US DOE To Invest $9.5 Million In Four Solar Projects

US DOE To Invest $9.5 Million In Four Solar Projects

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has declared plans to invest $9.5 million in four new projects with the goal of increasing public awareness and confidence in large-scale solar advancements. This program supports the US’s objective of having net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, which is an important step given that the DOE estimates that 40% of carbon dioxide pollution comes from fossil fuel power facilities. Significantly, more than half of the newly installed electrical generation capacity in 2023 came from solar energy, and by 2050, it is expected to account for the majority of the generating capacity on the American grid.

The grant is part of the DOE‘s Solar Energy Technologies Office-managed Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies 4 (SEEDS 4) programme. The University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Michigan State University, and the Solar and Storage Industries Institute are among the awardees. The impact of siting methods on public opinion and the approval procedure for large-scale solar plants will be the main focus of these initiatives.

“We are incredibly excited to receive this award and thank the DOE for this opportunity to perform cutting-edge research on large-scale solar siting and permitting,” said David Gahl, executive director at SI2. “By testing stakeholder-developed community engagement practices at actual solar sites, we hope to yield new insights that improve outreach to host communities.”

The goal of this initiative is to reconcile community demands for solar development, conservation, and climate change. The project will determine the best community participation strategies, in collaboration with the Uncommon Dialogue working groups, and test them at real large-scale solar facilities. The impact of these approaches on community support for solar projects will be investigated by researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Labs and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

University of Michigan

A $2.5 million grant will be given to Michigan State University to investigate how large-scale solar siting and permitting procedures might be expedited while lowering costs to the community, improving procedural justice, and promoting energy equity. Ten sizable solar installations in four different US locations will be the subject of the study.

Princeton University

A grant of $2 million has been given to Princeton University to evaluate the possibilities of Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs). These contracts, which are made between community organizations and solar developers, are meant to give communities real advantages, increase the legitimacy of solar projects, and promote stakeholder confidence.