OCED announced five projects selected for award negotiations for up to $475 million in funding to accelerate clean energy deployment on current and former mine land. As part of the Clean Energy Demonstration Program on Current and Former Mine Land (CEML), the selected projects cover a range of clean energy technologies, from solar, microgrids, and pumped storage hydropower to geothermal and battery energy storage systems and have the potential to be replicated and scaled on the millions of acres of current and former U.S. mine land. These projects will help provide the mining industry with a range of ways to decarbonize their operations and minimize environmental impacts and air pollutants, abating greenhouse gas emissions and disturbances to fragile, surrounding ecosystems. Learn more here.
OCED awarded $50M to Project Cypress as part of the Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs (DAC) program. This first tranche of funding is for activities in the initial project phase, which is expected to take two to three years and includes planning, design, and community and labor engagement activities. Project Cypress is a direct air capture facility that will capture existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in a geologic formation deep underground. Learn more here.
FY25 OCED Analysis Lab Call Issued
OCED issued an FY25 OCED Analysis Lab Call to lay the foundation for longer term activities at the DOE National Laboratories tied to OCED's growing project portfolio and long-term strategy. Work resulting from this lab call will be critical to understanding the economic, environmental and socioeconomic impacts of OCED projects, and provide the tools to continue to shape the office's future portfolio.
X-energy Opens Training Facility for Xe-100 Reactor
X-energy, one of OCED’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Projects (ARDP), opened its first Plant Support Center, a training facility in Frederick, Md., to train the next generation of nuclear operators on how to run the Xe-100 advanced reactor. The X-energy Plant Support Center will be a permanent fixture, responsible for training all the operators that will run Xe-100 reactors into the future. Learn more here.
This month, DOE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, announced $750 million in funding for 52 projects across the country to dramatically reduce the cost of clean hydrogen. The projects will advance electrolysis technologies and improve manufacturing and recycling capabilities for clean hydrogen systems and components. Learn more here.
DOE released its latest Pathways to Commercial Liftoff report focusing on the potential of next-generation geothermal power to transform the U.S. energy landscape. The report details the way advanced geothermal technology could increase the country’s geothermal energy production to 90 gigawatts or more by 2050—a twentyfold increase. Read the report here.
Rural and Remote Project Selections Regional Briefing
OCED continues to host regional briefings for the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) project selections, including the Western regional briefing set for Monday, April 1, 2024. This virtual briefing will provide information on the selected projects in the Western U.S., OCED’s approach to clean energy demonstrations, and opportunities for community engagement. Learn more here.
Industrial Demonstrations Project Selections Virtual Briefings
OCED is hosting a series of regional and sector-specific virtual briefings to provide information on the Industrial Demonstrations Program projects selected for award negotiations. These briefings will provide additional information on the selected projects, introduce OCED’s approach to clean energy demonstrations, and provide opportunities for industry and communities to engage further on specific projects of interest. Learn more here.
Mine Land Project Selections Virtual Briefings
OCED is co-hosting five virtual community briefings throughout the month of April to provide information on the Clean Energy Demonstration Program on Current and Former Mine Land projects selected for award negotiations. These briefings will provide project-specific information, an overview of OCED’s approach to clean energy demonstrations, and offer local communities an opportunity to learn about and provide input on the selected projects. Details here.
Hydrogen Hubs Listening Sessions Continues
OCED continues to host virtual listening sessions designed to bring relevant Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs stakeholders together, including OCED personnel, project teams, and local community members, to provide a forum for community members to formally offer input. Upcoming sessions are for the Mid-Atlantic Hub (MACH2), Gulf Coast Hub (HyVelocity), Midwest Hub (MachH2), and Pacific Northwest Hub (PNWH2). Learn more here.
|
