Funding Updates
DOE is accepting applications from all 50 states, five U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia for $250 million in formula funding through the Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund Capitalization Grant Program. This Bipartisan Infrastructure Law program will enable participants to establish revolving loan funds to invest in energy audits and energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits of commercial and residential buildings. States can use up to one-quarter of the funding for grants and technical assistance to low-income homeowners and small businesses. Applications are due by April 21, 2023.
Lithium is essential to the clean energy transition but is currently produced almost entirely outside the United States. EERE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office has announced a $12 million funding opportunity to advance the science of safe, cost-efficient lithium extraction and refining from geothermal brines in the U.S. Concept papers are due by December 9.
Energy Efficiency News
DOE staff toured Better Buildings, Better Plants partner Waupaca Foundry, Inc. to see firsthand examples of efficiency innovations in the company’s Wisconsin facilities. Waupaca received a 2022 Better Plants Better Project Award for upgrading and optimizing the compressed air system at one of its plants, increasing the system’s energy efficiency by 13.5% and reducing annual energy usage by 18,000 MMBtu and annual water usage by 13 million gallons.
Renewable News
In September, the Sooners Geothermal Team, from the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy at the University of Oklahoma, celebrated their first-place win in the Geothermal Technologies Office’s Geothermal Collegiate Competition by hosting a community event. The team shared their project design highlighting a system that repurposes six abandoned oil and gas wells to provide clean, renewable geothermal energy.
DOE and the U.S. National Science Foundation announced an internship program to support the goals of DOE's Enhanced Geothermal Systems Energy EarthShot. This joint collaboration is part of NSF’s INTERN program and will support 10 to 20 six-month research internships per year to work in the geothermal industry on projects that advance geothermal technologies.
Commemorating Veteran's Day
Meet Veteran and Clean Energy Champion Shane Beichner, operations supervisor for EERE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office. Read what he shared with us about his inspiration and commitment to both his military service and career in renewable energy.
National Apprenticeship Week
Apprentices “Earn While They Learn” to Build a Clean Energy Future
Apprenticeship programs have played an important role in building the United States and supporting its workforce. By combining mentorship, on-the-job training, and classroom instruction, registered apprenticeship programs (RAPs) offer a pathway to a range of careers in the energy industry. Workers who complete RAPs earn an average of $77,000 in their first year on the job. This is higher than the average salary of a worker in their twenties with a college degree ($52,000) and more than double the average salary of a worker in their twenties without a college degree ($30,000). Learn more about RAP’s and how you can advance your clean energy career or find qualified, high-skill workers.
Across the U.S., Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) set workers up for success in the growing clean energy economy. Watch to learn how several union workers found their RAP and how it’s helping them excel in their clean energy career.
Internships, Fellowships and Scholarships
Earn $5,000 toward your undergraduate education by designing an infographic about the leading methods used to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Submissions are due by November 30 and must include at least four current carbon-dioxide removal methods.
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