Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) Pilot Demonstrations

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Modification 0002: The purposes of this modification are to: 1) Update the expected timeframe for first round award negotiations to 11/2023. 2) Correct the SOPO page limit to 12 pages. Awards made under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will be funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act1, also more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The BIL is a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure, which will grow a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable economy through enhancing U.S. competitiveness, driving the creation of good-paying union jobs, and ensuring stronger access to economic, environmental, and other benefits for disadvantaged communities. The BIL appropriates more than $62 billion to the Department of Energy (DOE)2 to invest in American manufacturing and workers; expand access to energy efficiency; deliver reliable, clean and affordable power to more Americans; and deploy the technologies of tomorrow through clean energy demonstrations. As part of and in addition to upgrading and modernizing infrastructure, DOE’s BIL investments will address the climate crisis and support efforts that will build a clean an equitable energy economy that achieves zero carbon electricity by 2035, and puts the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 20503 to benefit all Americans. The BIL section 41007 (a) authorizes the DOE Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) to carry out activities under section 615(d) (Enhanced Geothermal Systems Demonstrations) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, as amended by the Energy Act of 2020 (42 U.S.C. 17194(d) (EISA 2007) including $84,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2022 through 2025. EISA 2007 authorizes GTO to support Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) pilot projects that collectively demonstrate EGS in different geologic settings, using a variety of development techniques and well orientations, at sites where subsurface characterization or geothermal energy integration analysis has been conducted. These pilot demonstration projects will enable investments that maintain progress towards GTO’s aggressive GeoVision4 and Enhanced Geothermal Systems Energy Earthshot goals, and will support the Biden Administration’s goal to achieve a carbon-free electric grid by 2035 and a net zero emissions economy by 2050.

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