DOE Loan Guarantee Program Invites 12 Clean Energy Projects to Apply

October 10, 2007

Twelve renewable energy and energy efficiency projects that were proposed to DOE as part of a pre-application process for federal loan guarantees have been invited to submit full applications. The 12 projects include a highly efficient paper production plant in Washington, a manufacturing facility in Minnesota for highly efficient windows, a Luz II solar thermal plant in Nevada, a thin-film solar production plant in California, the world's largest single-site installation of fuel cells in Connecticut, Tesla Motor's electric vehicle production plant in New Mexico, and biofuel facilities in California, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Virginia, and an additional site in the Southeast. The biofuel facilities include four plants to produce ethanol from non-edible, cellulosic biomass, as well as an advanced biodiesel production plant and a biomass gasification plant for producing a clean diesel fuel substitute. The applicants have until the end of the month to let DOE know if they are still interested. The announcement came as DOE finalized its rules for the loan guarantees, which can cover 100% of the loan, so long as the loan is not for more than 80% of the cost of the project. See the DOE press release.