The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) is issuing this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to support clean energy demonstration projects on current and/or former mine land. Awards made under this FOA will be funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). As part of and in addition to upgrading and modernizing infrastructure, DOE’s BIL investments will support efforts to build a clean and equitable energy economy that achieves a zero-carbon electricity system by 2035 and to put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050.
The statutory authority for this FOA is BIL Section 40342 (42 U.S.C. § 18761), which authorizes appropriations of $500 million to OCED for the five (5) year period encompassing Fiscal Years (FYs) 2022 through 2026 to establish a program that demonstrates the technical and economic viability of carrying out clean energy projects on current and former mine land(see Section 4.0 of the FOA, Eligibility Information). Eligible clean energy technologies include solar; micro-grids; geothermal; direct air capture; fossil-fueled electricity generation with carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS); energy storage; and advanced nuclear technologies. Up to five clean energy projects will be carried out in geographically diverse regions, at least two of which will be solar projects. OCED is implementing these activities as the Clean Energy Demonstration Program on Current and Former Mine Land (CEML).
Clean energy projects on mine land provide an attractive alternative to using undisturbed natural, agricultural, and other greenfield land for development. Mine land is often located near critical infrastructure that makes it suitable for clean energy development, including electric substations, transmission lines, and access roads or rail lines. Furthermore, mine land possesses unique attributes and conditions that can accelerate the deployment of some clean energy technologies. Some examples include the following:
Utilizing vast expanses of flat mine lands which could be used to generate electricity from photovoltaic (PV) solar; Taking advantage of the spatial connection between geothermal systems and mineral deposits to accelerate development of geothermal resources for clean heat or electricity; and Capitalizing on the opportunity to store clean energy utilizing previously constructed reservoirs with adjacent topography from pumped hydro storage.The purpose of the CEML Program is to demonstrate replicable clean energy projects on current and former mine land that help resolve key barriers to clean energy development on mine land. This program will advance place-based energy solutions that address specific community needs. These demonstration projects are expected to be replicable, providing knowledge and experience that catalyze the next generation of clean energy on mine land projects.
The CEML Program will demonstrate:
Pathways to deploy clean energy projects across the 1.5 million acres of mine land across the nation; Preservation of natural and agricultural land through the development of clean energy projects on existing or reclaimed mine land; Pathways for mining companies to achieve near net-zero operations; Economic benefits of integrating clean energy into mining operations; Community ownership, and equity inclusion models that provide new economic development, including job opportunities, for communities; and Repurposing of land, including existing facilities commonly found on mine land, including fossil fuel infrastructure that has been retired early.This FOA has one Topic Area, which solicits proposals to demonstrate clean energy projects on current and former mine land. The award size will be at least $10 million and no more than $150 million in federal funds. Each award is required to provide a minimum of 50% non-federal cost share. DOE will fund up to five (5) projects in this Topic Area. Projects are anticipated to have a period of performance of 4-7 years.
Only applicants who have submitted an eligible Concept Paper will be eligible to submit a Full Application.
For information and guidance please visit the OCED Funding page.