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News and Events:
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TVA's Clean Energy Energizes Region's Economic Growth
The TVA Board of Directors announced plans to move forward with a Valley Pathways Study that will look at all segments of the economy to accelerate the region's clean energy economy. TVA will use this study to expand on the region's standing as a national leader for innovation in new nuclear, renewable energy, electric vehicles, energy storage, and hydrogen. The study – a partnership between the University of Tennessee’s Baker Center and TVA – is critical to help the region better define the pace of electrification and identify the connections between the power industry and all sectors of the economy to pinpoint ways everyone can adopt sustainable, carbon-free solutions.
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| U.S. DOE Launches Two Workforce Development Programs to Support Zero-Energy Buidlings
To prepare building-design professionals and high school students interested in clean energy careers, U.S. DOE expanded the Solar Decathlon to include two workforce development programs. Solar Decathlon Professionals (SD Pro) is a 10-week course co-developed by the American Institute of Architects to train professionals to incorporate zero-energy building techniques into their work. Solar Decathlon Pathways (SD Pathways) will connect high school students with Solar Decathlon competition alumni to explore career opportunities in sustainable buildings. Email aiau@aia.org to learn more.
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Kairos Power, ETEC Discuss Next-Generation Nuclear Technology on TAEBC Podcast
In the latest episode of the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council’s Energizing Tennessee podcast, Tracy Boatner, President of the East Tennessee Economic Council, and Mike Laufer, CEO of Kairos Power, discuss why nuclear companies are choosing Tennessee and what partnerships drive nuclear innovation for the state. Click here to listen.
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TVA Turns to Sun for More Power
TVA is turning to the sun for more of its power, awarding four more solar purchase power contracts in December and preparing later this year to review a record number of proposals for solar, wind, nuclear and other carbon-free power sources. Read the full story here.
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| Tennessee Sees Rapid Growth in Clean Energy Jobs
According to a new report from Climate Power, the three states creating the most clean energy jobs between August 2022 and January 2023 were: Kansas (20,500), Georgia (16,627) and Tennessee (11,753). More than 100,000 new clean energy jobs identified in the research are spread across 31 states and are tied to 94 new clean energy projects that total nearly $90 billion. Click here to read the report.
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| U.S. DOE Announces Investments to Support Energy and Industrial Communities
U.S. DOE, U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced several major programs to accelerate domestic clean energy manufacturing and ensure traditionally underserved communities benefit from clean energy technologies. As part of this whole of government approach, DOE is partnering with Treasury and IRS to implement two programs funded by the Inflation Reduction Act: the Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program (48(e)) and the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit (48C). Continuing the effort to uplift underserved communities, DOE also opened applications for the $750 million Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to support industrial projects by small- and medium-sized manufacturers in energy communities.
- The Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit (48C) program was established by the 2009 Recovery Act and expanded with a $10 billion investment under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Treasury and IRS, in partnership with DOE, announced the intent to release approximately $4 billion in a first round of tax credits for projects that expand U.S. supply chains for clean energy technologies and critical materials for clean energy technology production, and for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions at industrial facilities. Approximately $1.6 billion of this allocation will be set aside for projects in coal communities. The program will provide an investment tax credit of up to 30% of qualified investments for certified projects that meet prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements.
- The Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program, also known as 48(e), advances the Administration’s commitments to equity and environmental justice as the most significant tax incentive in U.S. history to promote clean energy investments in low-income communities, on Tribal Land, and within affordable housing. DOE’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity will administer the Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program, which will allocate the bonus credit to 1.8 GW of eligible solar and wind capacity per year.
- The Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program will award financial assistance to small- and medium-sized manufacturers in energy communities to 1) establish new facilities or 2) re-equip or expand existing facilities for the manufacturing or recycling of advanced energy property. A mapping tool to show eligible communities under the program is available here. This first Funding Opportunity Announcement will provide approximately $350 million in awards with a focus on projects with high supply chain impacts and strong community benefits plans. The deadline to submit a Concept Paper is March 14 at 5:00 PM Eastern, and full applications are due June 8 at 5:00 PM Eastern.
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U.S. DOE Launches the Interconnection and Innovation e-Xchange
The Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X) enables a simpler, faster, and fairer interconnection of clean energy resources all while enhancing the reliability, resiliency, and security of our electric grid. The i2X program facilitates collaboration by conducting stakeholder engagement, data collection and analysis, strategic roadmap development, and technical assistance. The i2X has up to $750,000 available for technical assistance to support the improvement of interconnection practices and processes for the bulk power system. The technical assistance must be specific to the interconnection of solar, wind, storage, or electric vehicle charging facilities, or a hybrid integration of these technologies. Up to 12 projects will be selected.
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| American-Made Perovskite Startup Prize for Solar Research and Development
U.S. DOE's Solar Energy Technologies Office is funding the American-Made Challenges: Perovskite Startup Prize, a two-stage, $3 million prize competition designed to accelerate the development and manufacturing of perovskite solar cells by moving world-class research out of the lab and into new U.S. companies. Perovskite researchers can apply for the final cycle of the Countdown Contest by March 23.
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| U.S. DOE Announces Funding for Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation
The activities to be funded under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) support the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and a government-wide approach to advance building codes and support their successful implementation. The primary focus centers around updating to more efficient building energy codes that save money for American homes and businesses, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and encourage more resilient buildings. This FOA includes one topic area broadly focused on the cost-effective implementation of updated energy codes. DOE expects to make a total of approximately $45,000,000 of federal funding available for new awards under this FOA, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. DOE anticipates making approximately 10-30 awards under this FOA varying between $500,000 and $10,000,000. Full applications are due March 27 at 5:00 PM Eastern.
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| U.S. DOE's REMADE Institute Announces $10 Million to Advance Circular Economy Technologies
U.S. DOE’s Reducing Embodied Energy and Decreasing Emissions (REMADE) Institute today announced up to $10 million to support projects that develop and demonstrate tools and technologies that bolster the circular economy and dramatically reduce the embodied energy and carbon emissions associated with industrial-scale materials production and processing. These goals that work toward an advanced circular economy in the United States advance President Biden’s clean energy goals to increase industrial efficiency and achieve a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050.
This Request for Proposals (RFP) solicits proposals for projects in two areas:
- Traditional Research and Development (R&D) – Projects that will develop tools and technologies consistent with the research priorities in the REMADE Roadmap
- Technology Research, Development & Demonstration (RD&D) – Projects that demonstrate the potential to transform the recycling and remanufacturing industries through technological innovation.
Selected projects must be consistent with the REMADE Institute’s goals to reduce energy and emissions, achieve “better than cost and energy parity,” and promote the widespread application of new enabling technologies across multiple industries. The intended impact of these demonstrations will motivate industry investments required to complete development and deploy these technologies across the U.S. manufacturing ecosystem. Letters of Intent are due March 27 and proposals are due April 26 at 5:00 PM Eastern. Click here to download the RFP package.
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| U.S. DOE Issues Funding to Launch Onsite Energy Technical Assistance Pathways
U.S. DOE's Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office announced a $23 million funding opportunity that will establish a regional network of Onsite Energy Technical Assistance Partnerships (TAPs) to help industrial facilities and other large energy users increase the adoption of onsite energy technologies. Integrating clean energy technologies directly in buildings and plants will play a significant role in achieving the nation’s climate goals and reaching a net-zero economy by 2050. The Onsite Energy TAPs will accelerate the integration and deployment of clean energy technologies to drive U.S. industrial decarbonization, productivity, and competitiveness.
With this announcement, DOE is soliciting applications from entities with expertise in onsite energy – including with renewable fuels such as biomass, biogas, and renewable natural gas – who are interested in providing technical assistance services as part of the regional network. Overall, the program will accelerate the integration and deployment of clean energy technologies to drive decarbonization, productivity, and competitiveness in the U.S. industrial sector. Full applications are due April 21. Click here to view the full funding opportunity.
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Energize Your Career: Virtual Career Fair for New Graduates
On March 2 at 12:00 PM Eastern, U.S. DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) will host an Energize Your Career: Virtual Career Fair for New Graduates webinar for attendees to learn how to join EERE through the Pathways Program and become a Clean Energy Champion. This program helps individuals who have graduated from an undergraduate or graduate program within the past two years launch their federal careers. In this two-hour webinar, participants will hear from EERE employees about how they are working to help build a clean energy future, network with subject-matter experts, learn about the requirements of the Pathways Program from the Workforce Management Office, and learn how to apply for the Pathways Program. Click here to register for the webinar.
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| Better Buildings Webinar Series
The Better Buildings Webinar Series addresses topics facing energy professionals, with experts leading the conversations on proven best practices, cost-effective strategies, and innovative ways to approach sustainability and energy performance. View all upcoming webinars here, or click on any webinar below to register.
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National Community Solar Partnership Annual Update Webinar
The National Community Solar Partnership developed a set of initiatives to support its goal of powering the equivalent of 5 million households with community solar by 2025 and generating $1 billion in household savings. Get a preview of the first Impact Report at the Annual Update Webinar on March 7 at 12:00 PM Eastern.
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| Five Benefits of Residential Solar
Nearly 4 million American households are already generating their own power with solar energy. With more of our energy coming from solar, there is high interest and a large amount of information available. The Energy Saver blog highlights five key benefits of adding residential solar, from saving money to having power when the grid goes down, even if you do not own a house. Click here to read more.
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