$100M in DOE Funding Available for Transformational Coal Projects

The Department of Energy (DOE) has available up to $100 million in cost-shared funding for large-scale transformational coal technologies pilot projects.  According to an August 24 funding opportunity announcement (FOA), the money will be distributed in three phases.

“The purpose of this FOA is to seek applications for projects to design, construct, and operate large-scale pilots of transformational coal technologies aimed at enabling step change improvements in coal powered system performance, efficiency, and cost of electricity.  The FOA will be carried out in three phases, with a down-select between phases,” the FOA says.

According to the FOA, Phase I will be focused on feasibility and will “be aimed at supporting recipients’ efforts to secure team commitments (including host sites and recipient cost share for Phase II), update the preliminary cost estimate and schedule for design, construction, and operation, and complete an environmental information volume (EIV).” Approximately 8-10 projects will be selected for Phase I, each receiving a maximum of $1 million.

Approximately 4-5 projects will be selected to advance to Phase II, during which they will “complete a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) study, secure construction/operation cost share funding, and complete the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process,” the FOA says. Each project in Phase II will be awarded a maximum of $3 million.

Finally, at least two projects will be selected to advance to Phase III with a maximum award of $80 million. Phase III funding will support the construction and operation of the selected projects.

Phase I is expected to last one year, ending with the selection of the Phase II projects. Phase II is expected to begin in February 2019, followed by Phase III in February 2020. Phase III is expected to last 60 months.

Applications for Phase I are due by midnight on October 19, 2017. Application instructions can be found at grants.gov.

—Abby L. Harvey is a POWER reporter.