Home

US DOE Seeks Info on Fuel Cells that May Lead to New Funding

May 7, 2014

The US Department of Energy is seeking information on fuel cells as a precussor to a possible RFP.

The US Department of Energy is seeking information on fuel cells, in particular their research and development needs and technical barriers, to help it develop a request for proposals.

The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy issued a request for information May 5 on both stationary and transportation fuel cells. Comments are due June 2. It seeks feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders.

No funds are being offered through the RFI; however, the federal agency expects information gleaned to lead to the development of a solicitation offering funds.

The request for information notes that fuel cells offer many benefits, among them increased energy security and reduced pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Current federal R&D focuses on improving fuel cells in several ways: reducing the cost, improving durability, and increasing performance.

The work is being done by the Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO). Details of the federal fuel cell program are here.

The RFI is meant to solicit feedback on the technical barriers to the widespread commercialization of fuel cells for transportation, stationary, and early market segments.

The federal office seeks information in six categories:.

Catalysts and supports
Membrane electrode assembly component integration
Stack and component operation and performance
Automotive balance-of-plant component development
Fuel cell systems for stationary and emerging market applications
Subject areas for programmatic consideration

For more inforation, see the RFI announcement described as DE-FOA-0001133 or email questions about the RFI to [email protected] with “question” in the subject line.

The FCTO will also hold a pre-solicitation workshop on possible funding Thursday, June 19. The workshop, held as part of the 2014 Annual Merit Review, will focus on specific topics that will help the DOE determine the scope of the future solicitation.

Keep up with the latest energy efficiency RFPs by subscribing to the free Energy Efficiency Markets newsletter.

About the Author

Elisa Wood | Editor-in-Chief

Elisa Wood is an award-winning writer and editor who specializes in the energy industry. She is chief editor and co-founder of Microgrid Knowledge and serves as co-host of the publication’s popular conference series. She also co-founded RealEnergyWriters.com, where she continues to lead a team of energy writers who produce content for energy companies and advocacy organizations.

She has been writing about energy for more than two decades and is published widely. Her work can be found in prominent energy business journals as well as mainstream publications. She has been quoted by NPR, the Wall Street Journal and other notable media outlets.

“For an especially readable voice in the industry, the most consistent interpreter across these years has been the energy journalist Elisa Wood, whose Microgrid Knowledge (and conference) has aggregated more stories better than any other feed of its time,” wrote Malcolm McCullough, in the book, Downtime on the Microgrid, published by MIT Press in 2020.

Twitter: @ElisaWood

LinkedIn: Elisa Wood

Facebook: Microgrids