Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002541
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through its Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and specifically the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) under the HydroWIRES Initiative, published a notice stating its intent to release a future Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) focused on hydropower modernization. The planned FOA is titled "Technology Innovation to Increase Hydropower Flexibility" and is associated with Notice of Intent DE-FOA-0002417 (with the listing also referencing Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0002541). In practical terms, this is an early heads-up from DOE that a competitive funding opportunity is (or was) expected, giving potential applicants time to prepare partnerships, concepts, and technical approaches before the full FOA is formally issued.
The central goal of the opportunity is to accelerate next-generation technologies that make the existing U.S. hydropower fleet more flexible and more valuable to a changing electric grid. Grid conditions are shifting as more variable renewable generation, especially wind and solar, is added. Because wind and solar output can rise and fall with weather and time of day, grid operators increasingly need resources that can respond quickly, operate across a wider range of conditions, and provide support services that help keep the power system stable. Hydropower is well positioned to provide these services, but many plants were designed for different operating patterns than what the modern grid demands. This program is therefore aimed at technical solutions that either (1) improve hydropower unit performance under flexible operations (for example, better responsiveness, improved efficiency across a broader operating range, enhanced ramping capability, or improved ability to start/stop) or (2) reduce the negative impacts that can come with more frequent and more dynamic operation (for example, wear and tear, maintenance burdens, fatigue damage, vibration issues, or other operational stresses that can increase costs or reduce equipment life).
DOE indicates that it is seeking innovations from manufacturers, equipment vendors, and research organizations, which suggests an emphasis on technology development and deployment-relevant solutions rather than purely academic studies. While the notice does not lay out topic areas in detail, the framing makes clear that the target is "unit flexibility" improvements and the mitigation of downsides associated with flexible dispatch. The broader outcome DOE is aiming for is a hydropower fleet that can better complement wind and solar, helping integrate more renewable energy while maintaining reliability and stability on the grid. By increasing hydropower's operational flexibility and reducing the penalties of cycling and ramping, these technologies could raise hydropower's economic and reliability value in day-to-day grid operations.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding, with the funding activity area listed as energy, and it is associated with CFDA number 81.087. The agency is the Department of Energy, Golden Field Office. Eligibility is described as "unrestricted," meaning it is open to any type of entity as long as it meets whatever additional eligibility requirements are specified in the full FOA text (the notice notes that details could be clarified in an "Additional Information on Eligibility" section). The record shows a creation date of July 14, 2021, and an original closing date of July 14, 2022, which reflects the posting window for this notice/record. The listing includes an award ceiling of 1 (as presented in the source data) and "ExpectedAwards: 0," which commonly appears in notice-of-intent postings because they announce an intention to issue a future FOA rather than making awards under the notice itself.
Overall, this planned DOE funding opportunity is about modernizing and upgrading hydropower capabilities so plants can operate more dynamically and efficiently in a grid with higher levels of variable renewable generation. The emphasis is on practical, technology-forward innovations that improve performance during flexible operations or reduce the operational and mechanical drawbacks of that flexibility, ultimately supporting greater renewable integration and a more resilient U.S. power system.Apply for DE FOA 0002541
- The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0002417" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 14, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 14, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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| Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0002543 Advanced Building Construction (ABC) - 2021 Apply for DE FOA 0002544 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002544 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
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| Massachusetts Staffing Project, Phase II. Apply for 21JD08 Funding Number: 21JD08 Agency: Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections Category: Energy Funding Amount: $60,000 |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0002519 titled Natural Gas Demand Response Pilot Program. Apply for DE FOA 0002567 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002567 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Technical Research Opportunities for 50-Year Photovoltaic System Service Life Apply for DE FOA 0002576 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002576 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Natural Gas Demand Response Pilot Program Apply for DE FOA 0002519 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002519 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION TO INCREASE HYDROPOWER FLEXIBILITY Apply for DE FOA 0002417 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002417 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0002588 "Regional Clean Hydrogen Analysis" Apply for DE FOA 0002587 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002587 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Integrated Microgrids Apply for W81EWF22SOI0003 Funding Number: W81EWF22SOI0003 Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- Corps of Engineers Category: Energy Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| Request for Information: Office of Technology Transitions Current and Future Commercialization Programming Apply for DE FOA 0002607 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002607 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Direct Air Capture Combined With Dedicated Long-Term Carbon Storage, Coupled to Existing Low-Carbon Energy Apply for DE FOA 0002560 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002560 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $4,375,000 |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0002638 Apply for DE FOA 0002637 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002637 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0002610 entitled Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) Apply for DE FOA 0002622 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002622 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| FOA: WAP Enhancement & Innovation Apply for DE FOA 0002520 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002520 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Clean Hydrogen Production, Storage, Transport and Utilization to Enable a Net Zero Carbon Economy Apply for DE FOA 0002663 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002663 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Silicon Carbide Cladding Development Apply for DE FOA 0002662 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002662 Agency: Department of Energy, Idaho Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $45,000,000 |
| Bioenergy Technologies Office Overcoming Barriers to Renewable Fuel Scale-up and Demonstration Request for Information (RFI) DE-FOA-0002615 Apply for DE FOA 0002615 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002615 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DE-FOA-0002573: Technical Partnerships FOA Apply for DE FOA 0002573 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002573 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0002687: Request for Information on Industrial Decarbonization Priorities Apply for DE FOA 0002687 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002687 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DE-FOA-0002657 Apply for DE FOA 0002657 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002657 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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