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By  Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A.   On May 25, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the availability of up to $14.5 million in investments for research and development (R&D) to reduce waste and energy use related to the recycling of single-use plastics. As the largest subset of plastics found in landfills, single-use plastics, including plastic bags, wraps, and films, are also among the most challenging to recycle. According to DOE,...

By Lynn L. Bergeson   On May 14, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $35 million in funding for 15 research projects focused on reducing the carbon footprint of biofuel production. Housed at colleges, laboratories, and universities in nine states, these projects aim to advance new technologies to decarbonize biorefining processes in the agriculture, energy, and transportation sectors. Funding awards are supported by DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy...

By Lynn L. Bergeson On May 10, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected four research and development (R&D) projects focused on the interaction between promising biofuels and combustion engines. As part of the DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office’s Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative, the four projects will leverage National Laboratory capabilities that can bring biofuel-engine combinations closer to commercial adoption. Each project awardee will...

By Lynn L. Bergeson   On May 5, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice of disclosure to all obligated parties under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program that have submitted small refinery exemption (SRE) petitions and to all parties whose RFS information otherwise resides in EPA’s Moderated Transaction System (EMTS).  EPA’s action is in response to a U.S. Government of Accountability Office (GAO) request to disclose such...

By Lynn L. Bergeson   On April 28, 2021, University of York researchers announced the discovery of a new enzyme derived from a fungus called Parascedosporium putredinis NO1, that can act as a catalyst for a biochemical reaction that breaks down forestry and agricultural waste.  The research was done in collaboration with DOE’s Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and the University of Wisconsin.  This development, according to the University of York, could play a key...

By Lynn L. Bergeson On April 29, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with nine National Laboratories, issued a report titled “Hybrid Energy Systems: Opportunities for Coordinated Research.” The report outlines opportunities for innovation through joint research and development (R&D) on hybrid energy systems.  According to DOE, these opportunities can drive the production of valuable chemicals, fuels, and products that are cost-efficient, increase...

By Lynn L. Bergeson On April 28, 2021, DOE issued a $22.5 million request for proposals (RFP) for projects that support recovery, recycling, and reuse of material waste generated by the manufacturing sector.  DOE EERE stated that “[p]rojects funded through this solicitation will develop technologies that reduce embodied energy and carbon emissions associated with the production and consumption of metals, polymers, fibers, and electronic waste, as well as identify training...

By  Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On April 27, 2021, DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) issued a Federal Agency Call (FAC) titled “Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT 2021),” soliciting $13 million for new energy projects that will help federal facilities to improve the efficiency of their operations and reduce their carbon footprints.  These efforts come with the hope that DOE will...

By  Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On March 10, 2021, DOE EERE issued notices of intent (NOIs) for three sustainable transportation technologies funding opportunity announcements (FOAs). Expected in Spring 2021, these FOAs will focus on innovative research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) of technologies that will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the transportation sector. Of particular interest is DOE EERE’s NOI for an FOA...

By  Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. DOE EERE announced on March 22, 2021, awards totaling $27.5 million for 16 water infrastructure and treatment projects. Spanning 13 states, each project will focus on bringing new water and wastewater-treatment technologies from the applied R&D stage into the market. According to DOE, increasing numbers of utilities responsible for clean water have shifted from strict wastewater treatment models to a broader model of...

By  Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On March 31, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) announced a new request for proposals (RFP) and $4 million in selections for projects aimed at accelerating the adoption of Smart Manufacturing practices. In support of the Biden Administration’s efforts to encourage innovation and reduce the carbon footprint of the manufacturing sector, the new $2 million RFP...

The House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight held a hearing on March 17, 2021, on “Brain Drain:  Rebuilding the Federal Scientific Workforce.”  The Subcommittee heard from the following witnesses: During the hearing, Subcommittee Chair Bill Foster (D-IL) submitted a Majority staff report into the record on “trends in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce within federal science agencies following the...

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On February 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced its comprehensive strategy to decarbonize transportation by 30-85 percent by 2050. A strategy based on research and engineering, it aims to enable industry stakeholders, government bodies, communities, and early adopters to meet their climate goals. In a nutshell, the strategy takes a whole-system approach to...

By Lynn L. Bergeson  On January 13, 2021, DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced the availability of $123.6 million in funding and $44.7 million of cost share available for 46 projects to stimulate technology innovation, improve energy productivity of American manufacturing, and enable the manufacturing of cutting-edge products in the United States. The 46 projects that will be selected under this funding opportunity announcement will focus in...

By   Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On January 19, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released its Plastics Innovation Challenge Draft Roadmap (Draft Roadmap) alongside a Request for Information (RFI) seeking stakeholder input on the draft document. The Plastics Innovation Challenge is a DOE program focused on accelerating innovations in energy-efficient plastic recycling technologies. The aim of the Plastics Innovation Challenge is to make domestic...

By  Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. DOE’s EERE announced an FOA of up to $35 million for bioenergy feedstock technologies and algae R&D. This FOA supports the White House’s priority to advance the domestic bioeconomy and DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office’s (BTO) goal to improve the performance and lower the cost and risk of technologies that can be used to produce biofuels, biopower, and bioproducts. Topic areas include the...

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On December 14, 2020, DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs Office issued its fiscal year (FY) 2021 Phase I Release 2 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the SBIR and STTR Programs. Participating in the FOA are the following DOE program offices: Office of Cyber Security, Energy Security, and Emergency Response; Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation;...

By  Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On December 17, 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced the seven winners of Phase II of the Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize. The prize is designed to facilitate innovative solutions to collecting, storing, and transporting discarded lithium-ion batteries for eventual recycling. Its goal is to develop processes that have the potential to capture 90...

By Lynn L. Bergeson On November 13, 2020, DOE’s EERE announced that the Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative issued a call for white papers. The Co-Optima initiative focuses on the development of new high-performance fuels that, when combined with advanced combustion approaches, can increase energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint. The initiative is seeking white papers to leverage National Laboratory resources and overcome technical challenges to...

By Lynn L. Bergeson On November 12, 2020, DOE issued its multi-year Hydrogen Program Plan aimed at providing a strategic framework for its hydrogen research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) efforts. A coordinated departmental effort, the Hydrogen Program focuses on the advancement of affordable production, transport, storage, and use of hydrogen across different economy sectors. Offices involved in this plan include DOE’s EERE, FE, NE, and the Advanced Research Projects...