Release Date: November 26, 2003

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) developed a draft solicitation (Solicitation No. DE-PS26-04NT42061) for public comment to continue its efforts under the Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI).

NETL is conducting a comment-and-response period that extends through December 26, 2003. Input from interested parties will be used to prepare the final solicitation. Final issuance of the solicitation is anticipated on or about January 16, 2004, with selections expected toward the end of 2004.

In this second in a series of competitive solicitations, DOE anticipates the availability of between $300 million and $400 million to fund multiple project awards. Industry is expected to match or exceed the government's share for every project.

The CCPI is a cost-sharing partnership between the government and industry to demonstrate advanced coal-based electric power generation technologies.

The goal of the CCPI is to accelerate readiness for commercial deployment of advanced technologies to ensure that the United States has clean, reliable, and affordable electricity based on coal, which is fundamental to a strong U.S. economy and domestic energy security.

The solicitation is open to technologies capable of producing any combination of heat, fuels, chemicals, or other useful by-products in conjunction with electricity generation. Prospective projects must ensure that coal is used for at least 75 percent of the fuel energy input to the process, while electricity is at least 50 percent of the energy-equivalent output from the technology demonstrated. Additionally, prospective projects must show the potential for rapid market penetration upon successful demonstration of the technology or concept.