Capacity Building for Repurposing Energy Assets - Expanded

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) today announced up to $2.7 million in federal funding available to help local communities across the country create a roadmap toward repurposing existing energy assets, with expanded eligibility for participants. This announcement builds on the Capacity Building for Repurposing Energy Assets initiative that was first launched in August 2023 to assist communities where a significant portion of their local economy has historically been supported by energy assets, such as coal, oil, and/or natural gas power facilities and accompanying equipment and infrastructure.

The initiative will help communities build technical capacity and develop a workforce necessary to help revitalize energy systems, address environmental impacts, and tackle challenges associated with energy assets that have been retired, or are slated for retirement (2009-2033). This effort advances FECM’s mission of minimizing environmental and climate impacts of energy systems and industrial processes while working to achieve net-zero emissions across our economy. It also supports the broader DOE mission of ensuring efficient transformation of the energy system while prioritizing labor and community engagement.

The re-issuance of this initiative expands the eligibility for communities to partner with eligible entities that include:

1. Community Colleges, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority Serving Institutions, and other educational entities recognized by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights;
2. Local economic development entities;
3. Community based organizations and non-governmental organizations;
4. Local elected officials from municipalities (e.g. mayors’ offices);
5. Labor unions and labor-management organizations;
6. Organizations that represent workers in energy communities; and
7. Workforce development entities involved in administering the public workforce system.

To see the previous opportunity details please CLICK HERE

This effort seeks to support performers (e.g., municipal governments, community-based NGOs) in capacity building and workforce development planning in communities that host existing energy assets that have retired, or are slated for retirement, and that comprise or comprised a significant portion of local activities (e.g., jobs, tax revenue, and related considerations).

In particular, the objective of this effort is to directly support an embedded work stream supported by a staffer whose primary responsibility is coordination and planning, with a particular emphasis on workforce development oriented around productively and sustainably repurposing such assets, their sites and associated infrastructure.

This effort advances FECM’s mission of minimizing environmental and climate impacts of fossil fuels and industrial processes while working to achieve net-zero emissions across our economy and the broader DOE mission of ensuring efficient transformation of the energy system while prioritizing labor and community engagement.

Community-based government or nongovernmental organizations (e.g., municipal governments; nonprofit organizations dedicated to community development, especially related to energy and economic transition) will dedicate a staff member whose primary responsibility is coordination and planning the productive and sustainable repurposing of an existing energy asset(s), especially emphasizing workforce development.

• Organizations should be based in communities that host existing energy assets that currently comprise (or comprised at some point within the last 5 years) a significant portion of local economic activities (e.g., jobs, tax revenue, and related considerations).    
• Existing energy assets of interest are primarily large, single facility assets (e.g., power plant; mine) with a planned or reasonably anticipated closure date between 2009 and 2032, but could also be a collection, network, or other agglomeration of facilities (e.g., natural gas or oil wells) that is expected to retire in the that time range.
• Organizations should articulate how this work stream is new and additive: the goal is to enable work not previously completed and to build capacity within the organization.
• Organizations should commit to knowledge sharing with other selected performers, e.g., through quarterly calls and/or meetings, and should be able to articulate how they will continue to share knowledge with other organizations facing similar challenges after the completion of this work stream.
• Organizations should commit to knowledge sharing with other selected performers, e.g., through quarterly calls and/or meetings, and should be able to articulate how they will continue to share knowledge with other organizations facing similar challenges after the completion of this work stream.

How to Participate

• Review the General Overview and Objective
• Review the Additional Resources From Previous Opportunity [2023]: Click Here to View
• Review the Pre-Recorded OSS below
• Review the resources from informational Office Hours Session on April 11, 2024 at 3:00 PM ET
• Download the Capabilities Overview Template: Click Here to Download
• Complete the Submission Form and Upload Completed Template: Click Here to Upload (Submissions are due NLT April 18, 2024 at 3:00 PM ET)

DOE Invests $800,000 for Workforce Development Opportunities in Energy Communities Across the Unites States: Eight local government and non-profit organizations will receive funding and technical assistance toward repurposing existing energy facilities, equipment, and infrastructure - Click Here to Read More

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Pre-Recorded Session: February 9, 2024

Office Hours (April 11, 2024 from 3:00 - 4:00 PM ET): ENERGYWERX and the U.S. Department of Energy will host open office hours for potential applicants. Participants are encouraged to come prepared to ask questions.

Submissions are due NLT April 18, 2024 at 3:00 PM ET

Phase 1 – Submissions Open [February 22, 2024 to April 18, 2024]: Interested respondents must complete a submission form (for Government review only) no later than April 18, 2024, 3:00 PM ET. Submitters must download, complete, and upload a Capabilities Overview (maximum of 3 pages). The list of criteria is listed on the Capabilities Overview Template, found at the bottom of this webpage.

Phase 2 – Government Review and Downselect [April 18, 2024 to May 31, 2024]: DOE will downselect respondents/submissions with the highest likelihood of satisfying their needs. All respondents will receive a selection or non-selection notification o/a May 31, 2024.

Phase 3 – Path Forward [June 2024 to March 2025]: Subsequently, selectees will participate in a discussion with DOE SMEs to learn more about the scope of work determined by the Government. The intent is for selectees to receive a formal Business-to-Business (B2B) Research and Development Agreement (RDA) andStatement of Effort (SOE) as a sub-award (15 U.S. Code, Section 3715) from ENERGYWERX. However, after discussions with the Government, successfully negotiated awards may fall under (but are not limited to) alternate mechanism of awards/interactions with any combination of these categories:

• Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (15 U.S. Code, Section 3710a)
• OTA for research or prototype projects (10 U.S. Code Sections 4021, 4022)
• An award under 10 U. S. Code, Section 4022 may result in the further award of a follow-on production agreement without additional competition based on successful prototype completion. The Government may make this follow-on production award even if all successful prototype criteria are not fully met during the prototype project.
• Procurement for experimental purposes (10 U.S. Code Section 4023)
• Prizes for advanced technology achievements (10 U. S. Code Section 4025) and/or prize competitions (15 U.S. Code 3719)
• FAR-based procurement contract

Phase 4 – Effort Underway [August 22, December 12, 2024 and January 30, 2025]: Throughout the work, DOE seeks that selected organizations work closely with the DOE team, including attending and participating in three interactive sessions as a commitment to knowledge sharing and learning with other selected performers. The participants should be able to articulate and share knowledge with other organizations facing similar challenges who are also working on completion of this work stream. This would be a highly collaborative, fast-paced engagement model. Materials would be created in partnership and conversation with DOE stakeholders – with additional research and analysis supplementing where needed. The goal would be to produce as much useful content in time for key DOE decision points as possible with the option to finalize work products after that date. In addition, DOE encourages (as needed) check-ins via email, when possible (info@energywerx.org), to provide feedback & guidance and share learnings and insights.

Deep technical subject matter expertise is not required as background; however, some familiarity with relevant technologies and industries will be helpful. The selected performer will need the work at a fast pace, quickly synthesize information, write in a clear and concise manner (with detailed footnotes and source tracking where appropriate), and to find supplementary information as needed (e.g., existing market landscape, relevant manufacturing announcements, pricing/cost data, supply/demand projections).

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1. April 18, 2024  - Submit a Three-page concept paper by 3:00 PM ET
2. May 31, 2024- Selections completed. ENERGYWERX (ENWX) notifies and sends Research and Development Agreement (RDA) and preliminary Statement of Effort (SOE) to selected performers
3. Brief Management before awards.
4. June 13, 2024 - Deadline for selected performers to sign final SOE
5. July 9, 2024 - DOE & ENWX conduct kick-off meeting with selected performers. (Exact time will be announced closer to the date)
6. August 22, December 12, 2024 and January 30, 2025: Participate in listening session / focus group to be held VIRTUALLY through TEAMS by DOE and ENWX to share information all awardees. (Exact time will be announced closer to the date)
7. March 15, 2025 - Final report due

Complete the Submission Form & Upload Completed Template: Click Here to Submit ‍

(Submissions are due NLT April 18, 2024 3:00 PM ET)

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact ENERGYWERX: info@energywerx.org