Funding Updates
Clean Hydrogen Hubs Get $7 Billion
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is investing $7 billion in America’s first Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs). The seven H2Hubs across the nation will accelerate the commercial-scale deployment of low-cost, clean hydrogen, kickstarting a national network of clean hydrogen producers, consumers, and infrastructure.
$9.5 Million Will Enhance Hydropower Flexibility
EERE’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) announced its intent to issue a $9.5 million funding opportunity this fall for research into hydropower grid flexibility. Hydropower supplies electricity immediately to the grid or stores it to meet real-time demand—cementing its important role in supporting a renewable electricity grid.
Earthshots Initiative
Energy Earthshot Launched to Lower Energy Bills in Affordable Housing
DOE launched its eighth and final Energy Earthshot to drive innovative clean energy solutions in the affordable housing sector. The Affordable Home Energy ShotTM goal is to reduce the cost of energy-efficient upgrades by 50% and decrease utility bills by 20% within a decade. DOE’s Energy Earthshots initiatives set ambitious goals to meet challenges in next-generation clean energy technologies.
Prizes and Competitions
Winners Announced in Final Phase of Hydropower Operations Optimization Prize
WPTO announced four winners in the Hydropower Operations Optimization (H2Os) Prize. These innovators devised ways to upgrade hydropower technology using modern solutions, such as modeling and machine learning. Winning teams split a $70,000 cash prize pool based on their performance during the National Hydropower Association’s Clean Currents Conference.
DOE Awards $22 Million to Advance Equitable Energy Efficiency and Electrification in Communities
EERE’s Building Technologies Office awarded 45 winners cash prizes and technical assistance during phase one of the Buildings Upgrade Prize. The prize supports the transformation of existing U.S. buildings into more energy-efficient and clean energy-ready homes, commercial spaces, and communities.
Buildings and Industry
Call for Papers — The REMADE Institute
The REMADE Institute is calling for papers covering a variety of subjects related to the circular economy. Academic experts and industry innovators are invited to submit abstracts for April’s REMADE Circular Economy Technology Summit & Conference, in partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and with support from EERE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office, by November 17.
2023 Housing Innovation Award Winners Honored
DOE announced the grand winners of the 2023 Housing Innovation Awards during a ceremony at the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance High Performance Home Building Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah. The award recognizes the nation’s leading builders of Zero Energy Ready Homes, the federal government’s highest certification program for home performance.
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Nine Reasons We Love Geothermal
October 17 was National Geothermal Day, and we celebrated by making a list of the things we love about this rock-solid renewable energy. Hidden beneath earth’s crust, geothermal will play a critical role in the clean energy transition.
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Hispanic Heritage Month
They Fought Droughts, Scaled Dams, and Sailed the Pacific on Their Path to Water Power
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, WPTO asked six water power pioneers to share their origin stories. Learn how whales, waterfalls, coastal childhoods, and even the pursuit of a career in economics led six scientists and engineers to fight climate change with help from water power.
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