US Energy: DOE Announces $100 Million to Support Cutting-Edge Clean Energy Technologies

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today issued a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for up to $100 million to support the deployment of novel technologies that can significantly change how communities, industries and businesses reduce emissions, promote energy efficiency, and drive grid modernization. The funding program, administered by DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), supports President Biden’s Building a Better America agenda by lowering emissions, generating good-paying jobs and securing U.S. leadership on clean energy technologies.

“Transitioning to 100% carbon-free energy will require new technologies that reshape the way we approach everything from heating and cooling our homes to how we power our vehicles,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. “DOE is prioritizing the domestic commercialization of emerging technologies that can accelerate the clean energy transition, reduce our carbon footprint and support small businesses that contribute to America’s manufacturing future.”

The program — Seeding Critical Advances for Leading Energy technologies with Untapped Potential (SCALEUP) — provides further funding to previous ARPA-E awardees that have been determined to be feasible for widespread deployment and commercialization domestically. SCALEUP selectees will demonstrate a viable path to commercial deployment and the ability to attract private sector investments.

In 2019, ARPA-E issued its first SCALEUP funding opportunity, which paved the way for further advancement of their respective technologies for future commercialization, including:

Improving the electricity grid’s reliability and resiliency through a new generation of distribution technology for large commercial customers and electric utilities.
Changing the way methane emissions are discovered, enabling rapid mitigation throughout the natural gas supply chain.
Creating next generation sodium-based battery technology, which is safe, reliable, and low-cost for load management applications.
Developing a rooftop, radiative cooling panel that improves the efficiency of air conditioning and refrigeration systems for retailers and data centers.
Accelerating grid storage and electric vehicle adoption by maximizing predictive software capabilities to optimize supply and demand patterns.