This opportunity is now open for Round 2, Topic Area 4.
- Modification 0003 - Open Round 2, See the Modification table in the FOA document for additional modification actions.
- Modification 0002 - See the Modification table in the FOA document.
- Modification 0001 - See the Modification table in the FOA document.
Awards made under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will be funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
The BIL is a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure, which will grow a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable economy through enhancing U.S. competitiveness, driving the creation of good-paying union jobs, and ensuring stronger access to economic, environmental, and other benefits for disadvantaged communities. The BIL appropriates more than $62 billion to the Department of Energy (DOE) to invest in American manufacturing and workers; expand access to energy efficiency; deliver reliable, clean and affordable power to more Americans; and deploy the technologies of tomorrow through clean energy demonstrations.
As part of and in addition to upgrading and modernizing infrastructure, DOE’s BIL investments will address the climate crisis and support efforts to build a clean an equitable energy economy that achieves zero carbon electricity by 2035, and puts the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050 to benefit all Americans.
The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Geothermal Technologies Office’s (GTO) 2022 Enhanced Geothermal ShotTM analysis, building on the 2019 GeoVision report, concludes that with aggressive technology improvements, in areas relevant to enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), geothermal power generation could provide 90 gigawatts-electric (GWe) firm, flexible power to the U.S. grid by 2050.
Enhanced Geothermal Systems are engineered geothermal reservoirs, created where there is hot rock (175-300+°C), but little to no natural permeability and/or fluid saturation. During EGS development, subsurface permeability is enhanced via safe, well-engineered reservoir stimulation processes that re-open pre-existing fractures, create new ones, or a combination of both. These open conduits increase permeability and allow fluid to circulate throughout the hot rock. The fluid transports the otherwise stranded heat to the surface where clean, renewable electricity can be generated with current power generation technologies.
Relative to other geothermal resources, EGS have the potential to provide the most growth in the electric sector, and in the GeoVision scenarios, support noteworthy growth within the non-electric sector for district heating and other direct-use applications. This potential expands if superhot EGS resources (>375°C) are accounted for. Without significant and sustained investment in EGS technology development and demonstrations to refine our ability to access and develop these resources, however, the 90 GWe target will not be achieved.
The Topic Area addressed under this FOA is:
Topic Area 4: Eastern-US EGS Demonstrations (OPEN)
EGS stimulation demonstration located at a well-characterized Eastern U.S. site, with existing well(s) in place and near-term electrical and/or thermal power production potential.
PLEASE DO NOT upload the Letter of Intent or ANY application documents to closed Topic Areas 1, 2, or 3. These will not be accessed or reviewed, applicants risk Topic Area 4 full applications not being retrieved in the eXCHANGE system if submitted incorrectly.
See the 'Full FOA Document' in the DOCUMENTS section below.
Teaming Partner list: Any organization that would like to be included on this list should submit the following information: Organization Name, Contact Name, Contact Address, Contact Email, Contact Phone, Organization Type, Area of Technical Expertise, Brief Description of Capabilities, and Area of Interest. Interested parties should email the information to BIL_EGSPilotDemos@ee.doe.gov with the subject line “Teaming Partner Information.”
Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent by 5:00pm ET on the due date listed in the FOA to be eligible to submit a Full Application. Letters of Intent and Full Applications will only be accepted through EERE eXCHANGE.