DOE is working to accelerate clean energy technologies from the lab to market to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) have reinforced this mandate, positioning DOE to invest billions of dollars in large-scale demonstration and deployment of these technologies over the next decade. In service of its mandate, the Department began publishing its Pathways to Commercial Liftoff Reports in March 2023 to provide a common fact base and a tool for ongoing dialogue with the private sector.
Each Liftoff Report takes the view of a technology or suite of technologies and is designed to build a common understanding with the private sector and broader ecosystem around the current state, pathways to commercial liftoff, and challenges and solutions to unlock scale for each. They do not represent DOE policy or strategy; they are a representation of DOE’s current understanding based on a synthesis of available facts. Given the rapidly evolving market, technology, and policy environment, the Liftoff Reports are intended to be “living documents” and will be updated as the commercialization outlook on each technology evolves.
The Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) in partnership with the Loan Programs Office (LPO), the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) and other DOE offices played a key role in developing the Pathways to Commercial Liftoff Reports. OTT led and contributed to the structuring, quantitative analysis, and stakeholders engagement that went into developing each of these reports. Through its ongoing dialogue with the private sector, LPO gave a unique vantage point into the market barriers facing emerging sectors critical to the energy transition.
Share Your Thoughts
The Department of Energy welcomes input and feedback on content for each of the Pathway to Commercial Liftoff Reports. Please direct all inquiries and input to [email protected]. Input and feedback should not include business-sensitive information, trade secrets, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information. Please note that input and feedback provided is subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
Access the Reports and Webinars
Watch the webinars on DOE's YouTube channel and download the associated reports and sign-up to be notified when new reports and webinars are available at: https://liftoff.energy.gov.
Currently, reports and webinars are available for the following technology areas:
- Advanced Nuclear (Published March 2023, Updated September 2024): Report and Webinar
- Carbon Management (Published April 2023): Report and Webinar
- Clean Hydrogen (Published March 2023, Updated December 2024): Report and Webinar
- Electricity Demand Growth Topic Brief (Published August 2024): Topic Brief and Webinar
- Geothermal Heating & Cooling (Published January 2025) Report and Webinar
- Industrial Decarbonization (Published September 2023): Report and Webinar
- Innovative Grid Deployment (Published April 2024): Report and Webinar
- Long Duration Energy Storage (Published March 2023): Report and Webinar
- Next-Generation Geothermal Power (Published March 2024): Report and Webinar
- Offshore Wind (Published April 2024): Report and Webinar
- Sustainable Aviation Fuels (Published November2024) Report and Webinar
- Virtual Power Plants (Published September 2023, Updated January 2025): Report and Webinar
Please note that these reports were prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the U.S. Government. Neither the U.S. Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Government or any agency thereof.