Weekly Jolt ⚡️ Essential News for Clean Energy Champions

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September 13, 2023

Funding Updates 

DOE Opens $10 Million Program to Improve Planning, Siting, and Permitting for Large-Scale Renewable Energy

Applications are open for $10 million in funding and technical assistance to support the planning, siting, and permitting of large-scale renewable energy projects on private land. The support will help establish or expand state-based initiatives to improve renewable energy siting processes.

DOE Announces $18.6 Million to Support Production of Low-Carbon Biofuels and Bioproducts

Eight university and industry projects will benefit from $18.6 million in funding from EERE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office to develop biomass feedstocks. Successful selected projects will produce affordable biofuels and bioproducts that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support DOE’s investment in the development and production of biofuels, helping to meet the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge.

DOE Invests $61 Million to Fund Projects to Advance Clean Manufacturing

EERE selected 31 projects to accelerate research, development, and demonstration in domestic manufacturing and strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness. With over $61 million in federal funding, the selectees will drive innovation to advance the next-generation materials and manufacturing and related energy technologies to move the United States toward a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. 

DOE Announces Over $15 Million Toward Two Projects to Support Industry Engagement and Alignment for Clean Energy Solutions

DOE’s Offices of Technology Transitions and Clean Energy Demonstrations are providing $15.5 million for two projects to foster collaboration in the clean energy sector. These projects, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, focus on clean hydrogen and long-duration energy storage technologies to identify and address industry-wide adoption challenges.

DOE Invests More Than $13 Million to Enhance Continued Deployment of Hydropower

EERE’s Water Power Technologies Office is investing more than $13 million to accelerate hydropower as a critical source of clean energy. The seven selected projects will focus on retrofitting non-powered dams with an environmentally sustainable, power-generating infrastructure and will accelerate the expansion of pumped storage hydropower.

Renewable News

Solar Topics in Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer

EERE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office awarded more than $6 million to six solar companies through the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program’s FY23 Phase II Release 2. These companies are advancing innovative solar technologies in manufacturing, concentrating solar-thermal power, and power electronics.

Geothermal Collegiate Competition Registration Deadlines

The Geothermal Collegiate Competition invites teams from colleges and universities to develop real-world geothermal solutions while competing for cash prizes. Teams need to register by September 13 to be matched with an industry mentor. The final competition registration deadline is October 4.

Clean Energy Champions in Action

DOE Announces 2023 Clean Energy Education and Empowerment Awardees

Eleven women earned honors for outstanding leadership and accomplishments in clean energy in DOE’s 2023 Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) Awards. The C3E Initiative works to close the gender gap and increase the participation, leadership, and success of women in clean energy fields.

Join us every Thursday in September for a weekly webinar highlighting EERE careers in renewable energy, sustainable transportation and fuels, buildings and industry, and business operations. Hear from hiring managers about the duties and skills required for positions and how you can apply to be a clean energy champion.

Hydropower has been a reliable source of energy for our country since 1880, but most facilities are over 50 years old. Modernizing aging U.S. hydropower facilities is crucial for improving efficiency and grid resilience, so DOE is investing nearly $1 billion to upgrade and expand hydropower capacity while promoting innovation in the industry.

World Electrical Vehicle Day

Driving Change on World Electrical Vehicle Day

We celebrated the fourth annual World EV Day by sharing resources about electric vehicles. We’re taking action to put more EVs on the road to help eliminate air pollution from fossil fuels.

Events and Webinars 

BRIDGES Bioenergy 101 Webinar: Introducing Educators to Bioenergy National Laboratory Research

September 14 | 3 p.m. ET

Join DOE’s national labs for a professional development webinar to explore incorporating the BRIDGES Program, a bioenergy education curriculum, into your classroom.

Home Energy Score 101: Assessing Efficiency and Savings

Sept. 19 | 11 a.m. ET

Learn about the Home Energy Score™, a rating system that provides homeowners and renters with information about a home’s energy use, and how it can be useful in your residential market.

Biocarbon Incorporation into Transportation Fuels via Co-processing in Refineries

September 20 and 27

Join BETO for a 2-day webinar series that will highlight the key takeaways from the Bio-oil Co-processing with Refinery Streams project. Learn about the future of transportation fuels, the latest research, and cost-effective and practical methods for tracking biogenic carbon.

Good Jobs and Workforce Development Workshop in Atlanta, GA

September 21–22

Join DOE in Atlanta, GA, for a clean energy jobs and workforce accelerator workshop. We are seeking stakeholder input on how to fill the gaps in economic and workforce development efforts to ensure that investments in clean energy result in high-quality, accessible careers.  

Industrial Heat Shot Summit – Virtual Event

October 23 | 12:30 – 4 p.m. ET

Join the DOE for a discussion about the Industrial Heat Shot™, an initiative as part of the Energy Earthshots™, to develop cost-competitive industrial heat decarbonization technologies with at least 85% lower greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.