DOE announces $24.5M funding to help improve electricity infrastructure
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will award up to $24.5 million for domestic manufacturing to improve the nation’s electricity infrastructure.
The DOE’s two new funding opportunities will support research and development (R&D) for the materials and technologies needed to expand the grid with clean-energy sources. The goals are to deliver affordable electricity to disadvantaged communities and help the Biden Administration reach its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“By investing in American-made, clean-energy technologies, the Department of Energy is harnessing our country’s innovative spirit to build an equitable and sustainable energy system,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said. “These funding opportunities will help manufacture the next-generation energy storage systems and power lines that support President Biden’s climate goals, create and sustain U.S. jobs, and build a strong, secure, and efficient electric grid.”
One of the funding opportunities will award up to $20 million for R&D projects focusing on flow battery systems, which are electrochemical batteries that use externally stored electrolytes. While lithium-ion batteries are typically used in electric vehicles and portable devices, flow batteries are well-suited for grid storage needs as they cost less and are more flexible and adaptable.
The other is for Conductivity-enhanced materials for Affordable, Breakthrough Leapfrog Electric applications, also known as CABLE. The DOE’s Conductor Manufacturing Prize will support the commercialization of affordable, manufacturable materials that will conduct electricity more efficiently. Conductivity-enhanced materials can help ease the addition of renewable resources and electric cars to the grid. This is a three-stage, three-year prize that will award up to $4.5 million in cash and vouchers to competitors who will identify and verify new materials and methods to achieve enhancements in conductivity. Stage one, which focuses on materials and manufacturing concepts for enhanced electrical conductivity, is now open.
“The key to unlocking the full potential of solar and wind energy is to store it for use around the clock,” U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette said. “Flow battery technology can help us utilize the full potential of these clean-energy resources, and investing in this important new technology now is vital to our overall effort to combat the climate crisis.”
Funding for both of these opportunities will be provided by the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office.
