Biden-Harris Administration Targets Climate Crisis with Funding Opportunity

The US Department of Energy has launched a $100 million funding opportunity to support transformational low-carbon technologies.

The funding forms part of an ambitious innovation effort by the Biden-Harris Administration to tackle the climate crisis and includes a new research working group and an outline of the innovation agenda.

The $100 million Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) funding has been made available to support transformational low-carbon energy technologies.

The ARPA-E is inviting experts across the country to submit proposals for funding to support early-stage research into potentially disruptive energy technologies, specifically encouraging inter-disciplinary approaches and collaboration across sectors.

“Today we are inviting scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs and creative thinkers across America to join us in developing the clean energy technologies we need to tackle the climate crisis and build a new more equitable clean energy economy,” said DOE chief of staff, Tarak Shah.

“The Department of Energy is committed to empowering innovators to think boldly and create the cutting-edge technologies that will usher in our clean energy future and create millions of good-paying jobs.”

The announcements kickstart President Biden’s promise to accelerate investment into research and development, creating a new Climate Innovation Working Group as part of the National Climate Task Force to advance his commitment to launching an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Climate (ARPA-C).

The working group will help coordinate and strengthen federal government efforts to foster affordable, game-changing technologies that can help America achieve the President’s goal of net zero economy-wide emissions by 2050.

In addition to supporting technologies that are near commercialization, the Climate Innovation Working Group will also emphasize research to bolster and build critical clean energy supply chains in the US and strengthen American manufacturing.

It will be co-chaired by the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, Office of Science of Technology and Policy, and Office of Management and Budget.

On February 19, President Biden is expected to speak at the virtual meeting of the G7 to recommit the US to multilateral engagement as well as address the need for a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including vaccine production and distribution, future protection against pandemics and the global economic recovery.