Voucher Opportunity 3 – Clean Energy Demonstration Project Siting/Permitting Support (OCED/EERE)

States, local governments, tribes, and other Authority Having Jurisdictions (AHJs) interested in learning about and facilitating clean energy demonstration project siting and permitting processes should take advantage of this voucher opportunity. This opportunity is designed to help AHJs streamline siting and permitting processes to advance commercialization and demonstration of innovative clean energy technologies. See below for additional info about eligibility and timeline.

As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Technology Commercialization Fund, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Transitions (OTT), Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), in collaboration with ENERGYWERX, is offering its Clean Energy Demonstration Project Siting/Permitting Support Voucher Opportunity (VO-3) to eligible AHJs to understand new clean energy technology benefits and challenges, evaluate siting and permitting best practices developed by similar jurisdictions, develop streamlined permitting processes, and support community engagement on related issues. The ultimate goal is to increase adoption readiness of new clean energy technologies with a focus on challenges related to license to operate.

The DOE Voucher Program builds bridges between U.S. entrepreneurs, businesses, technology developers or other relevant partners and third-party voucher providers to advance commercialization of innovative energy technologies. Voucher Opportunity (VO-3) enables expert assistance to help AHJs understand new clean energy technology benefits and challenges, evaluate siting and permitting best practices developed by similar jurisdictions, develop streamlined permitting processes, and support community engagement on related issues..

The first submission window solicits proposals from potential voucher providers. A second submission window will be open soon to solicit requests from potential voucher recipients. Pending availability of funds, additional submission windows may open in the future.

Voucher Projects: Expected max voucher worth $100,000 of work. Vouchers will be distributed as in-kind support, meaning that ENERGYWERX will directly reimburse the voucher provider for the work they have completed on behalf of the voucher recipients. Only work related to specific technology areas will be eligible to receive a voucher under this opportunity. List of eligible technology areas:

-   With OCED funding:

• Advanced nuclear
• Carbon management (including carbon capture and direct air capture)
• Long-duration energy storage
• Clean hydrogen
• Industrial decarbonization
• Upgrades to the electric grid

-   With EERE funding:

• Advanced materials and Manufacturing Technologies
• Building efficiency
• Geothermal
• Solar
• Water
• Wind
• Bioenergy
• Vehicle technologies

Please note that funding is not equally available for all technology areas. Some areas have very limited available funding and DOE expects to run out of money for vouchers in those areas faster than other areas. DOE anticipates issuing approximately 50 vouchers for the technology areas funded by OCED and, in addition, 5 vouchers for the technology areas funded by EERE.

Voucher Providers: Including but not limited to non-profit organizations and consulting firms.

Voucher Recipients: Limited to AHJ’s or other relevant entities seeking to host clean energy projects that fit a specific technology vertical of interest for DOE OCED or EERE within their jurisdiction.

Voucher Providers: How to Participate in VO-3‍

• Review Resources from the September 12, 2023 IW/OSS
• Review the Resources from the September 19, 2023 Office Hours
• Download the Provider Capability Overview: Click Here to Download‍
• Complete Submission Form & Upload Completed Capability Overview: Click Here to Submit for VO-3 (NLT September 26, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET)

This is not the only voucher opportunity currently available through ENERGYWERX. See below for additional information related to other voucher opportunities:

• VO-1: Pre-Demonstration Commercialization Support (OCED/EERE)
• VO-2: Performance Validation, Modeling, and Certification Support (OCED/EERE)
• VO-4: Commercialization Support (EERE)
• VO-5: Commercialization Support (Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, FECM)

Informational Webinar/Objective Strategic Session (IW/OSS) [September 12, 2023]: DOE will provide further details about Voucher Opportunities. Potential voucher providers can better understand the scope, scale, and intent of the Voucher Program and ask questions of the DOE staff. The virtual IW/OSS will take place from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will host Office Hours on September 19, 2023 to answer any remaining questions from potential applicants before the submission deadline.

Voucher Provider: September 26, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET

Voucher Provider Timeline

Phase 1 – Voucher Provider Capability Statement Submissions Open [August 29, 2023 – September 26, 2023]: Interested potential voucher providers should submit one (1) Provider Capability Overview.

COMPLETED Informational Webinar/Objective Strategic Session (IW/OSS) [September 12, 2023]: DOE will provide further details about Voucher Opportunities. Potential voucher providers can better understand the scope, scale, and intent of the Voucher Program and ask questions of the DOE staff. The virtual IW/OSS will take place from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET.

September 12, 2023 IW/OSS Agenda (all times listed in ET):

2:00 – 2:15 PM ET: General Intro

2:15 – 3:00 PM ET: Voucher Opportunity Presentation

3:00 – 4:00 PM ET: Q&A Session with DOE and ENERGYWERX

COMPLETED U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will host Office Hours on September 19, 2023 to answer any remaining questions from potential applicants before the submission deadline.

Phase 2 – DOE Selection [October 2023]: DOE will review submissions based on relevance to the program objectives and will notify selected entities for next steps.
NOTE:  DOE may choose to meet with submitters or ask additional clarifying questions prior to selection.

Phase 3 – Negotiations [November 2023 – December 2023]: Subsequently, selected organizations will meet with ENERGYWERX to negotiate the scope of work, budget, timing, and impact.

Complete Submission Form & Upload Completed Capability Overview: Click Here to Submit for VO-3 (NLT September 26, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET)

Q: What are the eligibility requirements for voucher providers and recipients?

A: Please review the eligibility requirements for each Voucher Opportunity. In general, participation is open to any type of organization, unless specified in the Voucher Opportunity description.

Q: Are National Labs eligible to be voucher providers?

A: National Labs are eligible to apply as voucher providers in the new voucher program run by ENERGYWERX. Note that there are more voucher work coming in FY24 as part of DOE's Technology Commercialization Fund Base Annual Appropriations Core Laboratory Infrastructure for Market Readiness (CLIMR) through the "Open Voucher Call" project. These vouchers will exclusively focus on national lab voucher providers. See selection announcement.

Q: For National Lab providers, would the voucher be paid after work is completed, or would it be front funded?

A. If selected, the mechanism for national lab providers will be different than with private sector providers. Most notably, the labs would receive funding for voucher work directly from DOE via their M&O contract, not via ENERGYWERX.

Questions about ENERGYWERX

Q: What is ENERGYWERX?

A: ENERGYWERX is a neutral facilitator as a result of a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) with the Department of Energy. ENERGYWERX will be coordinating the collection of applications, disbursement of funds, and voucher management for the Voucher Program.

Q: How does it work for performers?

A: Performers receive a formal Business-to-Business (B2B) Research and Development Agreement (RDA) and Statement of Effort (SOE) as a sub-award (15 U.S. Code, Section 3715) from ENERGYWERX.

Q: What is an ENERGYWERX Informational Webinar (Objective Strategic Session)?

A: Interested participants join a virtual, open forum session to engage with DOE Partners, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and other potential applicants regarding the DOE’s desired focus area(s) of interest.

Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact ENERGYWERX: info@energywerx.org