Author: US DOE Staff Published: 8/31/2023 EERE
Solar Energy Technologies Office
U.S. Department of Energy Launches Prize to Support Clean Energy Innovation in Underserved Communities
Author: US DOE Staff Pubblished: 8/29/2023 EERE News
Community Energy Innovation Prize Expands Support for Community-Led Solutions Including New Collegiate and Manufacturing Tracks
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today launched the Community Energy Innovation Prize, a competition that will award up to $7.5 million in cash prizes as well as mentorship opportunities to organizations supporting innovation, entrepreneurship, capacity building, and economic development in communities historically underrepresented in climate and energy technology funding. The Community Energy Innovation Prize is the successor to both DOE’s Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize and Community Clean Energy Coalition Prize and supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 initiative to deliver at least 40% of the overall benefits from certain federal investments in clean energy to disadvantaged communities.
The Community Energy Innovation Prize, which is administered through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) American-Made Challenges platform, aims to support local organizations with proven track records of engaging underserved communities and/or promoting environmental, climate, and energy justice as they enact community-led climate and clean energy solutions. This expanded prize also focuses on inspiring the next generation of clean energy leaders with opportunities for college students to work with community partners and has an additional focus on fostering innovation in clean energy manufacturing ecosystems in historically underserved communities.
“The Community Energy Innovation Prize is designed to empower leaders from underserved communities and give them tools and resources to develop and enact their own vision of a clean energy future,” said Alejandro Moreno, Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “When we listen and let communities lead, we accelerate progress toward local needs and the country’s climate goals. I am excited to see what inspiring ideas these new teams and students bring to this competition.”
The Community Energy Innovation Prize has three tracks:
- Clean Energy Ecosystem Track: In this track, a total prize pool of $4.9 million is available for community-led projects across a wide range of clean energy initiatives, technologies, and areas of focus that advance local clean energy transitions.
- Manufacturing Ecosystem Track: In this track, a total prize pool of $2.1 million is available for projects that advance clean energy manufacturing innovation ecosystems in historically underserved communities. Successful applicants will bring together public, private, and community stakeholders to address key barriers to advancing manufacturing innovation, business models, and market development. These projects may include, but are not limited to, manufacturing-related education and workforce development, entrepreneurship, resilient supply chains, circular economy development, or other goals related to clean energy manufacturing.
- Collegiate Track: In this track, a total prize pool of $450,000 is available for student-led teams to work alongside a community partner on a project related to the clean energy transition. These efforts aim to help prepare students for careers in clean energy through collaboration in a real-world setting. Students from minority serving institutions, universities located in rural and/or disadvantaged communities, and community colleges are especially encouraged to apply.
All three tracks of the prize will play out over three phases. Any eligible team may compete in the first phase, CONCEPT, where applicants form their coalitions and develop project ideas. Up to 34 teams across the three tracks will be selected as CONCEPT phase winners and receive an initial cash prize along with mentorship and access to NREL technology experts. Winning teams will be eligible to move on to the PROGRESS and IMPACT phases.
Applications to compete in the CONCEPT phase for all three tracks are now open. Collegiate Track submissions are due on November 3, 2023, and Clean Energy Ecosystem and Manufacturing Ecosystem Track applications are due on February 2, 2024. Interested Clean Energy Innovation and Manufacturing Ecosystem Track competitors are encouraged to join a webinar to learn more on October 12, 2023 at 2pm E.T. Interested Collegiate Track competitors are encouraged to join a webinar to learn more on October 2, 2023 at 3pm E.T.
The Community Energy Innovation Prize is funded from offices across DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and Office of Economic Impact and Diversity and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The Manufacturing Ecosystem Track is funded by DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Office. Learn more about DOE’s American-Made Challenges program.
DEACTIVATED: HOW ELECTRIC UTILITIES TURNED OFF THE DATA-SHARING FEATURES OF 14 MILLION SMART METERS
Author: Micheal Murray Published: 9/4,2022 Mission Data
DEACTIVATED: HOW ELECTRIC UTILITIES TURNED OFF THE DATA-SHARING FEATURES OF 14 MILLION SMART METERS
With the 2009 Recovery Act, Congress allocated $3.0 billion to smart grid projects. A decade later, only 2.9% of federally-funded meters have real-time data features enabled.
September, 2022. https://static1.squarespace.com/
Complaints a Plenty, Rate Hikes on the Table, Making Water Waves, and More in the August OPC Connection!
Author DCPC Staff Published; 8/28/2023 Office of the People’s Counsel
A N
ote from Your
People’s Counsel
Sandra Mattavous-Frye
High Complaint Numbers Tell a Big Story
A core responsibility of the Office of the People’s Counsel is to assist DC consumers who have complaints or concerns about their utilities or need help to keep their services running. Through summer breaks, fall days, winter times, thick and thin, OPC is always “on the case.” In fact, since fiscal year 2023 began in October, through August 11, our Consumer and Water Services Divisions have handled an unprecedented 3,551 consumer complaints and concerns—and there are still six weeks remaining in FY 23. That historically high number of cases compares to 3,333 during the entire FY 22.
Consumers have reached out to OPC primarily because their electric, gas, water, or telephone utilities have been disconnected, are at risk of being shut off, or they need bill payment assistance. Behind these numbers are many families and individuals in dire straits. Therefore, I am grateful to the dedicated OPC staff who are sensitive to consumer needs, passionate about their work, and persistent in getting complaints resolved.
As I highlight OPC’s crucial work, I remind consumers who are having a problem with their utility services to act sooner than later. Don’t wait to apply for financial assistance. With a new fiscal year beginning October 1, consumers currently receiving aid will need to reapply. Here’s the link.
If you are behind on your utility bills, or have a complaint against a utility company, don’t hesitate to contact the Office of the People’s Counsel at (202) 727-3071. We stand ready to advocate, educate, and protect!
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DOE Awards More Than $6M to Small Solar Businesses
Author: US DOE Staff Published: 8/28/2023 EERE
Solar Energy Technologies Office
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) awarded funding to 6 small solar companies through the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) FY23 Phase II Release 2 funding opportunity.
These companies are advancing innovative solar technologies in manufacturing, concentrating solar-thermal power, and power electronics. The awardees are:
- Gismo Power (Sarasota, FL)
- Quest Renewables (Atlanta, GA)
- Radiation Detection Technologies (Manhattan, KS)
- Smartville (Carlsbad, CA)
- Solar Dynamics (Broomfield, CO)
- SOL-GO (Menlo Park, CA)
Each company will receive an award of $1.1 million to develop their prototypes.
The SBIR/STTR programs encourage U.S. small businesses to engage in high-risk, innovative research and technology development with the potential for future commercialization.
Learn more about SETO’s manufacturing and competitiveness research.
Biden administration announces nearly $11B for renewable energy in rural communities
Author: The Associated Press Published May 16,2023 NPR
Author: Assoicated Published: May 16,2023 Assoicated Press
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a nearly $11 billion investment on Tuesday to help bring affordable clean energy to rural communities throughout the country.
Rural electric cooperatives, renewable energy companies and electric utilities will be able to apply for funding through two programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during a media briefing on Monday.
Vilsack said it was the largest single federal investment in rural electrification since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act in 1936 as part of the New Deal.
“This is an exciting opportunity for the Rural Utility Service to work collaboratively with our great partners, the Rural Electric cooperatives, in order to advance a clean energy future for rural America,” Vilsack said. “So this is an exciting and an historic day, and it continues an ongoing effort to ensure that rural America is a full participant in this clean energy economy.”
The Empowering Rural America program will make $9.7 billion available for rural electric cooperatives to create renewable energy, zero-emission and carbon capture systems.
Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, praised the administration for the investment.
“This is an exciting and transformative opportunity for co-ops and their local communities, particularly as we look toward a future that depends on electricity to power more of the economy,” Matheson said. “USDA has smartly structured this program in a way that will help electric co-ops leverage new tools to reduce costs and keep energy affordable while meeting the future energy needs of their rural communities.”
The Powering Affordable Clean Energy program will make $1 billion available in partially-forgivable loans for renewable energy companies and electric utilities to help finance renewable energy projects such as large-scale solar, wind and geothermal projects.
The Department of Agriculture said in a press release that the goal of this program is provide affordable clean energy to vulnerable, disadvantaged and Indigenous communities. But there is tension between building a clean energy infrastructure for all and mining the materials needed for that infrastructure.
For example, conservationists and Indigenous communities in Nevada have sued to block the opening of the largest mine planned in the U.S. for extraction of lithium used in electric vehicle batteries.
When asked about tribal concerns about mineral extraction at Monday’s briefing, Vilsack said there would be a “significant tribal consultation” for mining projects on land his agency controls. But when pressed about what would happen if an Indigenous community said no to a mining project, he declined to answer the question, calling it hypothetical.
Rural electric cooperatives can apply for grants, loans and loan modifications through the Empowering Rural America program between July 31 and Aug. 31. The application period for the Powering Affordable Clean Energy program is June 30 — Sept. 29.
Experts told The Associated Press that these programs could have a significant impact for rural America. “The ERA Program has the potential to help rural electric co-ops and municipal co-ops move the needle toward a cleaner, less carbon-intensive electricity mix,” said Felix Mormann, a professor of law at Texas A&M University who specializes in energy law and policy.
The programs will have relatively less impact on electricity growth in rural communities than the Rural Electrification Act during the New Deal, said Carl Kitchens, an associate professor of economics at Florida State University.
“When enacted in the 1930s, only 10 percent of farms had electric power; by 1950, it had risen to over 90 percent,” Kitchens said. “Today, electricity is nearly universal except for a few small pockets and portions of reservation land.”
Funding for the new programs comes from the Inflation Reduction Act, which has generated hundreds of billions of dollars for renewable energy transition and environmental cleanup. In February, the Biden administration announced details on how states and nonprofits could apply for $27 billion in funding from a ” green bank.” The next month, officials announced $2 billion to create the Rural Energy for America Program.
And since the beginning of the year, they’ve announced hundreds of millions of dollars for the renewable energy transition from climate-warming fossil fuels, environmental cleanup and climate mitigation in poor communities and communities of color.
What Are Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grants?
Author: EGA Staff Published: 8/24/2023 Ever Green Action
To: Interested Parties
From: Evergreen Action
Date: Thursday, August 24th, 2023
RE: What Are Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grants?
The climate crisis is a crisis of environmental justice; low-income communities and communities of color that have faced decades of redlining, disinvestment, and discrimination are often on the frontlines of the worst climate impacts. Repair means giving those communities the direct tools and financial and political power to steer toward a better future.
The Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grants (ECJ) Program within the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act is a step forward in repairing some of these harms by building power and resilience in disadvantaged communities and investing in their transition to clean energy.
This first-of-its-kind $3 billion federal program aims to empower disadvantaged communities to determine and design their own visions of pollution reduction and clean energy investment. It does so by providing highly flexible funding that goes directly to nonprofit organizations serving disadvantaged communities—meaning projects are designed by and for communities to address their unique needs and build resilience and political capacity.
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Evergreen: National Smog Standard Delay Will Have Deadly Consequences
Author: Ever Green Action Staff Published: 8/21/2012 Evergreen Action
For Immediate Release: Monday, August 21st, 2023
Press Contact: holly@evergreenaction.com
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Montana Youth prove that Exxon Knew, and DOJ can make them pay
Author. 198Methods Staff Published: 8/21/2023 Drew and the crew at 198 Methods
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Climate youth are winning victories in court that prove
And yet, President Biden’s Department of Justice is arguing that there is “no Constitutional right to a stable climate.” The DOJ’s position is not just frustrating and wrong. It’s the source of Biden’s inaction on climate change, and it’s holding him back from doing what we need – like declaring a climate emergency and ending the era of fossil fuels.
Fortunately, the recent court victories prove that we can hold big oil accountable. And the recent rulings give Biden’s DOJ a license, and a moral authority, to sue the fossil fuel industry. Sign now to tell DOJ to stop dragging it’s feet and sue the big oil bastards! |
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Here’s what’s been happening: Last week a Montana judge ruled that all fossil fuel permits in the state must stop because they violate young people’s constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. A lot of us have been following the case because it’s the first trial of this kind that has pitted youth v local gov in court. And many of you have previously taken action to support and stand with young people represented by the same lawyers in the Juliana Youth v US Gov federal case.
The Montana victory means there’s now established precedent to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for their lies and actions. In the 1990s, the DOJ held major tobacco companies liable for violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The fossil fuel industry has broken laws in perpetuating lies about the climate crisis. And now the DOJ must hold the industry accountable.
Unfortunately, the Montana Legislature, which is dominated by fossil fuel fascists, will likely appeal. And even if we win on appeal, those same climate denying legislators are in charge of implementing the ruling. But even if Montana legislators block, obfuscate, or delay action on this “Groundbreaking” decision – we now have all the evidence and precedent we need for the US Department of Justice Sue the fossil fuel industry. Sign now to tell DOJ to sue the fossil fuel industry!
Thanks for taking action,
Drew and the 198 court cases crew |
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DOE Announces Notice of Intent for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding to Advance EV Battery Recycling and Second-Life Applications
Author: US DOE Staff Published: 8/24/2023 EERE
EERE Funding Opportunities
Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a notice of intent to provide up to $37 million from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to advance electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling, transportation, and design. As of July 2023, more than 3.9 million plug-in electric vehicles have been sold in America, with more than half of those sold since President Biden took office. With the demand for EVs and stationary energy storage projected to increase the lithium battery market by as much as ten-fold by 2030, it is essential to invest in sustainable, reduced-cost recycling of lithium batteries in support of a secure, resilient, and circular domestic supply chain for critical materials.
Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law supports research, development, and demonstration of second-life applications for batteries once used to power EVs, and new technologies and processes for recycling, reclaiming, and adding materials back to the materials supply chain. The anticipated funding would advance solutions for reducing the costs associated with battery recycling through technologies, processes, and designs that facilitate transport, disassembly, and preprocessing of end-of-life EV batteries, and address recycling of EV battery accessory components.
Read the Notice of Intent.
Those interested in applying for the planned funding opportunity are encouraged to register to receive notifications about key dates within the application process by signing up for the Vehicle Technologies Office newsletter. Learn more about DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Conversation with Ted Trabue and Anya Schoolman two powerful Driving Forces Behind 7 Billon Dollar Solar For All Program
Author:DCPSC and SUN Staffs Published: 8/21/2023 Solar United Neighbors
Commissioner Ted Trabue
One founding Member of Washington DC Solar For All Program.
Ted Trabue was appointed to the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia by Mayor Muriel Bowser and was confirmed by the Council of D.C. on December 20, 2022. His current term ends June, 30, 2026.
Commissioner Trabue previously served as the Managing Director of the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) from 2011-2022. Prior to that, he was the Vice President for District of Columbia Affairs at Pepco, worked at the Greater Washington Board of Trade as Staff Director for Critical Issues for the District of Columbia and Maryland, and served as Chief of Staff for former Council of DC Chairman Linda Cropp.
Commissioner Trabue served on the District of Columbia State Board of Education for more than five years, including as President from 2010- 2012 and as Vice President in 2009.
Commissioner Trabue is a fourth generation Washingtonian and, like his mother and grandmother, he attended District of Columbia Public Schools. He received a degree in Economics from Dartmouth College and holds a law degree from Howard University School of Law.
Anya Schoolman
Executive Director
Anya has worked for decades on environmental projects and policy up and down the Western Hemisphere. This work has helped her grapple with the issue of sustainable development and how to make complex issues relevant to the community. Solar United Neighbors got its start when her son Walter asked, “Mom, can we go solar?” In her role as Executive Director, Anya has been instrumental in the passage of landmark solar legislation and regulation. In April 2014, the White House selected Anya as one of 10 White House Champions of Change for Solar Deployment for her groundbreaking work to deploy solar in the National Capital Region.
anya@solarunitedneighbors.org
About us
Solar United Neighbors (SUN) is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit. We represent the needs and interests of solar owners and supporters across the country. See how we’ve been helping people go solar, join together, and fight for their energy rights since 2007.
About Solar United Neighbors Action
Solar United Neighbors Action is a national 501(c)4 nonprofit. SUN Action represents solar homeowners and everyone who wants to benefit from solar energy. We are fighting for a clean, resilient, and equitable energy system. We do this by putting rooftop solar at the cornerstone. Our grassroots network of solar supporters communicates with lawmakers to implement the policies that will make this vision a reality.
Solar for All Competition
This competition is a $7 billion fund that will provide up to 60 grants to states, municipalities, Tribal governments and eligible nonprofits to deploy residential and community solar, and storage technologies and enabling infrastructure, in low-income and disadvantaged neighborhoods. EPA plans to award at least one grant per state, with up to three awards set aside to directly serve Tribal nations.
The IRA requires all of the money under this competition to benefit disadvantaged communities, and by investing in community and rooftop solar projects within these communities, this program provides benefits to low-income consumers who may not be able to access other IRA programs like tax incentives. This program acknowledges that disadvantaged communities may need extra support to successfully deploy solar projects, and allows for investments in associated storage and critically, enabling upgrades of the buildings that would host these technologies.
30 Billion in Hurricane Relief Contracts Last Year. Get Ready!
Maryland’s Community Solar Program
Author: Caroline Petterson Published: 8/9/2023 ILSR
In April 2023, the Maryland state legislature passed House Bill (HB) 908, creating the Community Solar Energy Generating Systems Program and making permanent a successful seven-year community solar pilot program. The law, which took effect on July 1, 2023, allows for unlimited community solar capacity (though each project’s capacity is limited to no more than 5 megawatts) and requires that 40% of a project’s output serves low- to moderate-income subscribers. Municipal and cooperative utilities can participate in the program, though as of 2023, only investor-owned utilities do.
The pilot program, which began in 2015 and was extended in 2019, brought enough solar capacity to support some 90,000 Maryland consumers. Applications to operate a project as a subscriber organization were open to many groups including solar developers, non-profits, homeowners associations, commercial businesses, utilities, and retail electricity suppliers, and were overseen by the Maryland Public Service Commission. Capacity limits were allocated based on 2015 peak demand and were divided between four utility service territories (BGE, Pepco, Delmarva Power, and Potomac Edison).
Improvements to the Pilot Program
In passing House Bill (HB) 908, Maryland legislators enacted a permanent community solar program which improves on the seven-year pilot program in the following key ways:
- Capacity: While the pilot program capped statewide capacity at about 418 megawatts, the new bill allows for unlimited capacity. As of 2022, Maryland had at least 88 megawatts of community solar capacity in operation.
- Contiguous Development: HB 908 clarifies limitations on community solar projects built on adjacent parcels of land, allowing for contiguous development of more than 5 megawatts in difficult to build areas including industrial zones and parking lots. Farmland is also open for contiguous development, allowing for scaled agrivoltaic projects.
- Equity: About 125 megawatts of the pilot program were set aside for LMI (low- to moderate-income) households. HB 908 updates this provision, requiring that 40% of a project’s output serves LMI subscribers. In addition, the 2023 bill introduced consolidated billing and allows for LMI eligibility based on self-attestation, measures which reduce barriers to entry and increase ease of participation.
Pushback at the County Level
Expanding solar capacity has caused friction in the state as counties engage in a power-struggle with the Public Service Commission over decision-making on large-scale solar projects, land use, and zoning, especially in regards to solar projects built on farmland. In July, 2023, for example, Carroll County issued a ban on community solar projects built on land zoned for agriculture in hopes of preserving the county’s identity as an agricultural community.
Despite this pushback, Maryland’s fully fledged community solar program is an encouraging sign for community solar growth in the state and capacity is predicted to increase.
For more on solar in Maryland, check out these resources:
- In Maryland, Community Solar Pioneers Offer Blueprint (2016)
- Maryland Scores 3 out of 4 on Principles for a Good Community Solar Program (2016)
- Find a community solar project near you with a tool by Solar United Neighbors.
Learn more about community solar in one of these ILSR reports:
Meet us in D.C. for the March on Washington
Author: NUL Staff Published: 8/19/2023 National Urban League
T-minus 7 days! Meet us in Washington, D.C., on August 26 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington. Sign up for our pre-march rally.
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Why HBCUs Received Nearly $100 Million This Week
Author: Mirtha Donastorg Published: 3/3/2023 The Plug
KEY INSIGHTS:
- On Monday, the Department of Commerce gave more than 30 HBCUs $96.8 million in grants.
- This week’s grants were the last in a series of disbursements that started in July. Overall, 43 HBCUs received funding.
- The grants are part of the Biden Administration’s 2022 multi-billion dollar Internet for All Initiative, which aims to give all Americans access to affordable, reliable and high-speed internet.
This week, multiple HBCUs announced nearly the same thing: they were receiving millions from the federal government to improve their broadband internet access. The rash of releases came after the Department of Commerce on Monday gave more than 30 HBCUs $96.8 million in grants as part of the Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program. But what is more important than the value of the grants is what they represent — an expansion of opportunities for HBCU students, faculty and the surrounding community.
The CMC program was born out of the Biden Administration’s 2022 multi-billion dollar Internet for All Initiative, which aims to give all Americans access to affordable, reliable and high-speed internet. To help achieve that goal, the administration set aside $268 million to specifically help HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions buy equipment, and hire and train information technology professionals.
This week’s grants were the last in a series of disbursements that started in July. Overall, 43 HBCUs received funding.
- Alabama State University: $2,999,695.37
- Albany State University: $2,997,777.00
- American Baptist Theological Seminary: $2,992,248.23
- Benedict College: $2,893,457.00
- Bennett College: $699,950.00
- Central State University: $3,000,000.00
- Claflin University: $2,999,450.00
- Coppin State University: $3,990,880.00
- Drake State Community and Technical College: $2,413,182.20
- Elizabeth City State University: $2,131,383.00
- Fayetteville State University: $4,933,021.00
- Florida A&M University: $5,395,671.00
- Fort Valley State University: $2,997,558.00
- Grambling State University: $2,218,696.00
- H. Councill Trenholm State Community College: $2,066,454.00
- Jarvis Christian College: $1,183,089.00
- Johnson C. Smith University: $5,720,896.00
- Lane College: $472,005.48
- Lincoln University of Pennsylvania: $2,998,303.86
- Lincoln University of Missouri: $2,980,070.84
- Morehouse School of Medicine: $4,231,058.00
- Morgan State University: $4,115,616.00
- Norfolk State University: $3,898,789.00
- North Carolina A&T State University: $3,686,697.00
- North Carolina Central University: $2,996,134.00
- Paul Quinn College: $2,999,677.18
- Philander Smith College: $2,999,903.00
- Prairie View A&M University: $3,000,000.00
- Saint Augustine’s University: $1,943,715.00
- Shaw University: $5,072,045.00
- Simmons College of Kentucky, Inc.: $2,762,100.00
- Southern University and A&M College: $6,227,200.00
- Southern University at New Orleans: $3,000,000.00
- Southern University Law Center: $3,029,484.79
- Stillman College: $2,774,257.37
- Talladega College: $2,969,121.59
- Texas College: $2,152,778.26
- Tuskegee University: $3,569,618.00
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore: $2,999,999.89
- University of the Virgin Islands: $2,990,594.00
- Virginia State University: $2,799,180.00
- Virginia Union University: $2,987,765.00
- Wilberforce University: $2,066,822.86
Improving HBCUs and their surrounding communities
With the funding, the schools will be able to update their broadband and other technological infrastructure, chiseling away at the $81 million in deferred maintenance expenses the average HBCU has. The schools, which are concentrated in the South, will also be able to provide improved internet access for their communities.
According to a Joint Center report, Black rural Americans are hit the hardest when it comes to broadband access. In the Black Rural South, 38 percent of African Americans report lacking home internet access. By comparison, 23 percent of white Americans in the Black Rural South do not have access to the internet.
“We are excited to receive these grant funds from [the Department of Commerce] to connect with Mercy House/MAP Center to build digital skills and broadband awareness for many individuals who are often underserved as well as to build the digital skills and IT workforce capacity in Montgomery,” Kemba Chambers, president of the Alabama-based H. Councill Trenholm State Community College, said in a statement.
President Chambers is not alone in planning to use the money for the wider community. The American Baptist College in Nashville aims to identify “digital deserts” in a 15-mile radius of the college and help those communities.
Virginia Union University will be providing complimentary broadband access and loaned equipment like laptops, tablets, hotspots and routers to students and community members.
Alabama State University plans to provide its surrounding community with a digital technology center to give local residents access to both digital technologies and digital navigation services.
Improving cybersecurity
Some of the recipients of the Internet for All grants are also using the funding to upgrade their cybersecurity.
“ASU will establish a hybrid cloud infrastructure and maintain a cybersecurity program that provides comprehensive strategic planning, governance, and advisory consulting support,” Tanjula Petty, assistant provost for Student Success and Special Initiatives at Alabama State, said in a statement.
The CMC program is not the only initiative that is working to upgrade IT infrastructure at HBCUs. In 2021, the non-profit Student Freedom Initiative (SFI) launched an effort to improve HBCUs’ infrastructure at no cost so they could comply with a new rule that requires schools to have a secure IT system if they want to continue to receive certain federal funding. Student aid programs like Pell Grants, work-study and some federal loans could all be impacted if schools did not upgrade their systems. Cisco has given more than $100 million in labor, expertise, materials and supplies to SFI’s initiative.
When the pandemic first hit, HBCUs were unprepared for the sudden, overwhelming shift to online learning. But over the past three years, through a sustained combination of government, private and philanthropic funding and support, HBCUs are getting their infrastructure up to par.
Weekly Jolt ⚡️ Essential News for Clean Energy Champions
Author: US DOE Staff Published: 6/18/2023 EERE
Investing in America: One Year Anniversary for Inflation Reduction Act
One year out, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—a blueprint for the largest, U.S. energy transformation—is saving Americans more money on home energy bills, improving the health of our communities and our planet, and strengthening the economy and creating good-paying jobs. Take a look at these opportunities to save money and the environment:
The Inflation Reduction Act in Its First Year
Federal Tax Credits for Solar Manufacturers
Geothermal Heat Pump Information for Consumers
Applications Open for States and Territories to Implement $8.5 Billion for Home Energy Rebates
How Your Home Energy Audit Qualifies for a $150 Tax Credit
Inflation Reduction Act Tax Credit Opportunities for Hydropower and Marine Energy
U.S. Wind Industry Federal Incentives, Funding, and Partnership Opportunities Fact Sheet
Funding Updates
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Office of Economic Impact and Diversity Ask Us Anything Series – Office of Electricity
Author; DOE ODEI Staff Published: 8/16/2023 Office of Economic Impact and Diversity
The Office of Electricity focuses on securing America’s grid & advancing innovations.
Meet the Minority Business and Workforce Division team every second Wednesday of the month. Join us for short updates on funding opportunities within DOE and connect with program offices. Minority Businesses are able to gain assistance in navigating DOE processes, and updates on the latest funding opportunities and connect with other Minority Businesses in the energy sector.
The DOE Office of Electricity is hard at work securing America’s grid and advancing innovations in the next generation of energy production, transmission, and storage technology.
In this months “Ask Us Anything” series, we’ll learn more about how you can participate in the Office of Electricity’s investments innovative grid controls, systems, and energy storage.
From oil to lithium: How Saudi Arabia is building a battery supply chain
Author: BMS Staff Published : 8/12/2023 Bench Mark Source
Saudi Arabia is a step closer to becoming part of the global battery industry after deals to develop lithium processing and anode material projects in the country.
The deals could make Saudi Arabia’s lithium ion supply chain the most developed in the Middle East, which right now has virtually no battery material capacity.
Saudi Arabia’s ambitions for an electric vehicle supply chain are part of its push to diversify the national economy away from oil, a project guided by the government’s Vision 2030 reform plan announced in 2016.
Although the Saudi government has been investing into the EV sector since 2018, its midstream and upstream segments are still in their early stages.
The Saudi advantage lies in relatively low reagent costs and government incentives like tax, land, and capital support, said Benchmark consultant Ahmed Mehdi.
Still, a challenge will be sourcing enough technical labour for complex parts of the value chain, he said. In addition, the plants will have to secure raw material feedstocks from globally competitive markets.
Lithium processing
This month Australian startup European Lithium and Saudi Arabia’s Obeikan Investment Group announced an agreement to create a joint venture to build and operate a lithium hydroxide refinery in Saudi Arabia.
European Lithium said the Saudi processing plant will process spodumene from a mine that the company is developing in Wolfsberg, Austria.
It will sell the lithium spodumene concentrate to the JV at a “reduced rate” with a floor price of $3,000 a tonne and a ceiling price of $7,000 a tonne over the life of the current resource of the Wolfsberg mine. Spodumene prices are currently around $3,650 a tonne, according to Benchmark’s Lithium Price Assessment.
The mine is set to produce 3,610 tonnes (LCE) of lithium per year by 2030, as assessed by Benchmark.
European Lithium said the facility would be developed to “meet the minimum initial capacity and product specifications” to supply BMW.
In 2021, Saudi Arabia became the first Middle Eastern country to establish pipeline capacity in lithium processing by signing an agreement with EV Metals Groups to build a battery chemicals complex in Yanbu Industrial City.
The site could produce 18,050 tonnes of lithium hydroxide by 2030, according to Benchmark’s Lithium Forecast. The project was allocated 123 hectares of land this year as well as energy by the Saudi government.
First anode plant in the Middle East
Saudi Arabia is also developing its anode industry, where it may have a natural competitive advantage.
Earlier this year startup Novonix announced a joint venture deal to build a 30,000 tonne capacity graphite anode materials facility with TAQAT Development, a Saudi energy company. Novonix will own 40% of the JV, and TAQAT the remainder.
It will supply EV and energy storage systems (ESS) markets in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2024 although the precise location has not yet been announced.
A key advantage for the project will be sourcing precursor material from within Saudi Arabia, in the form of petroleum needle coke.
First pet needle coke project in Saudi Arabia
In May, TAQAT Development announced a deal with Chevron Lummus Global to build a 75,000 tonne per annum nameplate capacity pet needle coke plant, with a graphitisation facility to produce synthetic graphite in Rabigh.
TAQAT will use proprietary needle coke technology from Chevron Lummus, an oil refinery technology joint venture between oil major Chevron and refinery technology developer Lummus Technology.
Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Company will supply feedstock in the form of decant oil.
Benchmark analyst Mehdi says needle coke is a promising venture for Saudi Arabia, as it will benefit from its established ecosystem for making other chemicals.
“Saudi has a lot of decant oil feedstock for needle coke production and given chemical hub of Kingdom, could see interest from other players such as petrochemical players who see battery chemical market as a good hedge to volatile petchem margins,” he said.
Saudi’s EV push
As well as markets in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, the new facilities will likely sell to Saudi Arabia’s own EV manufacturing industry.
Saudi Arabia’s EV manufacturing sector began to emerge in 2022 when Lucid Motors, a Californian automaker backed by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, announced it would build its first ex-US factory in the Kingdom. The same year saw the launch of the first Saudi EV brand Ceer, another beneficiary of the government’s sovereign wealth fund.
This month Saudi Arabia also signed a $5.6 billion deal with Chinese EV producer Human Horizons for a joint venture focusing on research and development of automobiles.
The manufacturing projects aim at meeting national EV targets. Saudi Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih said this year that the country aims to produce 500,000 electric cars annually by 2030 while under the Vision 2030 reform plan, there are plans to make 30% of all vehicles on the road in Riyadh electric by 2030.
Limits to competitiveness
Yet as a late entrant to EV production, Saudi’s industrial advantages may only take them so far.
“Saudi just wants a seat at the table of the global battery value chain – keeps them relevant and too important to ignore but despite all talk of Vision 2030, Saudi will be more of a capital allocator,” Mehdi said. “Saudi’s competitive advantage only goes so far.”
Further, oil looks likely to remain central to the Kingdom’s economy.
“Saudi Arabia is still the lowest cost oil producer and the margins on oil exports are extremely high,” Mehdi said.
Oil made up 71% of Saudi Arabia’s total export revenue in 2021, according to OPEC.
Vice President Kamala Harris Visits Coppin State University to Announce $20 Billion in Clean Energy Grants
Author: Robyne McCullough Published: 7/14/2023 Coppin State University
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during her visit to Coppin State University on July 14, 2023.
Vice President Kamala Harris visited the campus of Coppin State University on July 14, 2023, to announce two grant competitions providing $20 billion in grant dollars to invest in projects designed to reduce pollution, expand clean energy opportunities, and advance environmental justice.
“We have seen around our country where communities have been choked by drought, have been washed out by floods and decimated by hurricanes,” said Vice President Harris. “Here in Baltimore, you have seen your skies darkened by wildfire smoke and you have seen the water of the Chesapeake Bay rise threatening homes and businesses that have stood for generations. It is clear the clock is not only ticking, it is banging, and we must act.”
Vice President Harris was welcomed to campus by Coppin State University President Anthony Jenkins and joined by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D – DE), U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Congressman Frank Pallone (D- NJ), Congressman David Trone (D – MD), Lt. Governor Aruna Miller, Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott for the announcement.
According to the Biden-Harris Administration, the funds will come through the $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF), and the $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA) competitions. The NCIF will provide grants to support two-to-three national clean financing institutions partnering with businesses in the private sector to financing for tens of thousands of clean technology projects nationwide. The Biden-Harris Administration has declared 40 percent of NCIF funds will go to low-income and disadvantaged communities, and underserved areas. Meanwhile, the NCIF will provide grants for between two and seven nonprofit organizations which will provide funding and technical assistance to community lenders financing clean technology projects.
Coppin State University is working on solutions and strategies to address climate concerns and clean energy through scholarship and research performed by faculty and students of various disciplines, as well as in its community work.
Researchers with the Center for Nanotechnology focus on clean and renewable energy generation and storage.
“Coppin has an unwavering commitment to West Baltimore. As a leader in urban higher educa.tion, we are using our Center for Nanotechnology to focus on clean and renewable energy,” President Jenkins explained. “From that research, we are focused on finding solutions to climate issues that impact urban environments.”
Coppin State University also leads the West North Avenue Development Authority, a collaborative initiative that seeks to revitalize West Baltimore by bringing new investment, and developing a comprehensive plan examining housing, transportation, economic development, commercial space, and green space along the West North Avenue corridor. The Coppin State University campus also features two LEED certified buildings in-use. The new College of Business, which is LEED Silver certified, is set to come online before the Fall 2023 semester.
Essential News for Clean Energy Champions
Author: DOE Staff Published: 8/9/2023 EERE
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