Biden Administration Clears $100 Mn for DOE to Invest in Clean Energy Solutions

Biden Administration’s climate innovation agenda will see US DOE invest USD 100 million in funding for transformative clean energy technology

In support of the Biden Administration’s climate innovation agenda, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced up to USD 100 million in funding for transformative clean energy technology research and development via its Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA-E) OPEN 2021 funding opportunity. The first of billions of dollars of DOE R&D opportunities to be announced this year, this funding will help identify cutting-edge, disruptive clean energy technologies to address the climate crisis.

The Department will also participate in the National Climate Task Force’s Climate Innovation Working Group announced by the White House. The working group will coordinate federal government-wide efforts to foster affordable, game-changing technologies that can help America achieve the President’s goal of net-zero economy-wide emissions by 2050, and emphasise research to bolster and build domestic clean energy supply chains and strengthen American manufacturing.

“Today we are inviting scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs and creative thinkers around America to join us in developing the energy technologies we need to tackle the climate crisis and build a more equitable clean energy economy,” said DOE Chief of Staff Tarak Shah. “The Department of Energy is committed to empowering innovators to develop bold solutions that will help America achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 while creating millions of good-paying jobs that benefit all Americans.”

Since its founding in 2009, ARPA-E has provided USD 2.4 billion in R&D funding, and ARPA-E projects have attracted more than USD 4.9 billion in private-sector follow-on funding to commercialise clean energy technologies and create sustainable clean energy jobs. Previous ARPA-E awardees have also gone on to achieve breakthroughs in commercialising a variety of energy solutions, including in the development of transformative solar, geothermal, batteries, biofuels and advanced surface coating technologies.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said “on behalf of the House of Representatives, I applaud this vital investment in the transformative and resilient clean energy technologies of the future.

“This exciting step is a key pillar of the Democratic Congress and Biden-Harris Administration’s mission to not only reverse the recent anti-science, anti-climate agenda but to Build Back Better – while creating millions of good-paying jobs, protecting public health, advancing America’s preeminence in the green technologies of the future and advancing justice for all.”