DOE announces $540 million for research activities into clean energy technologies

August 25, 2022 | Jim Lane

From Washington comes news that the U.S. Department of Energy will make more than $540 million in awards for university- and National Laboratory-led research into clean energy technologies and low-carbon manufacturing.

The goals

Earlier this year, the DOE SC program in Basic Energy Sciences (BES) announced its interest in receiving new applications from single principal investigators and small teams to advance basic and fundamental chemical and materials sciences that underpin clean energy technologies and low- carbon manufacturing.

The goal was creation of foundational knowledge to support the development of approaches that will minimize climate impacts of energy technologies and manufacturing. For this FOA, clean energy technologies include approaches to capture, produce, convert, store, and use energy that reduce or eliminate unwanted emissions such as greenhouse gases (e.g., carbon dioxide, methane, etc.). These technologies also include approaches such as direct air capture (DAC) and carbon storage/sequestration to decrease emissions that have been released into the environment from energy production and use. Low-carbon manufacturing refers to manufacturing processes that minimize carbon emissions and energy consumption.

The scope

Awards support basic and fundamental research. Applied research, which seeks to exploit fundamental knowledge to solve specific technical challenges, is outside the scope.

The spilt

More than $400 million will go toward establishing and continuing 43 Energy Frontier Research Centers. 53 projects led by researchers at 33 universities and 11 National Laboratories will receive a combined $140 million through the Chemical and Materials Sciences to Advance Clean Energy Technologies and Low-Carbon Manufacturing funding opportunity.

Let’s focus in on the Chemicals and Materials Sciences winners — the $140 million.

The Winners

Reaction from the stakeholders

“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,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.