U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Geothermal Technologies Program

Solicitation Archives

Here you'll find information about the U.S. Department of Energy's closed solicitations for funding geothermal technology projects. Solicitation awards have been or will soon be announced. See Open Solicitations for information about those that haven't been closed.

Enhanced Geothermal Systems Technology Development (#DE-PS36-05GO95002)

The DOE is seeking proposals for studies in the general area of fracture characterization and analysis in high-temperature (>150°C) environments typical of the Basin and Range tectonic province. For more details, please click on the full announcement (MS Word 474 KB)

Applications and amendments of applications must be received by July 14, 2005, not later than 3:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time. You are encouraged to transmit your application well before the deadline. APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING ALL APPLICATION FILES, RECEIVED AFTER THE DEADLINE AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE IIPS DATE/TIME STAMP, WILL NOT BE REVIEWED OR CONSIDERED FOR AWARD. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS. LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT TO UPLOAD APPLICATION AND RELATED FILES. PLEASE ALLOW TIME FOR ANY TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES YOU MAY ENCOUNTER.

DOE's Small Business Innovation Research Solicitation - Fiscal Year 2005

In the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) FY05 Program Solicitations, three topics in particular contain specific references to geothermal technology:

Innovative Waste Heat Recovery Technology and Novel Cooling Systems (Air-Cooled Condenser Enhancements)
Reactions and Separations (Innovative Mineral Processing)
Sensors and Controls for Efficiency and Renewable Energy Applications (Geothermal Two-Phase Flow Instrumentation and Control)

The application due date is December 13, 2004.

See the FY05 Program Solicitations Announcement for application instructions and requirements, and technical topic descriptions.

On the DOE SBIR/STTR Web site, you'll also find general information about the SBIR/STTR program.

Geothermal Outreach Grant

Solicitation No. DE-PS36-04GO94006

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is seeking applications for communication and outreach projects to supplement the GeoPowering the West (GPW) effort. Through financial assistance awards, DOE intends to provide financial support to States in the Denver and Seattle Regions ONLY, which include Denver (LA, TX, OK, NM, CO, UT, WY, MT, SD, ND, NE) and Seattle (AK, HI, WA, OR, ID, NV, CA, AZ, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands) Regions. This program is authorized under provisions of the Geothermal Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1976, PL 93-410; Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technology Competitiveness Act of 1989, P.L. 101-218; and the Energy Policy Act of 1992, P.L. 102-486, Title XII.

Enhanced (Engineered) Geothermal Systems (EGS) Research and Development (R&D) Grant

Solicitation No. DE-PS36-04GO94001

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is seeking applications for research projects to expand the Enhanced (Engineered) Geothermal Systems (EGS) knowledge base. Through financial assistance awards, DOE intends to provide financial support for research directed to improving the technology to recover heat from rock with low permeability and at greater depth than presently feasible. This program is authorized under provisions of the Geothermal Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1976, PL 93-410.

See Awards Announcement

Geothermal Resource Exploration & Definition Program II (GRED II)

Solicitation No. DE-SC04-02AL67912

DOE Albuquerque Operations Office (AL) has issued a Solicitation for Financial Assistance Applications to explore and define new sources of clean geothermal energy. DOE intends to fund up to four 3-year projects that will be cost-shared with industry participants to identify, test, and characterize previously undiscovered geothermal resources. The objectives of this program are to obtain a better understanding of domestic geothermal resources, facilitate the development of new resources in geographically diverse areas, and increase the amount of geothermal energy available for electric power generation.

Projects may comprise up to three phases: (1) Phase I Resource Evaluation — new work to discover a probable geothermal resource and select a site for drilling a geothermal exploration well; (2) Phase II Drilling and Characterization — drilling of an exploration well; and (3) Phase III Testing and Assessment — evaluation of the capacity of the reservoir to produce geothermal energy. Federal funds will mitigate a large portion of the initial risk associated with the exploration and definition of geothermal energy.

Funding availability for this year's Phase I work activities is approximately $600,000. Funding for the entire program is expected to be as much as $3,000,000 over the 3-year life of the projects, contingent upon congressional appropriation and program priorities.

For more information on this solicitation, visit the DOE Business Opportunities Web site. The solicitation can be found by searching the DOE Industry Interactive Procurement System (IPPS) web site by solicitation number DE-SC04-02AL67912 or by a full text search using "geothermal" to view this solicitation and other geothermal opportunities.

Request for Proposal (RFP)

Westar Energy, Inc. (Westar) is requesting proposals from one or more entities to supply renewable resources.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) is open to parties who currently own, propose to develop, or have rights to a generating facility(s) that produces electrical energy and qualifies as a renewable resource, including geothermal.

Preference will be given to proposals under which the respondent will retain full ownership and assume full responsibility for the development and/or operation and maintenance of the generation facility(s). Westar prefers a facility(s) of 50 MW or larger where the respondent desires to sell all the capacity and energy, and transfer all environmental attributes generated by the facility(s) to Westar under a Purchase Power Agreement (PPA).

RFP schedule:

Release of RFP February 12, 2004
Notice of Intent to Respond Due March 9, 2004
Pre-Bid Conference March 16, 2004
Proposal Submission Deadline April 14, 2004
Short List Announced; Contract Negotiations Begin May 10, 2004
Target Date for Awarding Contract June 21, 2004
Target Date for Commercial Operation December 2005
For more information.

Westar is the largest electric utility in Kansas, serving approximately 650,000 customers in the state.

FY 2002 EERE Broad-based Solicitation, Office of Power Technologies: Geothermal Energy Program: Information Dissemination and Outreach

Solicitation No. DE-PS01-02EE10846-1J

The mission of the Geothermal Energy Program is to work in partnership with US industry to establish geothermal energy as an economically competitive contributor to the US energy supply.

Applications should address either or both of the following activities:

Develop or collect data on progress in the geothermal industry, including planned and operating projects, industry participants, new technologies. Characterize benefits and impacts of geothermal energy deployment. Provide identification and analysis of critical issues limiting use of geothermal energy in the US, including measures to mitigate their impacts.
Disseminate information to key stakeholder groups, such as electric utilities, state regulatory agencies and consumer organizations. Facilitate participation by constituents and other key stakeholder groups in national and regional forums designed to foster responsible development of geothermal energy in the US and removal of market barriers.

DOE anticipates awarding two to four awards of $25,000-$200,000 for FY02 for project periods of 6 to 36 months. Applications must be received by 20 May 2002, 11:30 PM, Eastern Time.

See Awards Announcement

Geothermal Resource Exploration & Definition Program II (GRED II)

Solicitation No. DE-SC04-02AL67912

Development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems

Solicitation No. DE-PS07-02ID14264

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho Operations Office (ID) is seeking applications for the development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) to expand production from geothermal resources. For purposes of this solicitation, EGS are defined as engineered reservoirs created to extract heat from economically unproductive geothermal resources. The knowledge gained from this work will result in new and improved technology that will help meet the goals of the Geothermal Program. EGS projects are sought to improve reservoir productivity and lifetime through the application of either conventional or novel engineering techniques. The objective of this solicitation is to bring new geothermal resources into production using Enhanced Geothermal Systems for the purpose of generating electric power.

The SF 424 and the technical proposal must have Department of Energy Industry Interactive Procurement System (IIPS) time stamp of no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 30, 2002.

The solicitation will be posted to the DOE Industry Interactive Procurement System (IIPS) Web site. There are no briefings or required pre-submission reviews and clearances planned for this solicitation. Questions shall be submitted to Ms. Elizabeth E. Dahl, contract specialist, by facsimile at 208-526-5548, or by telephone at (208) 526-7214 no later than March 15, 2002. Questions and answers to the questions will be posted to IIPS Web site as an amendment to this solicitation. Questions regarding the operation of IIPS may be e-mailed to the IIPS Help Desk at HelpDesk@e-center.doe.gov or call the help desk at (800) 683-0751.

State Energy Program FY 2002 Special Projects Solicitation Announcement

Effective Date: December 20, 2001
Subject: Program Year 2002 State Energy Program (SEP) Special Projects Financial Assistance Guidance

Background: In 2002, for the seventh year, DOE is offering States the opportunity to apply to undertake a variety of Special Projects under SEP. DOE has reviewed its end-use sector energy efficiency and renewable energy programs in which State assistance is an implementation strategy. As a result of this review, DOE is inviting States to submit proposals to implement specific DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) deployment activities and initiatives as Special Projects under SEP. States will compete for funding to implement activities relating to a number of programmatic areas such as building energy codes and standards, alternative fuels, industrial efficiency, building efficiency, and renewable energy technologies. Approximately $18,500,000 million will be available for these projects.

Application Procedures: The complete Solicitation (MS Word 316 KB) describes the scope of work and proposal process. Copies of the application forms can be downloaded from the Golden Field Office's Web site. Click on: "Business Opportunities"; and then "Proposal Forms." Please obtain the most current versions of these forms from the Web site, rather than relying on old paper copies, as a number of these forms have been significantly revised. If you do not have access to the Web site, please obtain current copies of the forms from your DOE Regional Office (RO).

Application Due Date: Applications from States for 2002 SEP Special Projects financial assistance must be received at the State's DOE RO no later than March 15, 2002 to compete for this Special Projects funding.

Partner and Subrecipient Due Dates: Entities proposing to participate in a State's Special Project must contact that State to determine the State's deadline for information to be included in its application, as well as any other requirements the State may have.

Program Contacts:
Headquarters:	Sam Tagore	(202) 586-9210
Regional Offices:
Atlanta:	Warren Zurn	(404) 562-0567
Boston:	David Mark	(617) 565-9711
Chicago:	Bill Hui	(312) 886-8586
Denver:	Dave Waltzman	(303) 275-4821
Philadelphia:	Maryanne Daniel	(215) 656-6964
Seattle:	Jeffrey James	(206) 553-2079

University Earth Science Research

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho Operations Office (ID) is seeking applications for research projects in earth science at universities to expand the geothermal knowledge base. The knowledge gained from this work will result in new and improved technology that will help meet geothermal program goals. University earth science research and development is sought to enhance exploration tools, increase reservoir productivity, and improve reservoir management. The Geothermal Program works in partnership with the U.S. geothermal industry to establish geothermal energy as a competitive contributor to the U.S. energy supply for both electricity and heat. The Program sponsors research and development that will help the United States realize substantial economic, environmental, and energy security benefits. The Program's overarching goal is to reduce the levelized cost of generating geothermal power to 3 to 5 cents/kWh by 2010, as compared to 5 to 8 cents/kWh in 2000.

The objective of this solicitation for Financial Assistance, DE-PS07-02ID14263, University Research for Geothermal Program, is to seek research and development in four interrelated areas:

Research to provide better tools, methods and data for resource identification and characterization;
Research to reduce the risks associated with reservoir performance and to gain a better understanding of the effects of fluid injection into producing reservoirs, particularly fractured reservoirs;
Research to predict the chemical interaction of geothermal fluids and injectate with rocks, wells, and surface equipment; and 4) Research to provide better understanding of rock-fracturing, engineered permeability enhancement of low-permeability geothermal systems, and long-term circulation of fluids through those systems.

Approximately $2,000,000 dollars in federal funds is expected to be available over the next three fiscal years. A maximum of $500,000 dollars is expected to be available in fiscal year 2002 to totally fund the first year of selected research efforts. DOE anticipates awarding three to five grants, each with duration of three years or less. The grants will be awarded in accordance with DOE Financial Assistance regulations, Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter II Subchapter H, Part 600 (10 CFR 600). Award of a grant under this solicitation does not commit the Government to fund any follow-on research. Successful applicants shall be required to submit quarterly, annual, and final reports to DOE, publish and make presentations of technical results, as appropriate, and attend annual DOE program reviews. DOE may issue a continuation award (e.g., the second budget period), if the awardee demonstrates sufficient progress in the research effort; has completed the objectives in compliance with a mutually agreed upon management plan; has submitted timely and informative reports; has identified the objectives planned for the new budget period; and if DOE has the funding available. DOE reserves the right to support, or not to support, all, or any part of any application. Unsuccessful applications will not be returned.

The solicitation will be posted to the DOE Industry Interactive Procurement System (IIPS) Web site. There are no briefings or required pre-submission reviews and clearances planned for this solicitation. Questions shall be submitted to Ms. Elizabeth E. Dahl, contract specialist, by facsimile at 208-526-5548 or by telephone at (208) 526-7214 no later than February 15, 2002. Questions and answers to the questions will be posted to IIPS Web site as an amendment to this solicitation. Questions regarding the operation of IIPS may be e-mailed to the IIPS Help Desk at HelpDesk@e-center.doe.gov or call the help desk at (800) 683-0751.

APPLICATION DUE DATES

The Standard Form 424, and the technical application, must have an IIPS transmission time stamp of not later than 5:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 12, 2002.

Geothermal Direct-Use System Concepts Request for Proposals

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on behalf of DOE.
Two-phased project for development and field-verification of innovative geothermal direct-use system concepts. The project encompasses direct-use applications of geothermal resources, including wells or springs in the approximate temperature range of 80 to 350 degrees F, located in the U.S., using a minimum thermal load of 20 kWt (600 million BTU per year). $330,000 is available.

Proposals are currently due February 22, 2001.

RFP No. RAA-1-31402

A hard copy may be requested by mail, e-mail, or fax. Please be sure to include RFP No.

Jim Fox
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
1617 Cole Boulevard
Golden, Colorado 80401
Fax: 303.384.7352