Dept. Of Energy Launches $28 Million Funding Opportunity To Advance Hydropower For Clean Energy

On August 19, the U.S. Department of Energy announced it is accepting proposals for more than $28 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for research and development (R&D) projects that will advance and preserve hydropower as a critical source of clean energy. 

This Notice of Intent (NOI) will offer three funding opportunities this fall to support research, development, and deployment of hydropower, including pumped storage hydropower, which can play a key role in integrating variable renewable energy sources on the electric grid. 

The proposed funding opportunities will: 

-- Encourage sustainable growth of hydropower and pumped storage hydropower technologies to support power system decarbonization, including technologies to retrofit non-powered dams. To expand diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, this opportunity is expected to include a topic area seeking R&D projects from entities that have not significantly engaged with DOE in the past. (Proposed funding amount: $14.5 million) 

-- Expand pumped storage hydropower to provide long-duration energy storage and support increased integration of variable renewable energy on the grid. (Proposed funding amount: $10 million) 

-- Support stakeholders’ efforts to understand community-level issues affecting hydropower technologies and improvements, with the goal of informing current and future hydropower R&D needs. (Proposed funding amount: $4 million).

Click Here for the full announcement. 

[Posted: August 20, 2022]   PA Environment Digest