dept of energy
University of Tennessee Awarded $259M National Composites Manufacturing Institute
President Obama recently announced that the University of Tennessee was awarded the $259 million Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI). The U.S. Department of Energy will commit $70 million to support the project with the remaining $189 million coming from IACMI partners including $15 million from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
NREL, Wells Fargo Launch $10M Cleantech Innovation Incubator, $2.3M Tech Accelerator
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will administer two new initiatives to bring clean energy technologies to market. Lab-Corps, a $2.3 million pilot program, will build on the National Science Foundation’s iCorps model to accelerate the development of cleantech discoveries and train lab researchers.
Brookings: National Labs Need Flexibility to Plug into Regional Economies
Observing that legacy policies have hampered the contribution of the Department of Energy’s National Laboratories to the modern innovation economy, Brookings Institution authors Scott Andes, Mark Muro and Matthew Stepp outline a plan to engage DOE labs with regional technology clusters. The authors recommend tasking the labs with an explicit regional economic development mission, as well as opening regionally oriented microlabs that would provide a front door for smaller businesses to access lab resources.
DOE Awards $3.2M to Launch National Clean Energy Incubator Network
The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the launch of the National Incubator Initiative for Clean Energy (NIICE). NIICE will serve a national support network for the nation’s clean energy startup community and the incubators that support them. The network will provide technical assistance and training services to help clean energy startups move their products closer to market readiness.
Highlights from the President's FY15 Department of Energy Budget Request
The administration’s FY15 budget request in discretionary funding for the Department of Energy (DOE) is $27.9 billion (1 percent decrease from FY14), of which $12.3 billion would support R&D (8.4 percent increase) and $4.2 billion would support investment in the Department’s applied energy sector programs to drive an “all-of-the-above” approach to energy sector innovation. The proposed budget would provide substantial increases for funding advanced manufacturing and clean energy R&D.
Chicago, Detroit Win Competition for Newest Manufacturing Hubs
The latest Department of Defense-led manufacturing innovation institutes will support cutting-edge research and product development in lightweight and modern metals and digital manufacturing and design. A consortium of 73 companies, nonprofits and universities will help launch the Chicago-based institute. The Detroit-area based consortium involves 60 partners.
NC Wins Latest Manufacturing Innovation Institute Focused on Electronics
The first of three new manufacturing innovation institutes will be headquartered in Raleigh, NC, and led by a consortium of 18 companies, seven universities and labs, and the state of North Carolina. The announcement was made today by President Obama. Developing wide-bandgap semiconductor devices and industry-relevant processes is the goal of the Next Generation Power Electronics Institute. Such technologies are used to develop smaller, faster, cheaper and more efficient electronics for personal devices, electric vehicles and renewable power interconnection, according to a press release. The selection process is still underway for two other institutes, with awards expected in the coming weeks.
New APRA-E Program Awards $36M for Electric Vehicle Development
Electric vehicles may be gaining momentum.
New Energy Secretary Begins Major Departmental Reorganization
Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Ernest Moniz is leading a restructuring of the department's management, reorganizing programs and undersecretary positions to better align with the operational goals of supporting President Obama's Climate Action Plan, an "all of the above" energy strategy, and strengthening nuclear security. The move will create an Under Secretary for Management and Performance, merge the energy and science programs, and consolidate the department's defense waste cleanup efforts.
Tesla's Loan Payoff Underscores Potential of Federal Loan Guarantee Program
The Department of Energy's guaranteed loan program has made headlines as automotive company Tesla paid back over $450 million in federal loans nine years ahead of schedule. Tesla's move highlights the potential of federal loan programs to support the growth of renewable energy industries by investing in companies that are developing new technologies such as lithium batteries and electric cars.