DOE Expands Voucher Program for Clean Energy Innovation

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced an expansion of its Voucher Program, aimed at enhancing the commercialisation of clean energy innovations throughout the country. The DOE clean program energy initiatives continue to grow.

Specifically, the DOE's Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) partnered with Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) and Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM).

Additionally, they collaborated with Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) to expand the DOE clean program energy initiatives.

As a result of these initiatives, they have aided over 170 companies and governments to boost clean energy deployment as part of the DOE clean program energy efforts.

These initiatives involve distributing over $20 million in DOE-funded vouchers through partnerships with nearly 60 organizations, including six National Laboratories.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) fund this current round of the Voucher Program.

Furthermore, the Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) is implementing the project in collaboration with ENERGYWERX.

The program connects small businesses, local governments, and tribal entities with resources to market innovative clean energy technologies. The DOE clean program energy focus ensures wide-ranging support for these entities.

Dr. Vanessa Z. Chan, the DOE Chief Commercialization Officer and Director of the Office of Technology Transitions said, “The Voucher Program is a critical step in bridging the gap between developing new technologies and commercializing them.”

She added, “Through connecting organizations to the support they need, these partnerships will deliver clean energy solutions that will benefit communities across the country.”

Vouchers of up to $250,000 cover seven support areas, including analytical assistance, performance validation, and industrial decarbonisation planning.

These resources empower participating organisations to boost their commercialization prospects by leveraging DOE’s expertise to refine their clean energy innovations.

In this latest funding round, the Voucher Program has supported 174 different capabilities, spanning from testing facilities to third-party consultancy.

Notably, almost half are first-time DOE funding recipients, expanding outreach to unconventional clean energy partners.