⚡ Improving Grid Reliability, Clean Transportation Fuels, and Wave Energy Technology

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 November 15, 2023

Funding Updates 

DOE Invests Nearly $44 Million for Innovations in Enhanced Geothermal Systems

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that its Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) field laboratory in Milford, UT, has selected 13 research projects to foster innovation in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS)—a technology that uses humanmade geothermal reservoirs to tap into earth’s heat almost anywhere. Awardees will receive a combined total of up to $44 million for research that will build on FORGE’s existing EGS work and focus on reproducible solutions and dissemination of technical data.

DOE Invests Nearly $8.4 Million to Advance Grid-Enhancing Technologies
DOE selected four organizations to receive nearly $8.4 million to develop technologies that will improve grid reliability, optimize electricity infrastructure, and facilitate grid connection with renewable resources. The selected projects are designed to accelerate the development of Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs) that maximize electricity transmission across existing systems to lower operating costs.

DOE Launches $1.7 Million Prize to Power Offshore Economy with Marine Energy
EERE’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) will award up to $1.7 million to competitors to advance technologies that use marine energy. The first phase of the Powering the Blue Economy™: Power at Sea Prize will center on developing teams and sound concepts, awarding up to 20 winners from a cash prize pool of up to $200,000. Submissions are due July 26, 2024.

DOE Intends to Fund Research for Waste-to-Energy Community Solutions

EERE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office and Vehicle Technologies Office intend to issue a funding opportunity to support communities that convert their organic waste into feedstocks for clean transportation fuels. The planned funding will help communities develop cost-effective approaches to manage their waste stream infrastructures and in meeting the demand for energy derived from waste streams.

Do Geothermal Heat Pumps Only Work in Hot Climates?

FACT: You can use a geothermal heat pump anywhere. The energy comes from below ground (30 feet is average), where temperatures are constant year-round—that means lower than average air temperatures in summer and, for cold climates, higher than average air temperatures in winter—because rocks and soil can store thermal energy. Learn more Clean Energy Facts.

Renewable News

DOE Announces Winners in First Round of Prize Focused on Novel Wave Energy Technologies

WPTO announced the Phase I winners of the Innovating Distributed Embedded Energy Prize (InDEEP). Nineteen teams shared $285,000 in cash prizes for their novel distributed embedded energy converter technology concepts to harness and convert the power of ocean waves into usable types of energy. Phase II of InDEEP is open and welcomes both new and returning competitors. Submissions are due May 7, 2024.

Success Story—New Tool Connects Multiple Microgrids to Increase Community Resilience

A team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is on the verge of demonstrating a new microgrid network that’s been in the works for years. In 2020, EERE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office awarded nearly $4 million to the team to develop software to manage electricity distribution within a network of solar-powered microgrids, localized electric grids that can disconnect from the main grid to operate independently. The team is in the final stages of testing in the mountain town of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico.

Events and Webinars 

Decarbonizing America’s Industrial Sector: IEDO’s Accomplishments and Priorities for 2024

Nov. 17 | 12 p.m. ET

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Coining a Cleaner Future: How to Finance Your Emissions Reduction Plan

Nov. 28 | 11 a.m. ET

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Clean Fuels & Products Energy Earthshot™ –Decarbonizing the Nation’s Fuels and Products

Nov. 28 | 4:00 p.m. ET

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Power at Sea Prize Webinar

Nov. 29 | 1 p.m. ET

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Geothermal Technologies Office Quarterly Webinar

Nov. 30 | 1:30 p.m. ET

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