US DOE release solicitation to foster clean energy innovation

In support of the Obama Administration’s all of the above energy strategy, the DOE issued a draft loan guarantee solicitation on 16 April for innovative renewable energy end energy efficiency projects located in the US that avoid, reduce or sequester greenhouse gases. When finalised, the solicitation is expected to make as much as US$ 4 billion in loan guarantees available to help commercialise technologies that may be unable to obtain full commercial financing. This draft solicitation is said to represent another step in the Department’s commitment to help overcome the financial barriers to the deployment of innovative, clean energy technologies.

Draft contents

The solicitation is intended to support technologies that are catalytic, replicable and market ready. Within the draft, the DOE has included a sample list illustrative of potential technologies for consideration. While any project that meets the eligibility requirements is eligible to apply, the Department has identified five key technology areas of interest:

• Advanced grid integration and storage.
• Drop in biofuels.
• Waste to energy.
• Enhancement of existing facilities.
• Efficiency improvements.

Next steps

The DOE is welcoming public comment on a range of issues and will consider public feedback in defining the scope of the final solicitation. In addition to initiating a 30 day public comment period, a schedule of public meetings will be posted on the Department’s website and the draft solicitation can be found at http://lpo.energy.gov.

Once the solicitation is finalised, the DOE’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) will be accepting applications in three areas which also include the US$ 8 billion Advanced Fossil Energy Projects Solicitation that was released in December 2013 and the US$ 16 billion Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program.

Comments

Secretary Ernest Moniz said, "through our existing renewable energy loan guarantees, the Department’s Loan Programs Office helped launch the US utility scale solar industry and other clean energy technologies that are now contributing to our clean energy portfolio. We want to replicate that success by focusing on technologies that are on the edge of commercial scale deployment today."

Adapted from press release by Claira Lloyd

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/17042014/clean_energy_innovation_solicitation/