DOE awards $9.5M to accelerate clean energy innovations

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded funding to 10 organizations to foster innovation in clean energy.

The grants come through the DOEʻs Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC), supporting energy innovation ecosystems and energy hardware development.

“The clean energy market is growing at a breakneck pace, and America’s innovators need the tools to keep up on a competitive global stage,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said. “This funding fills a critical need for targeted financial support to incubators and accelerators that provide opportunity for aspiring energy entrepreneurs looking to fight climate change, create jobs, and empower underserved communities.”

Overall, the DOE granted awards totaling approximately $9.5 million to the 10 organizations. Among the grantees are the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), which is getting $1 million to scale the impact of its incubation program and accelerate the momentum of early-stage companies toward investment of their emerging clean energy technologies through startup pilots.

“Los Angeles has long been known as America’s innovation hub and an emerging leader in technology and clean energy. Today’s announcement is both welcome news for the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator and the City of Los Angeles as this $1 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy will help encourage the growth of new clean-tech jobs in California’s 34th Congressional District and beyond,” U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) said.

Another is a $909,411 grant to the Clean Energy Trust of Chicago for the Midwest Regional Innovation Partnership (MRIP) to help energy hardware and related technology startups scale, attract capital, create jobs, and drive economic development in the Midwest. MRIP will launch three new accelerator programs.

“I was proud to support the Midwest Regional Innovation Partnership and its partners’ request for this Department of Energy grant, which has the potential to grow the innovation ecosystem in the Midwest,” Sen. Dick Durbin said. “This federal funding will increase the rate of technology commercialization in the region and help companies create more high-tech domestic jobs.”