OCED has developed a suite of programs designed to be flexible and responsive to current and future needs around technology commercialization called the Liftoff Enabling Programs. These programs support the replication, market liftoff, and deployment of clean energy infrastructure technologies by removing commercialization barriers to increase technology and adoption readiness. They were created with the needs of various stakeholders in mind to ensure relevant parties collaborate to accelerate the pathway to liftoff for these emerging technologies.
The Programs
>> See OCEDExchange for more information.
On January 16, 2025, OCED issued a solicitation for up to $31 million to validate new energy technology components, or systems at pilot-scale under operational conditions. The PROVE IT solicitation will support small businesses conducting research and development efforts aimed at operational validation of a pilot-scale project before it can be deemed ready for large-scale demonstration or commercialization and deployment. Step 1 applications are due by April 7, 2025, at 5 p.m. ET, with step 2 deadline to follow in early June 2025. An informational webinar will be held on February 5, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Register for the webinar here.
The solicitation includes two topic areas:
- Point Source Carbon Capture
- Long-Duration Energy Storage
This solicitation follows a Request For Information (RFI) issued in June 2023 seeking input on the need and opportunity of a program to support pilot-scale operational validation with the response summaries described in the RFI summary.
>> See EnergyWerx for all voucher opportunities.
OCED, in collaboration with the Office of Technology Transitions and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, is making nearly $45 million available to small businesses, authorities having jurisdiction, and other non-traditional partners needing commercialization support in the form of vouchers for third-party subject matter expertise. The voucher program intends to make it easy for entities to take advantage of these funds with a streamlined application process and simplified contracting mechanism executed through DOE’s recent partnership intermediary agreement with ENERGYWERX.
OCED offers multiple voucher opportunities, each with a specific goal and intended for a specific group of stakeholders. Please review eligibility criteria and funding available for each opportunity at the ENERGYWERX website. Categories of support include:
- Pre-Demonstration Commercialization Support
- Performance Validation, Modeling, and Certification Support
- Clean Energy Demonstration Project Siting/Permitting Support
- Industrial Decarbonization Project Planning and Validation Support
- Manufacturing Conversion, Retooling, and Retrofitting Support
>> See HeroX MAKE IT Round 2 for the current prize opportunity
In collaboration with the Office of Technology Transitions OCED is making more than $60 million available for a prize competition, called MAKE IT, to boost domestic manufacturing and ensure a robust, secure supply chain of critical clean energy technology components. The MAKE IT Prize is spread over two tracks:
- Facilities Track: Each winner can receive up to $5 million to get their manufacturing facility shovel-ready.
- Strategies Track: Each winner can receive up to $250,000 if they develop a roadmap to promote a clean energy manufacturing activity in their region and show interest from one entity considering a new facility. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is collaborating with OCED on this prize. View the Phase 1 winners here.
>> See SOLVE IT Prize | HeroX for community-led prize updates
In collaboration with the Office of Technology Transitions and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, OCED announced a $5 million prize competition, called SOLVE IT, to support innovative local clean energy solutions. The prize awards organizations with a demonstrated history of community-based initiatives to help communities find solutions to their energy challenges.
Through the prize, competitors will work collaboratively with stakeholders interested in community-scale (e.g., neighborhood, town, or city scale) clean energy strategic planning to engage their communities, build a network of support for clean energy projects, and develop plans for carrying out energy projects that address their energy challenges.
>> See the LDES National Consortium to participate in the LDES collaboration effort
>> See the Clean H2 Alignment (CHyTAC) to participate in the hydrogen collaboration effort
OCED, in collaboration with the Office of Technology Transitions, is making $30 million available to establish three consortia led by DOE National Laboratories for Collaborative Alignment for Critical Technology Industries.
The projects selected for negotiation will establish lab-led industry and stakeholder working groups that will collaboratively identify industry-wide adoption challenges and develop and begin to implement recommendations and best practices for their resolution. This program is currently supporting five industries:
- Clean Hydrogen
- Long Duration Energy Storage
- Industrial demonstrations: Chemicals and Refining
- Industrial demonstrations: Concrete and Cement
- Industrial demonstrations: Metals (iron, steel, and aluminum)
The GREET (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies) model is used to calculate the lifecycle of greenhouse gas emissions. Developed by Argonne National Lab, GREET helps companies, governments, and academic institutions get a complete picture of the energy and emissions impacts of different fuel pathways, materials, and technologies, including clean hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel, and batteries.
OCED, in collaboration with the Office of Technology Transitions, is making $2 million available to Argonne National Lab to develop the next generation of the GREET model with structured databases, enhanced functionality, and intuitive user-friendly interfaces for individual modules.
OCED, in collaboration with the Office of Technology Transitions and the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, is investing $2 million to provide standardized CDR contract templates to the CDR industry to jumpstart legal work and promote equitable terms.
The project will bring about contracts that are:
- Bankable, providing sufficient terms to demonstrate assurance of revenue to attract project finance capital
- Risk mitigating, protecting from risks such as failure-to-deliver or storage reversal
- Accountable, with oversight from standards bodies and MRV firms to ensure trust
- Unbiased, ensuring that terms are beneficial to all parties involved
OCED, in collaboration with the Office of Technology Transitions and the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, is investing $15 million to accelerate the commercialization of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies with advanced measurement, reporting and validation (MRV) capabilities.
Four projects led by DOE National Laboratories and supported by more than 50 industry stakeholders, aim to develop a harmonized MRV framework, formulate best practices, build up capabilities, and implement robust MRV practices with industry partners, government agencies, and other relevant stakeholders. These projects will also increase trust and transparency among CDR practitioners, buyers, and companies. Learn more about these projects.