The U.S. Department of Energy is using $20 billion of President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund a new office tasked with going out and demonstrating clean-energy technologies to regional economies.
The newly created Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations will support demonstration projects in clean-energy technologies to communities and businesses across the country, the DOE stated in the announcement. Projects include demonstrations of new technology in carbon capture, clean hydrogen, grid-scale energy storage, small modular reactors, and more, according to the DOE.
“Thanks to the investments Congress made in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations will move clean energy technologies out of the lab and into local and regional economies across the country," Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in the announcement, "proving the value of technologies that can deliver for communities, businesses, and markets.”
Rural areas and economically disadvantaged communities are a focus of the projects, the DOE reports. The OCED will also work to develop relationships with environmental groups, labor organizations and local communities to develop the projects. By conducting demonstrations in real-world situations, the office intends to show the effectiveness of clean-energy technologies to businesses and industries to encourage widespread implementation, according to the announcement.
“This new office will hire the best and brightest talent to invest in cutting-edge clean energy projects, and DOE is calling on anyone dedicated to addressing the climate crisis to roll up their sleeves and join us," Granholm said.
“This new Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations reflects President Biden’s commitment to help Americans turn on the lights in their homes, drive to work, and power their businesses using clean, affordable, and sustainable energy," Mitch Landrieu, White House Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Impementation Coordinator, said in the announcement. "This office will make life easier and safer for Americans all across the country.”
