Jennifer M. Granholm Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy | Official Website
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $33 million in funding for nine projects across seven states to advance concentrating solar-thermal (CST) systems technologies. These initiatives aim to enhance solar fuel production and long-duration energy storage, contributing to the Biden-Harris Administration’s clean energy goals.
“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, DOE continues to invest in the next-generation solar technologies we need to tackle the climate crisis and ensure American scientific innovation remains the envy of the world,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “With today’s announcement, DOE is supporting projects that will harness the sun’s energy to power NASA space missions, beer and wine production, and everything in between.”
The DOE's Solar Futures Study highlights the necessity for substantial growth in long-duration energy storage to meet national clean energy objectives. To accelerate this development, DOE launched several initiatives including Long Duration Storage Shot™, Industrial Heat Shot™, Hydrogen Shot™, and Clean Fuels & Products Shot™.
Three selected projects focus on using solar energy to produce renewable fuels more cost-effectively than current methods:
- Exergy Labs (Dover, DE): Developing a modular dish reactor for generating clean hydrogen with lower carbon intensity.
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Golden, CO): Creating a CST-compatible reactor for producing high-value products like jet fuel.
- West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV): Demonstrating direct solar-thermal integration with hydrogen production via solid oxide electrolyzers.
Six additional projects will advance thermal energy storage technologies capable of providing continuous or on-demand heat:
- Brayton Energy (Hampton, NH): De-risking a high-temperature particle-based thermal energy storage concept.
- Durion (White River Junction, VT): Advancing a patented thermal energy storage system using pressurized hot water.
- Firestone Walker Incorporated (Paso Robles, CA): Using thermal solar energy for steam generation at Firestone Walker Brewery.
- Premier Resource Management (Bakersfield, CA): Developing an electric demonstration power plant storing thermal heat underground.
- Southwest Research Institute (San Antonio, TX): Testing an advanced dual media energy storage system for utility power applications.
- University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN): Partnering with Sandia National Laboratories on a high-performance cascaded heat exchanger concept.
Selection for award negotiations does not guarantee funding; DOE and selectees must complete a negotiation process before any funds are issued.
