Voucher Opportunity 8: Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Community Development (Providers)

Are you a community interested in demonstrating or deploying long duration energy storage (LDES) technology, or do you provide energy services to communities?

This voucher opportunity seeks to provide communities who wish to benefit from the decarbonization, resilience, affordability, and workforce benefits of energy storage and are interested in innovative, first-time long-duration energy storage (LDES) deployments. These communities will receive services such as siting/permitting support, storage project road mapping, regional modeling, energy use analysis, technical feasibility studies, technology solution decision-making, or community engagement. While there are no restrictions on eligible communities, supporting disadvantaged communities (DACs) is an important goal of this opportunity. Providers may include national labs, consulting firms, or nonprofits.

Vouchers will be distributed as in-kind support, meaning that ENERGYWERX will directly reimburse the voucher provider for the work they have completed on behalf of the voucher recipients. The value of each voucher will depend on the services defined in the Providers’ capability statements, with estimated values of support services per recipient ranging from $50k to $150k.

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The DOE Voucher Program builds bridges between U.S. entrepreneurs, businesses, technology developers or other relevant partners and third-party voucher providers to advance commercialization and demonstration at scale of innovative energy technologies. Voucher Opportunity (VO-8) targets recipients including municipalities, tribes and tribal organization, state or local governments, community development organizations, or utilities, who are seeking to deploy innovative LDES for the first time. These recipients will receive technical assistance services such as siting/permitting support, storage project road mapping, regional modeling, energy use analysis, technical feasibility studies, technology solution decision-making, or community engagement. While there are no restrictions on eligible communities, supporting disadvantaged communities (DACs) is an important goal of this opportunity.

The first submission window solicits proposals from potential voucher providers. A second submission window will be open soon to solicit requests from potential voucher recipients. Pending availability of funds, additional submission windows may open in the future. 

Voucher Projects: Expected voucher worth between $50,000 - $150,000 of work. Vouchers will be distributed as in-kind support, meaning that ENERGYWERX will directly reimburse the voucher provider for the work they have completed on behalf of the voucher recipients. Only work related to demonstration and deployment of LDES will be eligible to receive a voucher under this opportunity. All innovative LDES technologies are eligible for consideration, however communities wishing to explore hydrogen-based energy storage are encouraged to explore other DOE opportunities that target hydrogen technologies. For more information on innovative LDES technologies, please reference the Long Duration Storage Shot Technology Strategy Assessments, released in 2023, that describes 10 energy storage technologies and their pathways to low cost by 2030.

DOE anticipates issuing approximately 3-7 vouchers.

Voucher Providers: Technical assistance providers, including but not limited to consulting firms, nonprofits, and national labs.

Voucher Recipients: Limited to municipalities, tribes and tribal organizations, state or local governments, community development organizations, or utilities that have an interest in deploying storage to meet a community benefit objective. Recipients should be first-time deployers of energy storage, or should require assistance to deploy or apply energy storage in a new or innovative way.

To support the goal of building a clean and equitable energy economy, voucher projects are encouraged to: (1) support meaningful community and labor engagement; (2) invest in America’s workforce; (3) advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA); and (4) contribute to the President’s goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to DACs (the Justice40 Initiative).

How to Participate

1. Attend the Informational Webinar/Objective Strategic Session on May 15, 2024 from 3:00-4:00 PM ET: Click Here to RSVP
2. Attend the informational Office Hours session on May 30, 2024 from 3:00-4:00 PM ET: Click Here to RSVP
3. Complete submission and upload here: Click Here to Submit (Submissions are due NLT June 6, 2024 by 3:00 PM ET)

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For more detailed information on this opportunity from DOE: Click Here to Read More

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Informational Webinar/Objective Strategic Session (IW/OSS) [May 15, 2024]: DOE will provide further details about Voucher Opportunities. Potential voucher recipients can better understand the scope, scale, and intent of the Voucher Program and ask questions of the DOE staff. The virtual IW/OSS will take place on May 15, 2024 from 3:00–4:00 PM ET (30-minute blocks per Voucher Opportunity). Click Here to RSVP

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Informational Office Hours [May 30, 2024]: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will host an Informational Office Hours session on May 30, 2024 from 3:00-4:00 PM ET to answer any remaining questions from potential applicants before the submission deadline. Click Here to RSVP

Submissions are due No Later Than June 6, 2024 by 3:00 PM ET

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Phase 1 – Voucher Provider Capability Statement Submissions Open [April 25, 2024 – June 6, 2024]

• ‍InformationalWebinar/Objective Strategic Session (IW/OSS) [May 15, 2024]: DOE will provide further details about Voucher Opportunities. Potential voucher providers can better understand the scope, scale, and intent of the Voucher Program and ask questions of the DOE staff. The virtual IW/OSS will take place from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET.
• Informational Office Hours [May 30, 2024]: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will host an Informational Office Hours session from 3:00-4:00 PM ET to answer any remaining questions from potential applicants before the submission deadline.

Phase 2 – DOE Selection [Timing TBD]: DOE will review submissions based on relevance to the program objectives and will notify selected entities for next steps.
NOTE:  DOE may choose to meet with submitters or ask additional clarifying questions prior to selection.

Phase 3 – Negotiations[Timing TBD]: Subsequently, selected organizations will meet with ENERGYWERX to negotiate the scope of work, budget, timing, and impact.

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Complete submission and upload here: Click Here to Submit (Submissions are due NLT June 6, 2024 by 3:00 PM ET)

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

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