The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently awarded $35 million in grant funding to 158 projects across 29 states actively pursuing clean energy and climate solutions to meet the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
The grants, provided exclusively to small businesses, including startups, are being administered by DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, a Jan. 6 DOE press release said. Previous awards have reportedly garnered over $1.7 billion in sales for selected companies.
“Supporting small businesses will ensure we are tapping into all of America’s talent to develop clean energy technologies that will help us tackle the climate crisis,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in the release. “DOE’s investments will enable these economic engines to optimize and commercialize their breakthroughs, while developing the next generation of climate leaders and helping to build a sustainable future to benefit all Americans.”
Funding will be provided for a diverse range of projects including developing an array of clean energy technology, improving climate research tools and enhancing batteries for electric vehicles, the release said.
One of the companies receiving funding, Birch Biosciences, LLC of Portland, Oregon, is working towards developing “novel, next-generation plastic recycling technology using synthetic biology to enable sustainable, cost-effective solutions for closed-loop recycling of plastics,” the release said.
“This federal investment in Oregon small businesses can spark the creation of both jobs and opportunities for innovative approaches that help to solve urgent challenges produced by the climate crisis,” U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) said in the release.
