Last Week’s Highlights

LPO Announces Conditional Commitment to Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge to Advance Domestic Production of Lithium and Boron, Boost U.S. Battery Supply Chain

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) has offered a conditional commitment to lend up to $700 million to Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC to develop a domestic supply of lithium carbonate for electric vehicle (EV) batteries from the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project (Rhyolite Ridge) in Esmeralda County, Nevada. The project is being developed by Ioneer ltd (Ioneer). If finalized, LPO’s loan to the Rhyolite Ridge project would finance the on-site processing of lithium carbonate that could potentially support production of lithium for approximately 370,000 EVs each year. This project could reduce annual gasoline consumption by nearly 145 million gallons and prevent the release of 1.29 million tons of carbon dioxide each year. The Rhyolite Ridge project is projected to create up to 600 construction jobs and approximately 250-300 operations jobs. Learn more about this exciting, new conditional commitment here! 

Funding Announcements to Note (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law–funded announcements are listed in bold)

Funding Opportunity Award (FOA) 

• EECBG Formula Program Funding Opportunity: The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program Formula Grant Application is now open for eligible entities! Read more below about the essentials needed to apply for $430 million in clean energy and energy efficiency funding. Eligibility lists for states, local governments, and tribes. | EECBG Program Administrative and Legal Requirements Document (ALRD)
• Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation:   The activities to be funded under this FOA support the BIL, as well as a broader government-wide approach to advance building codes and support their successful implementation. The primary focus centers around updating to more efficient building energy codes that save money for American homes and businesses, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and encourage more resilient buildings. This FOA includes one topic area broadly focused on the cost-effective implementation of updated energy codes. DOE expects to make a total of approximately $45,000,000 of federal funding available for new awards under this FOA, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. DOE anticipates making approximately 10-30 awards under this FOA. DOE may issue one, multiple, or no awards. Individual awards may vary between $500,000 and $10,000,000. Deadline: March 27
• Grid Resilience State/Tribal Formula Grant Program: Under Section 40101(d) Formula Grant Program of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Department of Energy will provide grants to States (including U.S. Territories) and Indian Tribes to improve the resilience of their electric grids. States and Indian Tribes may further allocate funds to “eligible entities”, as defined by Section 40101(d). These grants offer a unique opportunity to advance the capabilities of States and Indian Tribes, and their communities, to address not only current, but future resilience needs. The requirements of this formula grant program are defined within Section 40101(d) of the BIL. Section 40101(d) stipulates that DOE allocate funding annually through grants to States and Indian Tribes according to a formula that includes such parameters as population, land area, and the historical precedence for experiencing disruptive events. Deadline: March 23
• Regional Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hubs - This FOA shall provide funding for eligible projects that contribute to the development and demonstration of four (4) domestic Regional DAC Hubs to accelerate the commercialization of CO2 removal via integrated capture from the atmosphere, processing, transport, and secure geologic storage and/or conversion. *Deadline: March 13*
• FOA to Address Key Deployment Challenges for Offshore, Land-Based, and Distributed Wind - The activities to be funded under this FOA support BIL section 41007(b)(1) and the broader government-wide approach to enable the innovations needed to advance U.S. wind systems, reduce the cost of electricity, and accelerate the deployment of wind power, maximize the benefits of the clean energy transition as the nation works to curb the climate crisis, empower workers, and advance environmental justice. *Deadline: March 10*
• Energy Improvements at Public K-12 School Facilities – Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) - Renew America’s Schools - The activities to be funded under this FOA support BIL section 40541 and the broader government-wide approach to support projects that enable replicable and scalable impacts, create innovative, sustaining partnerships, leverage funding and economies of scale, focus on disadvantaged communities, improve student, teacher, and occupant health, enrich learning and growth, assist schools that serve as community assets (e.g., neighborhood cooling centers or disaster recovery shelters), and are crafted thoughtfully within the context of public school facilities (e.g., procurement restraints, construction windows, etc.). *Deadline: April 21*
• Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund Capitalization Grant Program - The Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund Capitalization Grant Program is designed to provide capitalization grants to States to establish a revolving loan fund under which the State shall provide loans and grants for energy efficiency audits, upgrades, and retrofits to increase energy efficiency and improve the comfort of buildings. *Deadline: April 21*
• Energy Storage Demonstration Pilot Grants and Long-Duration Energy Storage Demonstration Initiative and Joint Program *Deadline: March 3*
• Water Power Projects: Innovative Technologies to Enable Low Impact Hydropower and Pumped Storage Hydropower Growth *Deadline: March 5*
• Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Funding Opportunity Announcement – For this initial FOA launch, DOE envisions selecting six (6) to ten (10) H2Hubs for a combined total of up to $6-7 billion in federal funding. DOE may issue a second launch of this FOA to solicit additional H2Hubs beyond those selected in the initial launch. Other FOA launches or use of Other Transaction Authorities may also be used to solicit new technologies, capabilities, end-uses, or partners. *Deadline: April 7*
• I2X launch (Interconnection and Innovation Exchange) 
• Industrial Assessment Centers Program – Centers of Excellence – Funding to establish up to five regional Centers of Excellence at existing Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) to coordinate with and advise IACs located in the regions of the Centers of Excellence. *Deadline: February 17*
• Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) Pilot Demonstrations: The Topic Areas addressed under this FOA are:
  • Topic Area 1: EGS Proximal Demonstrations: EGS demonstrations utilizing existing infrastructure proximal to existing geothermal / hydrothermal development with immediate potential for electrical power production.
  • Topic Area 2: EGS Green Field Demonstrations: Sites with no existing geothermal development and potential for shallow sedimentary, igneous and/or mixed metamorphic rock EGS with near-term electrical power production potential.
  • Topic Area 3: Super-hot / Supercritical EGS Demonstrations: Super-hot/ supercritical EGS demonstrations located at well-characterized sites with existing well(s) in place and with near-term electrical power production potential. *Deadline: June 16*
• Large Wind Turbine Materials and Manufacturing:  This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is being issued by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) on behalf of the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO). The goals of this FOA are to:
  • Further develop broad, foundational, manufacturing “platform” technologies and address gaps and barriers that are currently limiting use of composite materials in clean energy and decarbonization-related applications with wind energy applications as the primary FOA focus;
  • Enable additive manufacturing processes for rapid prototyping, tooling, fabrication, and testing of large wind blades;
  • Apply additive manufacturing to non-blade wind turbine components; and
  • Mature nascent technologies, processes, and methods that improve one or more aspects of advanced composites manufacturing, including automation, and sustainability (including recycling) of these materials. *Deadline: May 9*
• Reducing Agricultural Carbon Intensity and Protecting Algal Crops (RACIPAC): The Bioenergy Technologies Office’s (BETO’s) Renewable Carbon Resources (RCR) program develops science-based strategies and technologies to cost-effectively transform renewable carbon resources such as agricultural waste and algae into high-quality, environmentally sustainable, conversion-ready feedstocks for biofuels and bioproducts. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA), through two distinct topic areas – the first focused on climate-smart agricultural practices and the second on algae crop protection – supports BETO’s RCR Program’s strategies for the development of conversion-ready feedstocks for biofuels and bioproducts and supports the Biden Administration’s goal to produce sustainable aviation fuels. *Deadline: May 16*
• Onsite Energy Technical Assistance Partnerships: The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Onsite Energy Technical Assistance Partnerships.” This FOA will invest up to $23 million for the development and operations of the Onsite Energy Technical Assistance Partnerships (TAPs). This FOA supports DOE’s industrial decarbonization strategy by providing technical assistance to help industrial facilities and other large energy users increase the adoption of clean onsite energy technologies. *Deadline: April 21* 
• Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office FOA in Support of Hydrogen Shot – The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002920 on behalf of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO), which coordinates hydrogen activities with offices across DOE as described in the DOE Hydrogen Program Plan. These activities align with the DOE National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap and specific DOE initiatives. *Deadline: April 28*
• AMMTO-BTO and OE FY23 Multi-Topic FOA – This multitopic FOA is a joint effort between EERE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO), the Building Technologies Office (BTO), and DOE’s Office of Electricity (OE).
• Decarbonization of Water Resource Recovery Facilities (D-WRRF) – The purpose of this FOA is to stimulate RD&D to decarbonize the entire life cycle of Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs), formerly known as Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs). It targets both individual unit processes at earlier stages of technological development, and entire treatment trains at higher levels of technological readiness. It seeks to address both direct and indirect emissions from WRRFs, with the complementary goal of reducing costs, particularly in energy usage and sludge management, to improve the probabilities of real-world adoption. *Deadline: April 3*
• Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) – 2022/2023 – The 2022/2023 BENEFIT FOA will invest up to $15.35M - $45.2M across 5 topic areas to allow all interested parties to research and develop high-impact, cost-effective technologies and practices that will reduce carbon emissions, improve flexibility and resilience, as well as lower energy costs. *Deadline: April 5*
• Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) 2022 Appropriations – Program providing direct funding to federal agencies for the development of capital projects to initiate, supplement, improve or otherwise increase the viability and deployment of widespread energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate change mitigation and adaptation-resilience technology at U.S. federal government-owned facilities.

Requests for Information (RFI) 

• Inflation Reduction (IRA) Transmission Siting and Economic Development Grants Program *Deadline: March 3*
• Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Home Efficiency Electrification and Rebate Programs *Deadline: March 3*
• IACs at Trade Schools, Community Colleges, and Union Training Programs; and Building Training and Assessments Centers (BTAC) *Deadline: TBD*
• Use of Demand-Side Support for Clean Energy Technologies *Deadline: TBD*

Notices of Intent (NOI) 

• Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis, Manufacturing, and Recycling
• Advanced Clean Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program 
• Carbon Utilization Procurement
• U.S. Tidal Energy Advancement 
• Pumped Storage Hydropower Wind and Solar Integration and System Reliability Initiative   
• Hydropower Research, Development, and Demonstration 
• Program Upgrading our Electric Grid and Ensuring Reliability and Resiliency 
• Transitioning Tribal Colleges and Universities to Clean Energy – 2023 
• Industrial Decarbonization and Emissions Reduction Demonstration – to – Deployment 
• Onsite Energy Technical Assistance Partnerships
• BENEFIT 2022
• FY23 Appropriated Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) 

Upcoming Webinars and Events

• Joint DOE/EDA Webinar Series: Investing in Energy Communities – February 21 and 22: DOE MESC and EDA are inviting small- and medium-sized manufacturers, universities, place-based stakeholders, regional, state, and local economic and community development entities, and all other interested parties to join the webinar to learn more about the program and the potential for maximizing DOE’s place-based investments for wide-ranging community and regional impact in these energy communities. While webinars will seek to bring together organizations from specific geographies each session, we invite participants from outside of those areas to join as well. In addition, a recording of a webinar will be uploaded onto the program website for accessing at a later date. Webinars will be held on the following dates and times (all times EST), and prospective applicants will have the opportunity to engage with place-based stakeholders whose organizations serve the corresponding focus areas:
  • Tuesday, February 21, 11:00am –Illinois Basin Region Register here
  • Tuesday, February 21, 4:00pm –Intermountain West Region (including Northern Rocky Mountain and Four Corners regions) Register here
  • Wednesday February 22, 11:00am – Appalachia Register here

Each webinar will also walk participants through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Community Benefits Plan Requirements. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grants Program – Fact Sheet | Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grants Program – Notice of Intent| DOE Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains 

QUESTIONS? Contact 40209program@hq.doe.gov

• Floating Offshore Wind Shot Summit – February 22 and 23 | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET: Join Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and the departments of Interior, Commerce, and Transportation for a virtual conference to discuss the Floating Offshore Wind Shot—an ambitious initiative to cut the cost of floating offshore wind energy by over 70% by 2035. 
• DOE’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity’s 2023 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Connect Summit – February 23 and 28| 8 a.m. ET and 10 a.m. ET: Join the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Economic Impact and Diversity as they host Minority Business Enterprises(Women, Veteran, Hispanic, African American, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian), Community Development Financial Institutions, Green Banks, and higher educational institutions to learn more about DOE Program offices, funding opportunities, and opportunities to collaborate.
  • 2023 MBE DOE Connect Summit Tickets, Thu, Feb 23, 2023 at 8:00 AM | Eventbrite 
  • 2023 MBE DOE Connect Virtual Summit Tickets, Tue, Feb 28, 2023 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite
• EERE Workshop: Renewable Energy Deployment Challenges and Opportunities for Community Engagement – February 27 I 2:00 PM EST: The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is inviting all State and Territory Energy Offices (SEOs) to the second in a series of workshops on renewable energy siting. There will be an additional discussion session with the session speakers from 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET for follow up questions. As large-scale wind and solar energy deployment gains momentum, developers, state and local governments, and host communities are increasingly facing challenges with the siting of these facilities. These challenges include navigating zoning ordinances and land use permitting processes, addressing resident perspectives and concerns, quantifying community benefits, mitigating environmental impacts, among many others. Prioritizing and improving community engagement strategies can help renewable energy developers and local governments address these challenges and improve siting outcomes. Given the scale and urgency of renewable energy deployment, this second workshop will highlight challenges and opportunities associated with engaging host communities and explore the role that SEOs and other organizations can play in improving community engagement and siting outcomes.  Panel discussions will include perspectives from renewable energy developers, local government officials, and state extension offices.  They will provide insights into their roles in renewable energy development, approaches for engaging communities considering renewable energy projects, and highlight opportunities to leverage trusted community engagement organizations to support project development. 
• Gearing Up for 2030: Building the Offshore Wind Supply Chain and Workforce Needed to Deploy 30 Gigawatts and Beyond – March 2 | 2:00 PM EST: Join the U.S. Department of Energy Wind Energy Technologies Office’s WINDExchange initiative for a webinar on the current state and future needs of the U.S. offshore wind energy workforce and supply chain. Register to attend the webinar—even if you can’t make the live event! Registrants will receive a recording of the webinar.

US DOE News

2/9: Washington, DC – DOE Launches Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation

2/8: Washington, DC – Biden-Harris Administration Announces $74 Million to Advance Enhanced Geothermal Systems

2/3: Washington, DC— Readout of Secretary Granholm’s Third Visit to Puerto Rico (en español) 

Call for Applications/Submissions/Sign-Ups 

Sign Up for the Office of State and Energy Community (SCEP) State and Local Spotlight Newsletter! 

A monthly update from the office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) for state, local, and K-12 officials featuring resources to advance successful, high-impact, and long-lasting energy efficiency and renewable energy partnerships, programs, and projects.

Sign Up for the Grid Deployment Office’s (GDO) Newsletter! 

DOE’s Grid Deployment Office has launched their GovDelivery eblast system and are going to be using it for program level announcements, event and webinar invitations, accomplishments, reports, etc.

Sign up for the Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) Newsletters!

Receive the latest information on WETO funding opportunities, events, and other news by subscribing to the monthly Catch the Wind newsletter, as well as the comprehensive, biannual Research and Development (R&D) Newsletter.

DOE and NSF Announce New Internship Program to Support Growth of Geothermal Energy Workforce 

To help advance the geothermal energy industry, DOE and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) have announced an internship program. This collaboration is part of NSF’s INTERN program and will support 10 to 20 six-month research internships per year on projects that advance geothermal technologies. Applications are due by April 15, 2023. 

DOE Launches Two Workforce Development Programs to Support Zero-Energy Buildings 

To prepare building-design professionals and high school students interested in clean energy careers, DOE expanded the Solar Decathlon to include two workforce development programs. Solar Decathlon Professionals is a 10-week course co-developed by the American Institute of Architects to train professionals to incorporate zero-energy building techniques into their work. Email aiau@aia.org to learn more. Solar Decathlon Pathways will connect high school students with Solar Decathlon competition alumni to explore career opportunities in sustainable buildings.

Additional Resources

• DOE’s New Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) Program – Technical Assistance – Programming connecting local governments, electric utilities, community-based groups, and others with experts from across the DOE national laboratory complex and their customized, cutting-edge analysis. 
• How to Engage with Treasury on Clean Energy Tax Incentives | The White House
• STATE FACT SHEETS: How the Inflation Reduction Act Lowers Energy Costs, Creates Jobs, and Tackles Climate Change Across America
• Homeowner’s Guide to the Federal Tax Credit for Solar Photovoltaics (also in Spanish here)
• Federal Solar Tax Credits for Businesses
• Federal Tax Credits for Solar Manufacturers
• ICYMI: Reaching for the Solar Future – How the Inflation Reduction Act Impacts Solar Deployment and Expands Manufacturing (including slides) 
• Updated IIJA State Fact Sheets – The White House 
• UPDATED DOE Energy Saver Guide 
• FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Lower Energy Costs for Families
• The Biden-Harris Economic Blueprint – September 2022
• Updated Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Fact Sheet – June 2022 
• White House IRA Website: Clean Energy for All | The White House 
• White House BIL Website: Building a Better America | The White House
• DOE Rural Opportunity Tour Fact Sheet: Rural Opportunity Tour Fact Sheet | Department of Energy
• DOE’s first-ever Equity Action Plan
• DOE Clean Energy Corps 
• Justice 40 Resources
  • A letter from Secretary Granholm on the Department’s commitment to Justice40 implementation
  • ICYMI: Justice40 Kickoff Webinar Recording 
  • J40 general guidance document
  • Justice40 covered programs list
  • The DACs Reporter tool, which allow users to explore and produce reports on the census tracts DOE has categorized as DACs 
  • Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)
  • Justice40 Fact Sheet 
  • Energy Justice Mapping Tool