This week's awards: ERA's Community Scale Rural Bioenergy Facilities Project, Fort Lupton Microgrid Project, and Microgrids for Community Affordability, Resilience, and Energy Decarbonization (CARED) ; LDES Demonstrating LDES for Military Installation Energy Resilience Project
Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations
October 9, 2024
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On Wednesdays, OCED will announce the latest projects that have successfully completed award negotiations. OCED will only issue an Award Wednesday notification on weeks when an award has been finalized.
AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS
Energy Improvements in Remote and Rural Areas
Community Scale Rural Bioenergy Facilities Project
OCED awarded the Community Scale Rural Bioenergy Facilities project, led by West Biofuels, LLC, with more than $7.5 million (of the total project federal cost share of up to $30 million) to begin initial project activities. West Biofuels, LLC plans to deploy three community-scale bioenergy systems, transforming culled biomass into 100% renewable electricity and biochar soil amendments. These efforts aim to prevent local forest fires, while providing low-carbon, stable energy for three communities in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. During this initial phase, for the Hat Creek facility located in Burney, CA, this award would support construction verification and validation, as well as operations, maintenance, and engagement activities. For the Mammoth and Mariposa facilities, which have not yet been constructed, this funding would support planning, design, and permitting activities.
View the project fact sheet and community benefits commitments summary here. Learn more about engagement opportunities here.
Fort Lupton Microgrid Project
OCED awarded the Fort Lupton Microgrid Project, led by United Power, with more than $275,000 (of the total federal cost share of up to $6.1 million) to begin Phase 1 activities. The Fort Lupton Microgrid project would replace an aging diesel generator with a microgrid consisting of a 300 kW natural gas generator, 900 kW floating solar photovoltaic array, and a 1.7 MWh battery energy storage system. Once designed, built and operating, the fully integrated microgrid would improve power resiliency at the water treatment plant, reduce water evaporation, and help reduce municipal spending. During Phase 1, United Power will conduct planning, development and design activities, including securing agreements, providing input into OCED’s National Environmental Policy Act review, and initiating community and labor engagement.
View the project fact sheet and community benefits commitments summary here. Learn more about engagement opportunities here.
Microgrids for Community Affordability, Resilience, and Energy Decarbonization (CARED)
OCED awarded the Microgrids for Community Affordability, Resilience, and Energy Decarbonization (CARED) project, led by National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Research, with more than $9 million (of the total federal cost share of up to nearly $45 million) to begin Phase 1 activities. The project plans to create a consortium of rural electric cooperatives to deploy microgrids—which could include solar photovoltaic, battery energy storage systems, and distribution upgrades—across seven rural communities in Arizona, California, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, and Tennessee. During Phase 1 of the project, NRECA Research will conduct planning, development and design activities, provide input into OCED’s National Environmental Policy Act review, and initiate community and labor engagement.
View the project fact sheet and community benefits commitments summary here. Learn more about engagement opportunities here.
Long-Duration Energy Storage
Demonstrating LDES for Military Installation Energy Resilience Project
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) / U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Joint Program is a partnership between OCED and DOD's Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy Resilience and Optimization (ODASD (ER&O). For the first demonstration under this program, the DOD Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), in partnership with OCED, have awarded nearly $19 million in combined funds to CellCube Inc. to install a 500 kW vanadium redox flow battery energy storage system at the U.S. Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, CA, providing backup power and long-duration storage of solar power from a separate installation at the site. This project would help enhance energy resilience and demonstrate for the first time a more energy-dense electrolyte within the flow battery. Learn more here.