Award Wednesday | January 15, 2025

Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas  

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Solar + Storage Microgrids for Rural Community Health Centers  

OCED awarded the Community Health Access to Resilient Green Energy (CHARGE) Partnership project—comprised of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), Capital Link, Collective Energy, and the Clean Energy Group—with more than $3 million to begin Phase 1 activities. The project plans to install solar, battery storage, and microgrid controller systems at approximately 125 community health centers across the Southeast. By equipping these health centers with backup power, the project would help ensure continuity of care during emergencies, providing energy reliability for critical medical equipment such as the refrigeration of insulin and vaccines. During Phase 1, the project team will conduct planning, development, design, procurement, and permitting activities, secure agreements with individual community health centers to install systems, provide input for OCED’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance and review, and initiate community and labor engagements. 

View the project fact sheet and community benefits commitments summary here. Learn more about engagement opportunities here. 

Industrial Demonstrations Program 

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Green Aluminum Smelter  

OCED awarded the Green Aluminum Smelter project, led by Century Aluminum Company, with $10 million (of the total project federal cost share of up to $500 million) to begin Phase 1 activities. Century Aluminum Company plans to build the first new primary aluminum smelter in the nation in 45 years. Upon completion, the smelter would double the size of the current U.S. primary aluminum industry while avoiding an estimated 75% of emissions from a traditional smelter due to its state-of-the-art, energy-efficient design. The high-purity aluminum produced from this facility is suitable for national defense, electric vehicles, semiconductors, building and construction, and clean energy applications. During Phase 1, Century Aluminum will determine and announce the site, complete initial engineering studies for various aspects of the project, provide documentation and reports necessary to complete the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review, and engage community and labor stakeholders. 

View the project fact sheet and community benefits commitments summary here. Learn more about engagement opportunities here. 

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Steam-Generating Heat Pumps for Cross-Sector Deep Decarbonization 

OCED awarded the Steam-Generating Heat Pumps for Cross-Sector Deep Decarbonization project, led by Skyven Technologies, with more than $700,000 (of the total project federal cost share of up to $145 million) to begin Phase 1 activities. Skyven Technologies plans to partner with manufacturing facilities across multiple manufacturing sectors in the United States, starting with the Western New York Energy (WNYE) facility in Medina, NY, to pioneer a process-heat-as-a-service model. This approach would electrify steam production to replace natural gas boilers to meet the needs of an energy intensive facility that currently relies on fossil-fired heat. By developing this technology, Skyven would demonstrate expertise and economic viability of this technology solution that can be replicated among diverse heat-using manufacturers. During Phase 1, Skyven will complete initial conceptual and engineering studies for the project, provide documentation and reports necessary to complete the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review, and engage community and labor stakeholders. 

View the project fact sheet and community benefits commitments summary here. Learn more about engagement opportunities here.