DE-FOA-0003138 Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0003139 - Distributed Energy Systems Demonstrations

The Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Distributed Energy Systems Demonstrations Funding Opportunity Announcement”. The goal of this new investment area is to support demonstrations that de-risk technologies needed to manage variable generation; control flexible loads; and integrate energy storage, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and other facilities into the U.S. transmission and distribution grids.

OCED anticipates funding commercial-scale projects that demonstrate approaches that integrate grid-edge renewable and distributed energy systems with broader energy networks. These projects will seek to demonstrate reliable operations and system-wide value in the context of distribution grids with high levels of variable renewable generation and flexible load assets. This Notice of Intent (NOI or Notice) describes a preliminary plan that will evolve during the FOA development process.

Commercial-scale demonstrations are necessary to help address these challenges. Within the distributed energy systems area, OCED intends to complement and build on prior and existing DOE programming to target remaining technical and commercial adoption challenges. DOE has a broad range of related programming, including prior programs such as Sustainable and Holistic Integration of Energy Storage and Solar PV (SHINES) and Connected Communities; ongoing planning and partnering through the Grid Modernization Initiative (GMI) and Clean Energy to Communities (C2C); and large demonstration and deployment support through the Energy Improvements in Rural and Remote Areas (ERA)16 and Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) programs.

This program seeks to tackle the challenges of demonstrating reliable system operations within larger systems using more diverse flexible energy assets at a higher proportion of peak load than has been widely demonstrated in the past. This program will seek to operate these systems for sustained periods to build high levels of confidence in the technical and commercial performance and share best practice learnings, simplifying and accelerating adoption and replication of these solutions.

This investment will allow the U.S. to develop more reliable, resilient, and cost-effective distribution grids and distributed energy systems while supporting climate action and providing benefits to communities and workers. It will also support the Biden Administration’s decarbonization goals of a 50-52% reduction in GHG emissions from 2005 levels by 2030, a carbon-pollution-free power sector by 2035, and a net-zero GHG emissions economy by 2050.

NOTE: This is a Notice of Intent only. OCED may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or may not issue a FOA at all.

Additional information regarding eligibility is forthcoming.