Janet Jacobs
Janet Jacobs practices in the Corporate, Securities and Finance practice group and the Renewable Energy practice group. Janet represents clients in corporate governance matters, mergers and acquisitions, corporate, securities and financing transactions, with an emphasis on the development, structuring, financing and acquisition of biofuels, solar and wind projects. She also advises her clients on their business operations and significant corporate transactions.
DOE:$15 million for Innovative Geothermal Recovery Methods
On Friday, the US Department of Energy ("DOE") announved a $15 million funding opportunity for geothermal energy research and development projects that:
- Address the environmental risk factors associated with heat recovery from the earth's subsurface (earthquakes, water consumption and pollution);
- Add innovative methods for extracting heat from geotlogic formations, particularly permeable sedimentary formations; and
- Reduce financial risks.
Successful applications will address all three of the listed issues. Applicants should note that if the application does not address the first two elements listed above, it will be tossed out. Applicants must submit a pre-application concept paper by October 1, 2010, and will be informed by DOE if they are eligible to submit a full application (whihc will be due November 30, 2010).
The funds will divided between feasibility studies (Phase 1) and validation and proof (Phase 2) with the bulk of the funds being awarded for Phase 2 activities. The funds will be paid out over 3 years and there is a 20% cost share.
Eligible applicants include most domestic entities who are encouraged to form consortia to apply. Foreign entities or persons may participate as a subrecipient of the funds.
SHOW ME THE MONEY: DOE Offers $1.85 Billion in Solar Loan Guarantees
Saturday was a great day for solar energy: the DOE offered two conditional loan guarantee commitments:
- $1.45 billion loan guarantee to Abengoa Solar Inc. for the construction and start-up of a concentrating solar power (CSP) generating facility in Solana, Arizona and a
- $400 million loan guarantee to Abound Solar Manufacturing for the assembly of state-of-the-art thin-film, cadmium-telluride solar panels.
ABENGOA SOLAR: Once operational, the CSP plant will add 250 MW of capacity to the electrical grid using parabolic trough solar collectors and a six-hour thermal energy storage system (the first of its kind in the United States). The plant which will be about 70 miles southwest of Phoenix, will use mirrors to direct sunlight onto receiver tubes that will heat molten salt fluid to over 700°F. The system's heat will turn steam turbines and the thermal energy storage can provide power during cloudy days and evenings. The plant will supply power to approximately 70,000 homes through a long-term PPA with Arizona Public Service Company.
Abengoa Solar estimates the project will employ approximately 1,600 workers during construction, of which 80 will be permanent jobs. As an added benefit, two assembly factories will be constructed on the site, and a new mirror manufacturing facility will be needed to supply more than 900,000 mirrors to the plant.
ABOUND SOLAR: A $400 million conditional loan guarantee has been offered to Abound Solar Manufacturing for the assembly of state-of-the-art thin-film, cadmium-telluride solar panels. The assembly will take place in in Longmont, Colorado, and Tipton, Indiana. Abound estimates that the project will create approximately 2,000 jobs during construction, as well as 1,500 permanent jobs.
Abound’s manufacturing technology was jointly developed by NREL, Colorado State University, and the National Science Foundation and deposits thin films of cadmium-telluride onto glass panels. This technology reduces overall product costs and provides better film quality, efficiency and reliability. Abound anticipates that it will produce millions of solar panels annually (enough panels to support up to 840 MW of new solar power per year) for less than it costs to produce crystalline silicon modules.
DOE Issues RFI on Wind Energy Workforce Development Roadmap
The DOE has issued a Request For Information ("RFI") to get the public's input on the development of a Wind Energy Workforce Roadmap, which will provide details on the current workforce landscape in the wind industry as well as future steps necessary to train and develop a green workforce for the sector. Ultimately, the Roadmap will help shape policy objectives and the overall development of a wind energy workforce.
Here is the link to the RFI: https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/?doc=DE-FOA-0000392&agency=DOE
DOE Awards $24 Million for Algal Biofuels Research
On Monday, the DOE announced that is had awarded up to $24 million to three research consortiums for the commercialization of algae-based biofuels. The three consortia include partners from academia, national laboratories, and private industries located across the country. Projects are expected to continue for three years.
The three awardees are:
- The Sustainable Algal Biofuels Consortium led by Arizona State University, will get up to $6 million for testing the acceptability of algal biofuels as replacements for petroleum-based fuels, investigating the biochemical conversion of algae to fuels and products and analyzing the physical chemistry properties of algal fuels and fuel intermediates.
- The Consortium for Algal Biofuels Commercialization led by the University of California, San Diego, will receive up to $9 million developing algae as a robust biofuels feedstock by focusing on algal crop protection, algal nutrient utilization, and genetic tools.
- The Cellana, LLC Consortium led by Cellana, LLC, of Hawaii, will also receive up to $9 million for examining the large-scale production of fuels and feed from microalgae grown in seawater, new algal harvesting technologies with pilot-scale cultivation test beds, and for developing marine microalgae as animal feed for the aquaculture industry.
DOI/DOE MOU for Offshore Renewable Energy Projects
Yesterday, the Department of the Interior (“DOI”) and the Department of Energy (“DOE”) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) to bring together resources and expertise from both agencies as the US develops commercial-scale offshore wind and water energy projects on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
The wind and water resources off the US’ coastline are vast yet largely untapped energy potential. According to DOE's “20% Wind Energy by 2030” report, offshore wind alone has the potential to produce 54,000 megawatts by 2030. The MOU allows for priority leasing and more efficient regulatory processes (including permitting) for sites with high, commercial-scale offshore wind and water power development potential.
$6 Million for Short Term Wind Energy Forecasting
Yesterday DOE announced that up to $6 million to be awarded to one or two teams over two years to improve short-term wind energy forecasting, which will enhance the ability of utilities and electricity grid operators to forecast wind power generation.
One to two competitively-selected recipient team(s) will work with DOE and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) to deploy atmospheric measurement systems, and demonstrate the value of these forecasting improvements for electric utility operations. The recipient team(s) will include wind plant operators, wind forecasting and meteorological services companies, electric utility system operators, and research organizations.
DOE will provide $3 million this year - $2 million to NOAA to fund its technical support of the selected projects and $1 million to the selected team. DOE also anticipates providing an additional $3 million in fiscal year 2011 to NOAA and the recipient team(s) to complete the project.
Go to the FedConnect Web site for additional details.
DOE: up to $11 Million for Biofuels Technology Development
The DOE announced today that it will provide up to $11 million over three years for improving the conversion via pyrolysis of non-food biomass to biofuels, that can use the existing fueling infrastructure. (Pyrolosis is the process that decomposes biomass using heat without oxygen to produce bio-oil.)
Successful applications for projects will (among other things):
- Address how to make corrosive bio-oils compatible with the current infrastructure
- Catalytically de-oxygenate the molecular fragments in bio-oils
- Demonstrate the ability to produce a liquid transportation hydrocarbon fuel that can be blended at up to 30 percent by weight with petroleum fuels, or produce an upgraded bio-oil compatible with existing petroleum refining unit operations
- Include an analysis of greenhouse gas reductions using the applicant’s technology
DOE anticipates selecting three to four projects under this announcement and will require a minimum of 20% cost share from applicants. Eligible applicants include universities, national laboratories, or companies.
The deadline for the applications is July 9, 2010. Go to Grants.gov. for a copy of the funding opportunity and application.
DOE to Invest $6 Million in Midsize Wind Turbine Technology Development
DOE today announced that it will provide up to $6 million over 2 years for the development, testing, and commercialization of domestically manufactured, midsize wind turbines (i.e. nameplate capacity of between 100 kilowatts and 1 megawatt). DOE anticipates making up to four grants under this competitive solicitation and is looking to support U.S. turbine manufacturers and supply chain vendors.
Midsize turbines are used on site at schools, farms, factories, and other private and public facilities, alleviating the pressure on transmission lines. However, the midsize turbine market has not kept pace with the market for large, utility-scale turbines (larger than 1 megawatt ) or for small turbines (under 100 kilowatts) because few manufacturers build that size of turbine and unhealthy project economics.
For more details, please view the Funding Opportunity Announcement.
DOE: $25 M for Solid State Lighting
The DOE announced that it will allocate $25 million to two Solid-State Lighting (“SSL”) funding opportunities to advance R&D and market adoption of SSL technology. TThis will be the seventh round of such funding that has been awarded in recent years.
Funding is subject to congressional appropriations and will focus on the following:
$15M for core technology projects demonstrating efficiency, performance, and cost targets. Selected projects will fill technology gaps or provide enabling knowledge or data.
$10 million for product development projects using existing technology or research to develop or improve commercially viable materials, devices, or systems, meeting certain performance parameters.
To view the complete SSL Core Technology Research (Round 7) funding opportunity, visit FedConnect, click on "Search Public Opportunities," and search on Reference Number DE-FOA-0000329.
To view the complete SSL Product Development (Round 7) funding opportunity, visit FedConnect, click on "Search Public Opportunities," and search on Reference Number DE-FOA-0000330.
For more information on DOE's Solid State Lighting Program, visit the Solid-State Lighting Web site.
FOA: $20 Million for Innovative Geothermal Technologies
The U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) today announced up to $20 million for research, development, and demonstration of cutting-edge geothermal technologies. DOE want projects that demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of certain non-conventional geothermal energy technologies, such as low-temperature fluids, geothermal fluids recovered from oil and gas wells, and highly pressurized geothermal fluids.
Specifically, the funds will be allocated to research in the following areas:
- Low-temperature geothermal fluids at temperatures up to 300° Fahrenheit (F) or approximately 150° Celsius (C).
- Geothermal fluids produced from productive, unproductive, or marginal oil and gas wells, mining operations or other hydrocarbon or mineral extraction processes.
- Highly pressurized or "geopressured" fluid resources that show potential for cost-effective recovery of heat, kinetic energy, and gas.
- Innovative cooling systems; systems with more efficient heat exchanging materials or systems that maximize energy output through a combination of electricity generation and direct-heat technologies.
All US entities are eligible including universities, nonprofit and for-profit private entities, State and local governments and federally funded contractors. The cost share is 20%. Applications are due July 9, 2010.
The complete funding opportunity announcement can be viewed here: https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/PublicPages/PublicSearch/Public_Opportunities.aspx
