Solicitations
This section contains information on the open solicitations offered by DOE within the Geothermal Technologies Program, as well as archives on solicitations previously awarded by the program.
Open Solicitations
Here you'll find the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) current solicitations for funding geothermal technology projects. There are at present no solicitations open for proposals, but there is a solicitation currently in the merit review and award process.
Solicitation in Merit Review
The Geothermal Technologies Program has issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $90 million over four years. This work will advance the research, development, and demonstration of next-generation enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) technology to tap energy from the earth's interior heat. Responses have been received for this FOA and the merit review and award process is now underway. Awards are anticipated to be made by September 30, 2008.
Initial estimated total funding for this award is listed at $10,500,000 in FY'2008; with additional anticipated funds of $79,000,000 in FY'2009 and FY'2010, subject to change and Congressional appropriations.
The FOA is intended to address the development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), by seeking new technology development in the form of R&D, field testing, and verification in order for EGS to enter the marketplace. There are also distinctions between funding for two topic areas covered in this FOA.
This integrated FOA will allow DOE to develop new sensors, down-hole tools, and mapping capabilities in order to operate at greater depths and higher reservoir temperatures, and to partner with geothermal stakeholders to increase the knowledge and understanding necessary for EGS to advance to a state of commercial readiness.
Brief descriptions of the topic areas follows:
Topic Area 1: Component Technologies R&D
This topic area seeks projects that address key aspects of engineered reservoir creation, management, and utilization by developing tools and techniques useful to temperatures up to 300°C and depths as great as 10,000 m. Areas of interest include: zonal isolation; down hole pumps; fracture characterization; image fluid flow; tracers and tracer interpretation; high temperature logging tools and sensors; and stimulation prediction models. These technology improvements are discussed in greater detail in the report, An Evaluation of Enhanced Geothermal Systems Technology (PDF 7.1 MB). Download Adobe Reader.
Topic Area 2: System Demonstrations
This topic area seeks projects that will successfully characterize a geothermal system with low natural productivity, develop a plan to stimulate the productivity of the system, stimulate a well in the system and monitor the productivity or injectivity of the well in relation to other wells available in the system. The projects will allow testing and validation of stimulation techniques for improving productivity of wells or increasing inter-well connectivity at existing geothermal fields. Use of available or experimental technologies from geothermal, petroleum or other relevant industries will be considered.
While this FOA is closed to further responses You can find information on and requirements for responding to this Geothermal FOA DE-PS36-08GO98008