DOE Announces $180 M for Offshore Wind Projects

Energy Department Announces $180 Million for Ambitious New Initiative to Deploy U.S. Offshore Wind Projects

March 01, 2012

As part of President Obama's all-out, all-of-the-above approach to developing every domestic energy resource, Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the start of an ambitious initiative to capture the potential of wind energy off American coasts. As part of a planned six-year $180 million initiative, an initial $20 million will be available this year as the first step in supporting up to four innovative offshore wind energy installations across the United States. These offshore wind projects will accelerate the deployment of breakthrough wind power technologies that will help diversify our nation's energy portfolio, promote economic development, and launch a new industry here in America.

"Developing all of our nation's vast energy resources is an important part of President Obama's blueprint for an American economy that uses all of America's energy resources," said Secretary Chu. "The new offshore wind energy initiative announced today will help to catalyze the development of offshore wind in America, supporting U.S. innovators as they seek to design and demonstrate next generation wind energy technologies. These investments are critical to ensuring that America remains competitive in this growing global industry that can drive new manufacturing, construction, installation and operation jobs across the country."

Offshore wind is an enormous potential resource for the United States, with strong, consistent winds located in the Atlantic, Pacific, the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. America's vast offshore wind resources, estimated at more than 4,000 gigawatts, will help the United States meet its critical energy, environmental and economic challenges and provide energy to coastal cities where much of the nation's population and electricity demand lies.

To support these new demonstration projects, the Energy Department will make available up to $180 million over six years, subject to congressional appropriations, including an initial commitment of $20 million in fiscal year 2012. The Department will focus this latest research and demonstration initiative on highly innovative technologies that will achieve large cost reductions over existing offshore wind technologies. The demonstrations will help address key challenges associated with installing utility-scale offshore wind turbines, connecting offshore turbines to the power grid, and navigating new permitting and approval processes.
In addition to the new funding, the Department is continuing to work with partners across the federal government to implement a comprehensive offshore wind energy strategy, conduct resource assessments, and streamline siting and permitting.

By investing in this emerging industry, this support will help lower the cost and speed the deployment of American-made offshore wind energy technologies designed for U.S. coastal conditions and provide valuable opportunities to test these innovations in real offshore environments.

Applicants to the competitive solicitation are expected to form world-class consortia of energy project developers, equipment suppliers, research institutions and marine installation specialists. Energy Department funds may be used to cover up to 80% of a project's design costs and 50% of the hardware and installation costs. Letters of intent are due on March 30 and applications are due on May 31, 2012.

For more information and application requirements for this funding opportunity, see the Funding Opportunity Exchange website.

News Release from the DOE - Nat Gas & Biofuels Funding

President Obama Announces Funding for Breakthroughs in Natural Gas and Biofuels as Alternative Fuels for Vehicles

February 23, 2012 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Obama announced new funding to catalyze breakthrough technologies for two key alternative fuels – natural gas and biofuels – as part of his all-of-the-above energy strategy to reduce our reliance on foreign oil and provide American families new choices for vehicles that do not rely on conventional gasoline.   Through its Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), the Energy Department will make $30 million available for a new research competition in the coming months that will engage our country’s brightest scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs to find ways to harness our abundant supplies of domestic natural gas for vehicles. The Department of Energy will also make $14 million available to support research and development into biofuels from algae.  These programs will spur American innovation and encourage scientific breakthroughs that will help diversify the nation’s energy portfolio, grow American companies, and develop alternative vehicle technologies that do not rely on oil.

President Obama announced the programs during a speech at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida, where he toured the school’s Industrial Assessment Center (IAC), an Energy Department program that teaches students how to become industrial energy efficiency experts as they help small- to mid-sized manufacturers cut energy costs.

“As President Obama made clear in his State of the Union address, in order to build a strong economy and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we must invest in developing American energy sources like natural gas and biofuels,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “Through the new programs announced today, we can help revolutionize the way Americans fuel their cars, saving money for families and businesses while building new industries here in the United States.”

Funding Breakthroughs in Natural Gas Vehicles


ARPA-E’s $30 million funding announcement for natural gas breakthroughs build on President Obama’s call for a new era for American energy that benefits from the safe, responsible development of the near 100-year supply of American natural gas, which has the potential to support more than 600,000 U.S. jobs. Today’s natural gas vehicle technologies require tanks that can withstand high pressures, are cumbersome and either too large or too expensive to be suitable for passenger vehicles. ARPA-E’s projects under this new program, titled Methane Opportunities for Vehicular Energy - or “MOVE” - will focus on overcoming these barriers by developing innovative, low-cost natural gas storage technologies and methods to lower pressure in vehicle tanks that will help enable the widespread adoption of natural gas vehicles.

Specifically, ARPA-E seeks to fund projects that will develop lightweight tanks for cars that can run on natural gas and fit into modern passenger vehicles. This approach includes developing affordable natural gas compressors that can efficiently fuel a natural gas vehicle at home. ARPA-E also seeks to fund projects that will develop absorbing materials that are able to hold gas, similar to how a sponge holds water.  These materials could lower pressure in vehicle tanks that hold and release natural gas, making them safer and more affordable for American consumers.

President Obama launched ARPA-E in 2009 to seek out transformational, breakthrough technologies that are too risky for private-sector investment but have the potential to translate science into quantum leaps in energy technology, form the foundation for entirely new industries, and have large commercial impacts. Demonstrating the success ARPA-E has already seen, the program announced last year that eleven of its projects secured more than $200 million in outside private capital investment after initial funding from its programs.  Today’s announcement begins ARPA-E’s fifth round of funding. To date, ARPA-E has hosted four rounds of competitions and attracted over 5,000 applications from research teams, which has resulted in 180 groundbreaking projects worth over $500 million. For more information and application requirements for the Funding Opportunity Announcement, please visit https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov/.

Funding to Develop Homegrown Transportation Fuels from Algae

The Energy Department’s $14 million funding announcement to develop transportation fuels from algae builds on an Administration-wide commitment to biofuels research, development, and demonstration that includes support for the construction of commercial-scale, next-generation biorefineries. Part of the Department’s sustained investment in biofuels technologies focuses on unlocking the potential for homegrown transportation fuels from algae, which have the potential to replace up to 17 percent of the United States’ imported oil for transportation. In addition, algae feedstocks offer additional benefits, such as an ability to be grown in ponds near industrial facilities where algae can feed off the carbon emissions from power plants or digest nitrogen and phosphorous from municipal waste water.  The Department is currently supporting more than 30 algae-based biofuels projects, representing $85 million in total investments.

Through the new funding announcement, the Department will seek proposals from small businesses, universities, and national laboratories to modify existing facilities for long-term algae research and test new production processes that could lead to commercial biofuels made from algae. Specifically, the new projects will establish and operate research “test beds” for algal biofuels that can facilitate development, test new approaches to algae production, and discover innovative ways to minimize the water and nutrients needed to mass produce algae for commercial biofuels. These advanced research projects will aim to significantly improve the sustainability of algae-based biofuels and accelerate technological breakthroughs.  These awards represent the first phase in a total $30 million investment in algal biofuels in fiscal year 2012.

The competitively selected projects will receive up to $14.3 million in fiscal year 2012 funds, with an additional $6.7 million available in fiscal year 2014 funding, subject to Congressional appropriations, for projects that meet rigorous performance criteria. Applications are due on April 18, 2012. For more information and application requirements for the Funding Opportunity Announcement, please visit the Funding Opportunity Exchange website.

News Release from the DOE

Eight National Labs Offer Streamlined Partnership Agreements to Help Industry Bring New Technologies to Market

February 23, 2012 

Washington, D.C. – Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that eight of the Department’s national laboratories will participate in a pilot initiative to make it easier for private companies to utilize the laboratories’ research capabilities.  The program will harness America’s unique advantages in innovation to create jobs and accelerate the development of new clean energy technologies.

“The Agreements for Commercializing Technology will cut red tape for businesses and startups interested in working with our nation’s crown jewels of innovation, the national laboratories,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “This initiative will also strengthen new domestic industries by helping to bring innovative, job-creating technologies to the market faster.”

Previously, companies wishing to partner with the laboratories for commercial research had two options: signing a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) or a Work For Others (WFO) Agreement.  The eight laboratories participating in this pilot program intend to offer a third, more flexible option: an Agreement for Commercializing Technology (ACT).

ACT was created to address concerns that have been raised by industry and to remove barriers that sometimes got in the way of commercializing technology under a CRADA or WFO agreement.  Specifically, under an ACT:

·         There will be more flexibility in negotiating over the intellectual property rights for technologies created at the laboratory.  While the labs generally have had limited flexibility on IP terms under CRADAs and WFO arrangements, an ACT will allow both parties to develop a specialized arrangement that will facilitate moving the technology into the marketplace as quickly as possible.
·         More flexible terms are also available on other issues ranging from payment arrangements to project structures to indemnification.  The goal is to develop terms that are better aligned with industry practice.
·         Whereas WFO arrangements and CRADAs tend to be tailored for two-party agreements between one company and a lab, an ACT will make it easier to develop a multi-party research and development partnership.  Groups of companies, universities and/or other entities may come together with a laboratory to address complex technological challenges that are of mutual interest.

The participating labs are:

·         Ames Laboratory
·         Brookhaven National Laboratory
·         Idaho National Laboratory
·         Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
·         National Renewable Energy Laboratory
·         Oak Ridge National Laboratory
·         Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
·         Savannah River National Laboratory

DOE’s laboratories have a long tradition of working with businesses and academia on scientific research and technology development efforts that have generated many advances, spawned new businesses and supported the creation of new industries and jobs.

ACT complements the goals of the Administration’s “Startup America” initiative and is part of DOE’s broader efforts to support startups and small businesses, including the “America's Next Top Energy Innovator” Challenge, which gives startup companies access to the Energy Department's thousands of unlicensed patents at a greatly reduced cost and paperwork.

To view the FAQ on Agreements for Commercializing Technology (ACT), visit http://technologytransfer.energy.gov/ACTpilotFAQ.html

News Release from the U.S. Dept. of Energy

Small Businesses Nationwide Begin Work on Cutting-Edge Innovative Research Projects

February 21, 2012 - 12:18pm

Washington, D.C. – Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that with support from the Department of Energy, 142 small businesses around the nation are starting work this week on 180 innovative research projects ranging from designing better wind turbines to developing a chemical-free approach to killing bacteria in power plant cooling water and from developing instruments to improve nanomaterials to making new coatings to improve the efficiency of gas turbines.  These grants to small businesses - totaling $26.4 million – are developing new energy technologies that will help to grow America’s economy, create new jobs around the country and improve American competitiveness around the world.  The Energy Department’s Small Business Innovation Research program is part of the Obama Administration’s broader support for job-creating small businesses and startup companies nationwide.

“These small businesses are working to develop new technologies to bring to the marketplace, creating new jobs and potentially new industries here in America,” said Secretary Chu.  “As part of the Obama Administration’s Startup America Initiative, these innovative small businesses are helping the Department improve America’s energy security, grow our economy, and ensure U.S. companies can compete in the global economy.”   .

The companies will use their awards -- in amounts up to $150,000 -- over the next nine months to explore the feasibility of their innovative concepts.  They will then be eligible to compete for awards up to $1 million under a two-year, Phase II of research and development.

DOE selected the 180 projects from among nearly 1,000 Phase I proposals submitted under its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
This year’s Phase I awards to date were made in 36 technical topic areas for research supporting the Department’s diverse energy, scientific and environmental missions.  Under the STTR program, 23 of the companies are partnering with a university or DOE national laboratory to do the research.  In addition, DOE is planning on at least one more Phase I competition with another round of awards later in the year.

The full list of Phase I award winners and their projects is available HERE.

DOE’s Office of Science manages the departments’ SBIR and STTR programs.  More information about the two programs is available HERE.

Venture Acceleration Fund Accepting Applications

News release from Los Alamos National Laboratory:

Venture Acceleration Fund associated with LANL now accepting applications for 2012

LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, January 23, 2012—The Venture Acceleration Fund of Los Alamos National Security, LLC, the company that manages and operates Los Alamos National Laboratory for the National Nuclear Security Administration, is now accepting applications for the 2012 calendar year. The three companies selected in the completion will receive up to $100,000 each to commercialize technology and take it to market faster.

The Venture Acceleration Fund (VAF) helps innovative companies reach the next level of success through business and technology development activities such as proof-of-concept, prototyping, securing initial customers, or obtaining additional funding. Companies located in the Northern New Mexico counties of Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Sandoval, Rio Arriba, Taos, San Miguel, and Mora are given preference for funding, as are projects associated with LANL technology or expertise.

VAF applications will be accepted throughout 2012 and will be reviewed in three rounds corresponding to three application deadlines: February 24, May 25, and August 25. One award will be made for each round. "The quality of applications has increased greatly over the past two years, so we expect the process will be competitive for 2012," said David Pesiri, Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Technology Transfer Division leader. "Nevertheless, our team often assists those companies that aren’t selected by connecting them with other resources to meet their specific needs and achieve good commercialization outcomes for the broadest set of customers possible."

In 2011, Los Alamos start-up company Manhattan Isotope Technology, LLC received a VAF award to develop, test, and validate a radio analytical lab for manufacturing strontium-82, which is used for heart imaging. The company is positioned to expand the limited availability of strontium-82 to the marketplace, currently only produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Vista Therapeutics, Inc. of Santa Fe also received VAF funding in 2011. The company is developing a NanoBiosensor System that will revolutionize the measurement of biomarkers, such as proteins, that are produced in response to trauma or disease. Funding was used to complete research and development and to adapt devices for a potential first customer. Chief Scientific Officer Spencer Farr expects that Vista’s new technology will hasten a personalized approach to medicine and will help the company create 40 high-paying jobs.

Ideum, another VAF recipient, used its funding to develop a new version of the company’s gesture-based software platform called "GestureWorks" for international release. Ideum customizes interactive exhibits and multi-touch tables for museums. "The VAF award allowed us to accelerate our schedule from 16 months to 8,” says Ideum’s founder, Jim Spadaccini. “This has huge implications for getting into the marketplace quickly."

Los Alamos National Security, LLC invests $1 million per year in economic development through a program known as Northern New Mexico Connect. Northern New Mexico Connect promotes VAF and a variety of other business development programs. In the past six years, 166 companies have created and retained 240 jobs and attracted $8.2 million in new funding and financing as a result of their work with Northern New Mexico Connect.

To find out more about the LANS Venture Acceleration Fund or to submit a VAF Application in 2012, visit www.nnmconnect.net or contact Belinda Snyder of Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Technology Transfer Division at bee@lanl.gov.

About Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and URS for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.