research and development and prototype or pilot-scale demonstration projects to expedite the adoption of transformational industrial technology necessary to reduce energy usage and GHG emissions from high GHG-emitting industrial subsectors. This FOA will include technologies that focus on decarbonizing chemicals (advanced separations and advanced reactors, for example), decarbonizing iron and steel (ire-based or scrap-based iron and steelmaking operations, for example), decarbonizing food and beverage products, decarbonizing cement and concrete (novel cement formulations and process routes, utilization of low carbon fuels, and carbon capture technologies, for example), decarbonizing paper and forest products (wood drying technologies, for example), and cross-sector technologies such as low temperature waste heat to power and industrial heat pump technologies. Total award amount and individualized award amount details are forthcoming in the FOA.
Biofuels, Industrial Decarbonization Technologies, Wastewater, CCUS, Energy Storage
Loan Programs Office Tribal Direct Loans and Loan Guarantees
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has issued a solicitation under its Tribal Loan Guarantee authority (TELGP) to issue direct loans and loan guarantees for certain eligible projects for energy development on Native lands, including electricity generation, transmission, and distribution facilities, energy storage, energy resource extraction, energy transportation facilities, heating and cooling facilities, cogeneration facilities, and distributed energy project portfolios. Further, DOE will prioritize projects that decrease energy burden, decrease environmental exposure and burdens, increase access to low-cost capital, increase clean energy job development and training, increase minority-owned or disadvantaged business enterprises, and increase energy resilience, among other environmental justice factors. These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. This solicitation has approximately $2 billion in loan guarantee authority, with further funding available to help defray application costs. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations. For this program, "Eligible Lenders" are those that are financial institutions, eligible Tribes, and others as defined in the solicitation that have existing relationships with eligible borrowers for an eligible project.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Biofuels, Wind, Transmission, Grid Modernization, CCUS, Energy Storage
The Department of Energy will fund 6-10 regional clean hydrogen hubs set forth in in Section 40314 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With $8 billion in funding, the Hubs will create a network of hydrogen producers and related technology manufacturers, consumers, and local connective infrastructure to accelerate the use of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier. The FOA will be issued around September or October 2022, and concept papers will likely be due 6-8 weeks after this announcement, with invitations to submit a full proposal following weeks after that deadline. Interested entities will want to connect with a regional hub planning on submitting a response to the upcoming FOA, which are principally organized through multi-state or regional consortiums. Hub applicants will have approximately 4 months to apply, and each regional Hub selected by the program administrators will receive at the low-end approximately $400-500 million and at the high end approximately $1 billion in federal awards with a 50 percent non-federal cost share. Applicant cost-share must be derived from non-federal sources (except where allowed by law), and importantly, DOE Loan Programs Office financing may not be used. The Hubs will be structured in four phases, covering project planning, project development, permitting, and financing, installation, integration, and construction, and ramp-up and sustained operations.
Nuclear, Hydrogen, Industrial Decarbonization Technologies, Wastewater, CCUS, Energy Storage
Rural Energy for America Program
The Department of Agriculture's Rural Energy for America (REAP) program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing. These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. Further, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has appropriated over $2 billion in additional funding for the REAP program, so we expect this REAP Program to continue and be potentially expanded.
Solar, Hydrogen, Biofuels, Wind, Energy Storage
The Department of Energy will provide formula grants to State Energy Offices to support electric transmission and distribution planning as well as planning activities and programs that help reduce carbon emissions in all sectors of the economy, including the transportation sector and accelerate the use of alternative transportation fuels and vehicle electrification. States will need contractors to outfit buildings with renewable clean energy, provide electric or alternative fuel vehicles, provide related infrastructure, and other related activities. $500 million is available for the program, and the first round of funds should be released later in 2022.
Biofuels, EV Charging, Electric Vehicles, Transmission, Grid Modernization
The Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy issued an FOA for innovative research and development activities supporting the existing nuclear fleet and development of new and next-generation reactor designs and technologies. This Funding Announcement is designed to provide support for the revitalization and expansion of the U.S. nuclear industry by encouraging growth of a pipeline of advanced nuclear reactors, specifically through public-private partnerships. Eligible projects can include cross-cutting basic/fundamental, applied R&D, and demonstration/commercial application R&D activities. Specifically, technical areas will include advanced nuclear reactor designs, including small modular reactors, first-of-a-kind reactor design, certification, and licensing issues, advanced manufacturing for nuclear parts and components, sensors, instrumentation, and control systems, and many more areas. Given the complex regulatory and licensing issues at play for nuclear facilities, this funding announcement also includes specific regulatory assistance grants for supporting work with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Applications are due September 14, 2022. The total expected funding for all awards over the five-year period is $250 million, contingent upon congressional appropriations. Awards range from $50k for regulatory assistance grants to $20 million for first-of-a-kind nuclear demonstration readiness projects.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Regional Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hubs
The Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), on behalf of the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) has issued a Notice of Intent to establish a program under which the Secretary shall provide funding for eligible projects that contribute to the development of 4 regional direct air capture hubs. A regional direct air capture hub is defined as one that— (i) facilitates the deployment of direct air capture (DAC) projects; (ii) has the capacity to capture and sequester, utilize, or sequester and utilize at least 1,000,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually from a single unit or multiple interconnected units; (iii) demonstrates the capture, processing, delivery, and sequestration or end-use of captured carbon; and (iv) could be developed into a regional or interregional carbon network to facilitate sequestration or carbon utilization. A formal funding notice has not yet been announced but it is expected later in 2022. $3.5 billion is available for the program, with $700 million expended over the five-year period.
Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects Program
The Department of Energy's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations intends to issue a FOA funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in August/September 2022. This FOA will fund “domestic commercial-scale CCS technology demonstration projects designed to further the development, deployment, and commercialization of technologies to capture and geologically store CO2 emissions. Two projects are to be at new or existing, coal electric generation facilities, two projects are to be at new or existing, natural gas electric generation facilities, and two projects are to be at new or existing, industrial facilities not purposed for electric generation. DOE seeks to fund projects that demonstrate substantial improvements in the efficiency, effectiveness, cost, and environmental performance of carbon capture technologies for power, industrial, and other commercial applications.” DOE anticipates four phases with funding of $160 million for Phase 1 and $2.1 billion for phases 2-4.
Carbon Capture Technology Program, Front-End Engineering Design for Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Transport
DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) intends to issue a FOA on behalf of FECM and funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in the first quarter of FY 2023. “The FOA will be issued to conduct FEED studies of commercial-scale CO2 pipeline projects that transport CO2 from anthropogenic sources to CO2 conversion plants and/or to secure geologic storage facilities, with emphasis on FEED studies in different geographic regions that will provide DOE with increased understanding of CO2 transport costs, transport network configurations, and technical, regulatory, and commercial considerations to inform DOE’s R&D strategy and to encourage industrial-scale deployment of CCUS/CDR.” This FOA is anticipated to make available $100 million over the course of five FY for cost-shared FEED studies. Questions or comments regarding the NOI must be submitted by October 21, 2022.
Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Industrial Decarbonization through Electrification of Process Heating Funding
The Department of Energy has announced a new Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute that will advance decarbonization of the industrial sector by funding targeted RD&D efforts that focus on scaling electrified processes that can economically reduce emissions, improve flexibility, and enhance energy efficiency of industrial process heating. DOE expects to make approximately $70 million available in funding for the full program. Awards may be made via cooperative agreements, technology investment agreements, or other forms. Concept papers are due August 9, 2022 at 5pm ET. Full applications are due October 25, 2022, and DOE expects to make selection decisions in or around March 2023.
General Department of Energy R&D Funding (Multiple Subject Areas)
The Department of Energy's Office of Science has an annual open solicitation that covers all research areas across the Office of Science and is open throughout the Fiscal Year. The current solicitation is open until September 30, 2022, or until it is succeeded with a subsequent issuance. Under this solicitation, the Office of Science will fund projects that are focused in the following program areas: Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Isotope R&D and Production, and Accelerator R&D and Production. All entities are eligible to apply, however, these funds are targeted towards basic science and early-stage research. Award amounts can reach up to approximately $5 million.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Biofuels, CCUS, Energy Storage, Conservation/Fish & Wildlife Habitat Restoration
Industrial Decarbonization RD&D Funding
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, on behalf of the Advanced Manufacturing Office, will issue a FOA around August 2022 to fund high-impact, applied research and development and prototype or pilot-scale demonstration projects to expedite the adoption of transformational industrial technology necessary to reduce energy usage and GHG emissions from high GHG-emitting industrial subsectors. This FOA will include technologies that focus on decarbonizing chemicals (advanced separations and advanced reactors, for example), decarbonizing iron and steel (ire-based or scrap-based iron and steelmaking operations, for example), decarbonizing food and beverage products, decarbonizing cement and concrete (novel cement formulations and process routes, utilization of low carbon fuels, and carbon capture technologies, for example), decarbonizing paper and forest products (wood drying technologies, for example), and cross-sector technologies such as low temperature waste heat to power and industrial heat pump technologies. Total award amount and individualized award amount details are forthcoming in the FOA.
Biofuels, Industrial Decarbonization Technologies, Wastewater, CCUS, Energy Storage
Loan Programs Office Title 17 Innovative Clean Energy Loan Guarantees
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has posted a Innovative Clean Energy Solicitation under Title 17 to issue loan guarantees for projects that “avoid, reduce, utilize, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases” and “employ new or significantly improved technologies as compared to commercial technologies in service in the United States.” These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. This solicitation has approximately $4.5 billion in loan guarantee authority, and an additional amount of loan guarantee authority will be authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations.
Solar, Batteries, Hydrogen, Wind, EV Charging, Electric Vehicles, Transmission, CCUS, Energy Storage
Loan Programs Office Title 17 Innovative Fossil Loan Guarantees
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has posted an Innovative Clean Fossil Solicitation under Title 17 to issue loan guarantees for certain eligible fossil fuel projects that reduce GHG emissions and are new technologies, including hydrogen fuel cell technology, carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration, production facilities for the manufacture of fuel-efficient vehicles, pollution control equipment, energy storage technologies, and processes for reducing emissions for industrial applications such as iron, steel, cement, and ammonia production. These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. This solicitation has approximately $8.5 billion in loan guarantee authority. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations.
Loan Programs Office Tribal Direct Loans and Loan Guarantees
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has issued a solicitation under its Tribal Loan Guarantee authority (TELGP) to issue direct loans and loan guarantees for certain eligible projects for energy development on Native lands, including electricity generation, transmission, and distribution facilities, energy storage, energy resource extraction, energy transportation facilities, heating and cooling facilities, cogeneration facilities, and distributed energy project portfolios. Further, DOE will prioritize projects that decrease energy burden, decrease environmental exposure and burdens, increase access to low-cost capital, increase clean energy job development and training, increase minority-owned or disadvantaged business enterprises, and increase energy resilience, among other environmental justice factors. These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. This solicitation has approximately $2 billion in loan guarantee authority, with further funding available to help defray application costs. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations. For this program, "Eligible Lenders" are those that are financial institutions, eligible Tribes, and others as defined in the solicitation that have existing relationships with eligible borrowers for an eligible project.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Biofuels, Wind, Transmission, Grid Modernization, CCUS, Energy Storage
The Department of Energy will fund 6-10 regional clean hydrogen hubs set forth in in Section 40314 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With $8 billion in funding, the Hubs will create a network of hydrogen producers and related technology manufacturers, consumers, and local connective infrastructure to accelerate the use of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier. The FOA will be issued around September or October 2022, and concept papers will likely be due 6-8 weeks after this announcement, with invitations to submit a full proposal following weeks after that deadline. Interested entities will want to connect with a regional hub planning on submitting a response to the upcoming FOA, which are principally organized through multi-state or regional consortiums. Hub applicants will have approximately 4 months to apply, and each regional Hub selected by the program administrators will receive at the low-end approximately $400-500 million and at the high end approximately $1 billion in federal awards with a 50 percent non-federal cost share. Applicant cost-share must be derived from non-federal sources (except where allowed by law), and importantly, DOE Loan Programs Office financing may not be used. The Hubs will be structured in four phases, covering project planning, project development, permitting, and financing, installation, integration, and construction, and ramp-up and sustained operations.
Nuclear, Hydrogen, Industrial Decarbonization Technologies, Wastewater, CCUS, Energy Storage
Regional Initiative to Accelerate Carbon Management Deployment
The Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement seeking applications for financial assistance awards that would support the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s Carbon Transport and Storage Program. There are two areas of interest. Area of Interest 1 is for technical assistance for geologic CO2 storage and transport for large scale storage facilities and within prospective regional carbon management hubs. Area of Interest 2 is targeted toward State Geological Surveys or equivalent state agencies data gathering and analysis to support large scale storage facilities and regional carbon management hub development. FOA is expected to be announced in Q1 of FY23. $20 million is available for the program at a 20 percent cost share with the federal government.
The Department of Energy's Grid Deployment Office is requesting information and feedback from stakeholders on issues related to the development of hydroelectric incentive programs authorized under sections 243 and 247 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58) (EPAct 2005), as amended by sections 40332 and 40333 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Specifically, the RFI seeks feedback on capital improvements, improving grid resiliency, dam safety, and environmental mitigation efforts. This RFI may result in a future award notification. DOE has a combined $753.6 million for these programs. Responses are due September 6, 2022.
Hydroelectric, Energy Storage, Conservation/Fish & Wildlife Habitat Restoration
EV Charging and EV Vehicles
Clean Energy Vehicle, Charging Deployment, and Related Technologies Funding Announcement
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, will fund RD&D activities for a range of innovative technologies and solutions for on-road and off-road vehicles to develop and accelerate the charging infrastructure and reduction of vehicle GHG emissions. The focus will include projects that advance electric drive technologies using less rare-earth materials, will focus on cost-effective deployment of EV charging infrastructure for those without easy home charging, mobility options for underserved communities, battery and electrification technologies, materials technologies, energy-efficient commercial off-road vehicle technologies, medium/heavy duty vehicle corridor charging, and advanced engine and fuel technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce GHG emissions. DOE expects to make approximately $95.7 million available in funding for the full program, with individual awards ranging from $300k to $7.5 million. Interested applicants should view the Teaming List for interested entities, and immediately begin working on a concept paper, which is required to maintain eligibility. Concept papers are due August 25, 2022 at 5pm ET. Full applications are due November 10, 2022, and DOE expects to make selection decisions around March 2023.
Batteries, Hydrogen, Biofuels, EV Charging, Electric Vehicles, Grid Modernization, CCUS, Energy Storage
EPA Clean School Bus Program
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, pursuant to a new program authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is currently providing rebates for schools to replace old school buses with new buses that are battery-electric, CNG, or propane drivetrain. More funding is available for electric school buses, generally. For-profit, third-party entities may apply directly on behalf of school districts. Charging or fueling infrastructure can also be funded under the program. Currently the program creates a list of prioritized school districts under the statute, which are selected using the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) School District Estimates for 2020 and is defined as those having a 20 percent or more of students living in poverty. Further, prioritized school districts include those identified as rural pursuant to school district locale codes from the National Center for Education Statistics, and Tribal schools. The program will likely evolve to include not just rebates, but direct grants, and possibly other forms of awards. Rebates are available on a sliding scale, depending upon whether the school district meets one or more prioritization criteria and across technology-type. For example, Class 7 and Class 3-6 electric school buses can receive anywhere from $190k to $375k per bus. Applications for this first funding round close August 19, 2022; however, there will be subsequent funding rounds in the future.
Loan Programs Office Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Financing
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office funds the manufacture of eligible light-duty vehicles and qualifying components under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program (ATVM). These applications are accepted on a rolling basis. ATVM has approximately $15.1 billion in loan guarantee authority. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 further authorizes additional funding for this program. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations.
Loan Programs Office Title 17 Innovative Clean Energy Loan Guarantees
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has posted a Innovative Clean Energy Solicitation under Title 17 to issue loan guarantees for projects that “avoid, reduce, utilize, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases” and “employ new or significantly improved technologies as compared to commercial technologies in service in the United States.” These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. This solicitation has approximately $4.5 billion in loan guarantee authority, and an additional amount of loan guarantee authority will be authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations.
Solar, Batteries, Hydrogen, Wind, EV Charging, Electric Vehicles, Transmission, CCUS, Energy Storage
The Department of Energy will provide formula grants to State Energy Offices to support electric transmission and distribution planning as well as planning activities and programs that help reduce carbon emissions in all sectors of the economy, including the transportation sector and accelerate the use of alternative transportation fuels and vehicle electrification. States will need contractors to outfit buildings with renewable clean energy, provide electric or alternative fuel vehicles, provide related infrastructure, and other related activities. $500 million is available for the program, and the first round of funds should be released later in 2022.
Biofuels, EV Charging, Electric Vehicles, Transmission, Grid Modernization
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) and Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) are requesting information on technical and commercial challenges and opportunities for vehicle photovoltaic systems. This is not a funding announcement, but DOE may issue a funding announcement for vehicle photovoltaic systems depending upon the responses received in this RFI.
Solar, EV Charging, Electric Vehicles
Building Technologies Office's Draft Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation (RECI) Funding
The Department of Energy will issue awards over the next five years to state agencies or an organization in partnership with an eligible entity through a competitive bid process to enable sustained, cost-effective implementation of updated building energy codes to save customers money on their energy bills. $225 million will be available over this 5-year period to fund activities such as updating new energy and other building codes to promote energy savings, positively impact building and grid resilience, occupant safety and health, long-term sustainability and savings, and other criteria. DOE has issued an RFI to date which closed in May 2022, and is expected to issue a formal funding notice later this year. An estimated $225 million is available for this program.
Building Energy Efficiency, Grid Modernization
The Department of Energy will issue formula grants to states under the Weatherization Assistance Program to increase the energy efficiency of dwellings owned or occupied by low-income persons, reduce their total residential energy expenditures, and improve their health and safety, especially low-income persons who are particularly vulnerable such as the elderly, the handicapped, and children. The program is administered by state agencies, and individuals apply directly to the program, which are then further in some instances operated by sub-state level weatherization agencies; individuals must find weatherization providers, providing opportunity for for-profit entities to partner to provide these services.
The Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy office intends to issue a funding announcement on behalf of the Building Technology Office to aid in the implementation of updated building energy codes with focus areas of: (1) State and Local Code Adoption; (2) Workforce Development; (3) Implementation and Compliance; (4) Innovative Approaches; (5) Equity, Energy and Environmental Justice; and, (6) Partnerships. The primary applicant must be a state agency but partnerships, including with private for profits, are eligible and will be given priority. The full FOA is expected to be released in October 2022. $225 million is available for the program.
Building Technologies Office's Draft Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation (RECI) Funding
The Department of Energy will issue awards over the next five years to state agencies or an organization in partnership with an eligible entity through a competitive bid process to enable sustained, cost-effective implementation of updated building energy codes to save customers money on their energy bills. $225 million will be available over this 5-year period to fund activities such as updating new energy and other building codes to promote energy savings, positively impact building and grid resilience, occupant safety and health, long-term sustainability and savings, and other criteria. DOE has issued an RFI to date which closed in May 2022, and is expected to issue a formal funding notice later this year. An estimated $225 million is available for this program.
Clean Energy Demonstration Program on Current and Former Mine Land
The Department of Energy has issued a Request for Information to inform its award-making process to fund projects to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of carrying out clean energy projects on current and former mine land. Up to five 5 clean energy projects are to be carried out in geographically diverse regions, at least 2 of which shall be solar projects. The Department expects to issue a formal funding announcement in 2023. An estimated $500 million is available for this program.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Grid Modernization, CCUS, Energy Storage
Loan Programs Office Title 17 Innovative Clean Energy Loan Guarantees
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has posted a Innovative Clean Energy Solicitation under Title 17 to issue loan guarantees for projects that “avoid, reduce, utilize, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases” and “employ new or significantly improved technologies as compared to commercial technologies in service in the United States.” These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. This solicitation has approximately $4.5 billion in loan guarantee authority, and an additional amount of loan guarantee authority will be authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations.
Solar, Batteries, Hydrogen, Wind, EV Charging, Electric Vehicles, Transmission, CCUS, Energy Storage
Loan Programs Office Tribal Direct Loans and Loan Guarantees
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has issued a solicitation under its Tribal Loan Guarantee authority (TELGP) to issue direct loans and loan guarantees for certain eligible projects for energy development on Native lands, including electricity generation, transmission, and distribution facilities, energy storage, energy resource extraction, energy transportation facilities, heating and cooling facilities, cogeneration facilities, and distributed energy project portfolios. Further, DOE will prioritize projects that decrease energy burden, decrease environmental exposure and burdens, increase access to low-cost capital, increase clean energy job development and training, increase minority-owned or disadvantaged business enterprises, and increase energy resilience, among other environmental justice factors. These applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the solicitation period ends. This solicitation has approximately $2 billion in loan guarantee authority, with further funding available to help defray application costs. LPO has a plethora of training resources on how to apply for these funds and offers no-cost pre-application solicitations. For this program, "Eligible Lenders" are those that are financial institutions, eligible Tribes, and others as defined in the solicitation that have existing relationships with eligible borrowers for an eligible project.
Solar, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Biofuels, Wind, Transmission, Grid Modernization, CCUS, Energy Storage
Modeling and Assessing Energy Infrastructure Risk / Advanced Energy Security Program to Secure Energy Networks
The Department of Energy will fund projects to increase the functional preservation of electric grid operations or natural gas and oil operations in the face of threats and hazards. Eligible uses include efforts to identify and fix risks in electric grid cybersecurity and modelling to predict impacts from potential shocks to the system. Applications are expected to open in the 4th quarter of 2022. An estimated $50 million is available for this program.
Preventing Outages and Enhancing Resilience of the Electric Grid
The Department of Energy's Office of Electricity, under its Building a Better Grid Initiative, has issued a notice of intent to provide grants focused on increasing resilience of the transmission grid. This funding will be used to carry out activities that are supplemental to existing hardening efforts and reduce the risk of power lines causing a wildfire; or reduce the likelihood and consequences of disruptive events. $2.5 billion will be available in matching grants for industry and $2.5 billion in formula grants for states and American Indian tribes. Application announcements are expected later in 2022.
Program Upgrading Our Electric Grid and Ensuring Reliability and Resiliency
The Department of Energy will issue $5 billion in competitive federal financial assistance to states, local governments, and Tribes to support electric sector owners and operators with projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to hardening and enhancing resilience and reliability of transmission, storage, and distribution infrastructure. Formal funding notice is expected later in 2022.
Transmission, Grid Modernization, Energy Storage
Pumped Storage Hydropower Wind and Solar Integration and System Reliability Initiative
The Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy has $10 million to provide financial assistance to eligible entities to carry out project design, transmission studies, power market assessments, and permitting for a pumped storage hydropower project to facilitate the long-duration storage of intermittent renewable electricity. The estimated application opening date is still to be determined.
Solar, Wind, Transmission, Grid Modernization, Energy Storage
Smart Grid Investment Matching Grant Program
The Department of Energy is expected to announce a funding opportunity at the end of 2022 to award grants for utilities to implement smart grid and energy efficiency technologies including metering technologies, technology to incorporate EVs into the grid, software and hardware for building demand flexibility, infrastructure for communication networks between distribution networks, and advanced transmission technologies.$3 billion is available for the program over a 5-year period, with $600 million available each fiscal year.
Solar and Wind Grid Services Reliability Demonstration
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technologies Office, issued a funding opportunity announcement to award projects that address one of two topic areas: (1) full-scale demonstration projects that seamlessly integrate renewable generation with other large-scale or aggregated distributed energy resource (DER) technologies to provide ancillary services and improve reliabilirt; (2) award projects that assist in the development of understanding of how protection systems will operate under very-high IBR scenarios through advancements in modeling and simulation capabilities. This funding announcement will support demonstration projects that will last for 6-12 months at wind, solar, or hybrid power plants at least 10 MW in size. Awards will range from $2 million to $17 million, and an estimated 6-10 total awards will be made. Concept papers are due September 1, 2022 at 5pm Eastern. Full applications are due November 10, 2022 at 5pm Eastern.
Solar, Batteries, Wind, Grid Modernization, Energy Storage
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technologies Office, issued a funding opportunity announcement to award projects that address one of two topic areas: (1) full-scale demonstration projects that seamlessly integrate renewable generation with other large-scale or aggregated distributed energy resource (DER) technologies to provide ancillary services and improve reliabilirt; (2) award projects that assist in the development of understanding of how protection systems will operate under very-high IBR scenarios through advancements in modeling and simulation capabilities. This funding announcement will support demonstration projects that will last for 6-12 months at wind, solar, or hybrid power plants at least 10 MW in size. Awards will range from $2 million to $17 million, and an estimated 6-10 total awards will be made. Concept papers are due September 1, 2022 at 5pm Eastern. Full applications are due November 10, 2022 at 5pm Eastern.
Solar, Batteries, Wind, Grid Modernization, Energy Storage
The Department of Energy's Office of Electricity will issue loans, direct financing, and capacity purchases to facilitate the construction of electric power transmission lines and related facilities to enable greater clean energy growth and provide low-cost clean energy. $2.5 billion is available for the program, and further funding award information is expected in quarter 1 of 2023.
DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.
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