Biofuels Still in the Spotlight: $6.3M for Biofuels Research
Last week, U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") Secretary Steven Chu and U.S. Department of Agriculture ("USDA") Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the winning candidates for up to $6.3 million in awards for research leading to improved use of plant feedstocks for biofuel production. The seven projects announced follow the green jobs and renewable energy Rural Tour event hosted by the two cabinet Secretaries in Virginia on the weekend of July 18-19. These investments are intended to further the Obama Administration’s efforts to broaden the nation’s energy portfolio while decreasing our dependence on foreign oil.
These grants will be awarded under a joint DOE-USDA program begun in 2006 that is committed to fundamental research in biomass genomics, providing the scientific foundation to facilitate use of lignocellulosic materials for bioenergy and biofuels. Since lignocellulosic crop plants are less intensive to produce and can grow on poorer quality land, competition with crops grown for food production is avoided. For more information on these awards, go to DOE's site for the DOE-USDA biomass genomics research program.
DOE will provide $4 million in funding for four projects, while USDA will award $2.3 million to fund three projects. Initial funding will support research projects for up to three years.
Perhaps the most amazing fact from this announcement is that Secretary Chu is on facebook! How does he find the time? This attorney is impressed. Check out his video announcement on next generation biofuels here.
Show me the Money: $24 million Funding Opportunity for Wind Energy Research and Development
On June 2, 2009, the Department of Energy ("DOE") issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement ("FOA") providing $24 million for the development of consortia between universities and industry to focus on critical wind energy challenges.
DOE intends on awarding two to three grants of $8-12 million. The grants will be used to address two areas:
- Partnerships for Wind Research and Turbine Reliability. Universities in wind resource areas are encouraged to apply with industry partners to study major challenges facing today's wind industry. DOE is highly encouraging research in turbine reliability, but projects are eligible if they meet one or more challenges described in the 20% Wind Energy by 2030 report.
- Wind Energy Research & Development. Universities are encouraged to apply with industry partners for grants to fund R&D to advance material design, performance measurements, and analytical models related to wind energy development. The goals of this research shall be to improve power systems operations, wind turbine and/or component manufacturing, and interdisciplinary systems integration.
Applicants interested in either area must file a letter of intent by June 16, 2009 and FOA applications are due by July 29, 2009.
*****UPDATE******
On June 19, 2009, DOE announced an extension to the deadline for submittal of a letter of intent for this program. Letters of intent must now be submitted by June 29, 2009. Applications are due on July 29, 2009.
National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap
The Department of Energy ("DOE") has issued a Request for Information ("RFI") to solicit feedback on the DOE's draft "National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap" (the "Roadmap").
The Roadmap was prepared by a working group commissioned by DOE. The working group was commissioned to assess the current state of algae technology and to determine the next steps toward commercialization.
DOE is specifically seeking feedback related to the following questions:
- What areas omitted by the Roadmap would be important in defining R&D needs as they pertain to the following topics?
a. Algae biology
b. Algae cultivation
c. Algae processing (harvesting and dewatering)
d. Extraction
e. Fuel conversion
f. Fuel end-use - Are there any additional, key areas that should be included or any areas that need further elaboration?
- Are there errors or misrepresentations of any information that need to be addressed?
- Is there over-representation of certain barrier areas relative to other areas that warrant editing?
To submit comments, complete the "Algal Road-Mapping: Request for Information (RFI) Response Form" and submit it as an attachment to an e-mail message addressed to algaeRFI@go.doe.gov
Comments must be provided by no later than 11:59 PM EDT on August 3, 2009.
Department of Energy Funds Research for Hydropower
On Friday, May 15th, The Department of Energy amended its April 15th Funding Opportunity Announcement, adding new research areas eligible for receipt of grants from the $40 million appropriated by Congress to investigate advanced water power energy generation technologies. All of the added categories are aimed at funding hydropower related research with the following goals:
--Studying how hydropower—both conventional and pumped storage—can meet current and future transmission needs. DOE is seeking an industry-led partnership with NGOs, government agencies, and/or universities to model the interactions of conventional and pumped storage hydropower projects on the transmission grid with the goal of shaping future policy decisions, as well as developing a better understanding of how current and future hydropower fits in with different market structures. The bottom line is that this research would increase the understanding of hydropower’s value in the overall national energy portfolio as well as the understanding of hydropower’s roll and integration into variable renewable energy sources. The total possible grant for this study is $3m over two years—and is expected to be awarded to one applicant.
--Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of novel approaches to environmental impact mitigation at hydroelectric facilities. DOE is expecting to grant awards of $500,000 to $750,000 to up to six industry participants for this purpose—with the overall goal of identifying novel environmental mitigation measures that are more effective and efficient than their traditional counterparts as well as measures that are widely applicable across the industry in the United States. These studies must be either industry-led, or industry partnerships with utilities, technology developers, consulting companies, private research institutes, or governmental laboratories or universities.
--A request for proposals to increase academic research in areas related to conventional hydropower or pumped storage hydropower. DOE recognized that academic research and graduate training opportunities in these areas are stagnant or declining, and is asking for proposals from universities, research institutes, foundations or non-profit organizations to manage a competitive fellowship program to support graduate students studying topics in these areas. This is a solicitation for managing a grant program, and the funding ($1 million for FY2009 and equivalent funds for 2010 and 2011 subject to future appropriations) appears to not be aimed at funding graduate research directly, but at creating a steering committee to guide future grants and increase academic research.
These funding opportunities come at a time when pumped storage is receiving increasing interest. A quick review of applications filed with FERC indicates there over thirty pumped storage projects planned nationwide—mostly in the western half of the country. Pumped storage is an attractive technology because it allows for load balancing by pumping water uphill to a storage facility during low load periods and use of that stored water power during periods of high demand.
Installation of conventional hydropower facilities at existing irrigation impoundments is also receiving increased attention because retrofitting such facilities would result in exploiting this unused resource without the need to create new impoundments. The Electric Power Research Institute cites a conservative estimate of 16,000 megawatts of additional generating capacity could be developed through installation of hydropower at existing dams--and notes that the actual resource may be much greater because this estimate is based on only 2,500 of the 79,000 non-hydropower dams in the United States. Regardless, this represents at least a 20% increase over existing hydropower generating capacity in the United States.
DOE’s funding announcement will support the development of both of these resources, and seems to be a recognition of the role hydropower can play in meeting the nation’s future energy needs. The complete text of the announcement is available here.
$50 Million Allocated to Support Algae Research
As part of the DOE’s announcement last week to provide $786.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate advanced biofuels research and development, the DOE allocated $50 million to create an algae biofuels consortium to accelerate demonstration of algae biofuels. As many companies are working toward the commercialization of algae biofuels, this infusion of money into research and development will help to promote commercially feasible algae biofuels production.
Additionally, Prize Capital, LLC has announced the creation of a $10 million algae fuel prize that is focused on advanced algae biofuels technologies. While the final details of the competition have not been released, planning is underway.
