The U.S. Department of Energy announced on July 23 a funding opportunity of up to $65.5 million to advance domestic oil and natural gas production and delivery, supporting President Trump’s Executive Order, “Unleashing American Energy.” The initiative aims to ensure Americans have access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy through the responsible development of the nation’s oil and natural gas resources.
DOE Under Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit said, “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the Energy Department is making strategic investments to strengthen America’s oil and natural gas industry and reinforce the critical infrastructure that powers our economy. This funding opportunity will help American producers eliminate waste, improve efficiency, and deliver the affordable, reliable, and secure energy that powers our economy and strengthens our national security.”
The Notice of Funding Opportunity seeks innovative proposals in three main areas: maximizing the value of stranded or underutilized resources by transforming them into high-value products; enhancing supply chain durability by developing advanced materials for infrastructure reliability; and optimizing operations through digitalization using smart test sites for continuous monitoring systems. Projects are expected to range from laboratory-scale validation to field-testing new technologies in active production basins.
This announcement follows DOE’s recent $150 million funding opportunity focused on improving recovery efficiency from unconventional reservoirs, advancing hydraulic fracture characterization technologies, and managing produced water. The application deadline for this new notice is September 22 at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Other recent initiatives from DOE include a $225 million program funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for implementing building energy codes designed to increase resilience and efficiency in construction standards across states; this was announced in July 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. In addition, DOE recently announced a $96 million opportunity aimed at decarbonizing transportation through electric vehicle innovation according to the agency.
In testimony before Congress earlier this month, senior officials highlighted technology development as crucial for environmental management missions within DOE facilities, according to the department. Meanwhile at Savannah River Site (SRS), an innovative passive process using crushed marble has been deployed by DOE contractors for groundwater remediation efforts, according to DOE Office of Environmental Management.