Up to $100 Million in Federal Funding Available: Long-Duration Energy Storage Pilot Program

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) is offering up to $100 million in federal funding for pilot-scale long-duration energy storage projects. This initiative is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is aimed at accelerating the development of non-lithium energy storage technologies that can discharge for 10+ hours. The goal is to move these technologies toward commercial viability, supporting the transition to a carbon-free clean energy economy.

eLIGIBILITY cRITERIA

Applicant teams must include at least one technology provider. Priority will be given to projects that involve utility, developer, and/or end-user partners, demonstrate the solution in an operational environment, and include plans to secure follow-on investments.

Eligible Entities Include:

  1. State energy offices
  2. Indian Tribes
  3. Tribal organizations
  4. Institutes of higher education
  5. Electric utilities (including electric cooperatives, tribal utilities, municipally owned utilities, and investor-owned utilities)
  6. Private energy storage companies

Eligible Projects and Technologies: Projects must demonstrate energy storage solutions at a pilot scale, with the following areas of focus:

  1. Electrochemical: Flow and non-flow batteries
  2. Mechanical: Pressure-based and gravity-based systems
  3. Thermal: Sensible, latent, and thermochemical heat storage, configured for electrical-to-electrical, electrical-to-thermal, or thermal-to-thermal energy transfer

Funding supports various stages of technology maturation, including:

  • Design for manufacturability
  • Pilot system development
  • Fabrication and installation
  • Operational testing and validation
  • Commercial-scale system design and supply chain maturatioN

Funding Details

Funding Amount:

  • Total Available: Up to $100 million
  • Number of Projects: OCED plans to fund 5-15 projects
  • Award Range: Between $5 million and $20 million per project
  • Cost Share: Each project must provide a minimum 50% non-federal cost share (i.e., for every federal dollar, the recipient must contribute at least one non-federal dollar).

 

iMPORTANT dATES

Application Deadlines:

  • Concept Papers Due: October 16, 2024 (by 5 p.m. ET)
  • Full Applications Due: February 13, 2025 (by 5 p.m. ET)
  • Anticipated Award Date: Summer 2025

Need some advice?

Not sure if your organization qualifies for government funding? Schedule a free assessment with us today.

Let's Connect