Demonstrating a new technology
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Demonstrating a new technology
You’ve identified a new or emerging technology that you want to pursue. Now, you need to understand the benefits, costs and risks associated with this technology and how to demonstrate it. Key elements of the demonstration may include:
- Security: New technology may introduce security risks requiring careful assessment and mitigation.
- Regulatory Compliance: Generally compliant but certain parameters must be proven.
- Environmental Impact: Assess and minimize the environmental implications.
- Scalability: Scaling up may present several unknowns, require substantial resources, and could face capacity limitations.
- Maintenance: Novelty may necessitate extra maintenance, workforce specialization, and troubleshooting.
- Performance: New technology performance must be benchmarked and may require tuning.
- System Integration: Integration into existing systems may present novelty and require significant expertise and resources.
Funding resources to support demonstrating a new technology
| Opportunity | Program Objectives | Eligibility (who is eligible to apply) | Technologies of interest | Funding type (grant to community, technical assistance, loan, …) | Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office of Electricity - Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership (C-MAP) | Program supports design or deploy a microgrid that aligns with community-defined priorities to improve or to optimize existing microgrid technology. | Communities, or groups of communities, that are either developing or have developed microgrid energy systems | Microgrid systems | Technical assistance | Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership | Department of Energy | |
| Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) - Renewable Advancing Community Resilience (RACER) | Supporting projects that enable communities to use solar and solar-plus-storage to prevent disruptions in power caused by extreme weather and other events, and to rapidly restore electricity if it goes down. | Utilities, municipal planners, emergency responders, community groups, and others, especially in underserved communities | Solar, solar-plus-storage | Grant | Renewables Advancing Community Energy Resilience (RACER) Funding Program | Department of Energy | |
| Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) - Connected Communities | Supports projects that expand DOE’s network of grid-interactive, efficient building communities nationwide. These communities interact with the electrical grid to optimize their energy consumption, which will reduce their carbon emissions and cut energy costs. | Utilities, grid planners and operators, automakers and smart charge management service providers, and the communities they serve | Solar photovoltaic, batteries, electric vehicle, distributed energy resources, grid interactive technologies | Grant | Connected Communities | GEB | |
| Office of Indian Energy | Catalyze Tribal energy development, efficiency and use, reduce or stabilize energy costs, enhance and strengthen Tribal energy infrastructure, and deliver affordable reliable energy to Tribal lands and homes. | Indian Tribe, which includes Alaska Native Regional Corporations or Village Corporations, an Intertribal Organization, or a Tribal Energy Development Organization | Clean energy technology | Financial Assistance, Technical Assistance, Education ad Capacity Buildings | Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs | Department of Energy | The Office of Indian Energy provides financial assistance on a competitive basis to develop and deploy energy infrastructure and technology. E.g., conduct clean energy planning, comprehensively assess feasibility and viability of deploying clean energy technology, and conduct clean energy design and development activities. - The Office of Indian Energy provides technical assistance to advance Tribal energy projects - The Office of Indian Energy helps build local Tribal capacity through webinars, workshops, and workforce development opportunities |
| USDA Rural Development (U.S. Department of Agriculture) – Electric Programs | Provide leadership and capital to maintain, expand, upgrade, and modernize America's vast rural electric infrastructure. | Electric utilities (wholesale and retail providers) serving rural customers, nonprofit organizations, cooperatives, associations, and public bodies | Technologies to enhance electric infrastructure in rural areas: - Renewable energy systems - Energy storage solutions - Smart grid technologies - Transmission and distribution infrastructure - Microgrids - Energy efficiency improvements - Electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure | Direct loans, loan guarantees, grants, loan forgiveness | Electric Programs | Rural Development | |
| American Public Power Association DEED Project Grants | Promote energy innovation and support the development and demonstration of new, innovative technologies and techniques, and the creation of useful products and tools for the betterment of public power utilities and their customers. Grants often support pilot projects, new technology demonstrations, early commercialization projects, and the development of best practices. | DEED members only, but any American Public Power Association member utility, joint action agency, or state/regional association can participate in the DEED program for a fee | Technologies and projects that enhance the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of public power utilities | Grant | DEED Funding for Utilities | American Public Power Association | |
| ARPA-E OPEN Programs | For high-impact energy research projects that can make significant advancements with relatively modest investments within a set timeframe. It covers a wide spectrum of energy-related technologies and concepts. | Electric utilities, service providers, original equipment manufacturers, universities, laboratories, and other entities engaged in in specific energy-related technology research | Electricity generation by both renewable and non-renewable means electricity transmission, storage, and distribution- Energy efficiency for buildings, manufacturing and commerce, and personal use- All aspects of transportation, including the production and distribution of both renewable and non-renewable fuels, electrification, and transportation energy efficiency | Direct funding | OPEN Programs | arpa-e.energy.gov | |
| Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) - Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X) | Assist stakeholders in enhancing interconnection practices and processes for the bulk power system. This assistance is specialized, focusing on the interconnection of solar, wind, storage, electric vehicle charging facilities, or their combined integration. | - Utilities - Renewable energy developers - Grid operators - Regulatory agencies - State and local governments - Research institutions - Other organizations involved in the interconnection of renewable energy and DERs | - Renewable Energy Systems: Solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines, and other renewable energy generation technologies - Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) - Energy Storage Technologies - Smart Inverters - Microgrids - Advanced Grid Management Technologies - Cybersecurity Technologies | Technical assistance | Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange | Department of Energy | |
| Office of Clean Energy Demonstration (OCED) - Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Program | Improve resilience, reliability, and affordability of energy systems in communities across the country with 10,000 or fewer people. Fund community-driven energy projects that demonstrate new energy systems, deliver measurable benefits to customers, and build clean energy knowledge and capacity throughout rural America. | State, local and tribal governments; non-profit organizations; educational institutions; private sector companies; utilities and energy service providers that supply energy to rural or remote communities and are looking to enhance energy resilience and reliability | -Renewable Energy Technologies - Energy Storage Solutions - Microgrids - Energy Efficiency Technologies - Advanced Grid Technologies - Clean Energy Infrastructure - Transportation Electrification | Grants; Cooperative agreements | Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas | Department of Energy | Funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; projects are expected to involve technologies that are progressing from validation and demonstration stages to full deployment and operational use in real-world settings |
| Loan Programs Office (LPO) - Title 17 Clean Energy Financing | Deployment of clean energy and decarbonization technologies in the United States - creating good jobs, strengthening supply chains, and enabling an equitable energy transition. | Energy-related project developers/industry, grid industry, etc. | Renewable energy systems - Production facilities for the manufacture of fuel-efficient vehicles or parts of those vehicles- Advanced fossil energy technology - Hydrogen fuel cell technology - Pollution control equipment  - Advanced nuclear energy - Oil refineries   - Carbon capture and sequestration technologies - Energy storage technologies   - Efficient electrical generation, transmission, and distribution - Industrial decarbonization technologies   - Efficient end-use energy technologies - Supply of critical minerals | Loan or loan guarantee | TITLE 17 CLEAN ENERGY FINANCING | Department of Energy |
Engaging community in modernization planning
Community engagement is a crucial aspect of the planning process for grid infrastructure modernization. Utilities must involve the communities they serve in the decision-making process to build trust, foster transparency and ensure that the modernization efforts align with the needs and values of the community. Click below to explore community engagement resources.Â
Community Engagement
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