DOE Gets Fresh Funding For Clean Energy Research
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The Department of Energy could see up to $150 million for further research into clean energy sources.
An additional $150 million of federal funding was awarded for fundamental science research projects that study energy efficient technology and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Announced by the Department of Energy on Tuesday, the funding will go toward the agency’s Energy Earthshots Initiatives, a program designed specifically to foster innovation in clean energy technology. Some of these technologies include hydrogen, long duration power storage and carbon capture.
“Rapidly deploying existing climate technology while cranking up investments in early-stage climate research is the one-two punch we need to build long-term resilience to emerging climate threats and meet our 2050 goals,” said Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm in the press release.
Formally called the “Chemical and Material Sciences to Advance Clean Energy Technologies and Low-Carbon Manufacturing” opportunity, researchers will work within developing new clean energy solutions through biological processes to support enhanced solar and nuclear power development.
Grants from this funding are available for individuals associated with a bevy of U.S. colleges and universities, national laboratories, nonprofits and private sector companies. The announcement notes that $50 million in funding is available for the fiscal year 2022, and $150 million is planned to be made available “contingent on Congressional appropriations.”
“From discovery to deployment, this research funding will draw on the talent of American colleges and universities to expedite the development of new technology that will be key to tackling the climate crisis in the long-term while creating good-paying jobs and bolstering American competitiveness,” Granholm continued.
The program folds into President Biden’s longer plan for a clean energy overhaul in the U.S., with the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
Earlier this month, Energy launched a program focused on modernizing the U.S. electrical grid, emphasizing both climate resilience and clean energy initiatives to power the country.