The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced in a news release that it will grant more than $540 million for research on sustainable energy technology and low-carbon production led by universities and national laboratories.
This funding was allocated to facilitate President Joe Biden's goal of achieving a net-zero emissions economy by the year 2050.
“Meeting the Biden-Harris administration’s ambitious climate and clean energy goals will require a game-changing commitment to clean energy, and that begins with researchers across the country,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in the release
Funding was provided to researchers from 54 institutions and 11 national laboratories throughout 34 states and the District of Columbia.
The first $400 million of the $540 million in funding will be used to set up and expand research at 43 Energy Frontier Research Centers, which are currently seeking to solve the most difficult scientific hurdles impeding advancements in energy technology.
The remaining $140 million will be used to fund multiple projects through the Chemical and Materials Sciences to Advance Clean Energy Technologies and Low-Carbon Manufacturing funding opportunity.
The Chemical and Materials Sciences to Advance Clean Energy Technologies and Low-Carbon Manufacturing funding opportunity will support 53 projects, led by researchers from 33 institutions and 11 national laboratories.
These projects will research a variety of subjects, including energy storage and quantum information science and will be managed by 28 universities, nine national laboratories, and over 75 partner organizations.
The funding will promote the development of technologies that increase the efficiency of energy generation, including direct air capture and carbon storage and sequestration.
“The research projects announced will strengthen the scientific foundations needed for the United States to maintain world leadership in clean energy innovation, from renewable power to carbon management,” Granholm said.
Several projects will incorporate research in accordance with the DOE's Energy Earthshots Initiatives, which establish milestones for significant advancements in sustainable energy technologies.
These projects include lowering the cost of manufacturing hydrogen, decreasing the cost and extending the length of grid-scale energy storage and developing technologies to collect and store carbon dioxide from the environment.
In addition researchers will concentrate on the development of solar and nuclear energy technologies, energy storage, carbon capture, new industrial processes and optimal utilization of essential minerals.
Competitive peer review was used to choose projects from two funding opportunities offered to universities, national laboratories, businesses, and other research groups.
The funding opportunity announcements were used to make award decisions based on the results of peer review and the assessment of program policy elements.
The final terms for each project award are still subject to negotiation between the DOE and the recipients.
