DOE Releases $72M in Small Business Funding for Energy Projects

The Department of Energy has awarded $72 million in funding to support nearly 300 projects addressing multiple energy focus points.

The funding will be used to support small businesses with projects focusing on renewable energy, nuclear energy, cybersecurity, manufacturing, artificial intelligence and other initiatives that support the Biden administration’s carbon-free electricity grid and net-zero emissions targets.

The funding was issued through Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer awards, DOE said.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said small businesses play a critical role in positioning the United States as a leader in science and innovation. She stated that the latest funding round will give small businesses resources to continue developing solutions that tackle climate change and clean energy issues.

Most of the SBIR and STTR awards were for Phase I, but the department also issued Fast-Track SBIR and STTR contracts.

The department has been funding multiple projects supporting various mission areas.

In late June, the DOE awarded 13 projects $13.9 million in total to use high-performance computing solutions in improving carbon emissions. Earlier in the month, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Sandia National Laboratories awarded seven entities $3.5 million in total to work on solar energy storage and power generation solutions.