BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW: LONG-DURATION ENERGY STORAGE DEMONSTRATIONS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT | DE FOA 0002917

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002917

The Department of Energy (DOE), through its Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations and the Golden Field Office, issued Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002917 under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support long-duration energy storage (LDES) demonstration projects. The purpose is to speed up the real-world validation of newer or emerging storage technologies that can provide electricity for extended periods, specifically in the 10 to 24 hour range or longer. By funding full demonstrations instead of small lab work, the program is aimed at proving performance at scale, reducing risk for future adopters, and helping build the operational experience needed for storage to play a major role in a reliable, low-cost, carbon-free electric grid.

This is a discretionary funding opportunity using cooperative agreements, which typically means DOE expects to be actively involved during the project (for example through technical collaboration, milestone reviews, and ongoing oversight), rather than simply issuing a grant and stepping back. The total effort described is $349 million, with an anticipated set of about 11 awards. Individual awards can be as large as $70,000,000, indicating DOE is looking for sizable, high-impact demonstrations rather than many small projects. The funding activity category is Energy, and the opportunity is associated with CFDA number 81.255.

Projects are expected to do more than just show that a storage technology works. DOE is explicitly looking for demonstrations that build practical capabilities for customers and communities to integrate long-duration storage more effectively. That includes proving how LDES can be planned, permitted, interconnected, operated, and maintained in real grid conditions, and how it can support reliability and affordability as the grid adds more variable renewable generation. Another central theme is maintaining and strengthening U.S. leadership in energy storage by pushing technologies from emerging status toward bankable, repeatable deployments.

A major requirement of this FOA is meaningful engagement with local and regional stakeholders. DOE signals that demonstration projects should be designed so they generate benefits at multiple levels: locally and regionally (such as reliability improvements, workforce opportunities, and community value) as well as nationally (such as technology learning, replicable models, and broader market confidence). Applicants should expect that community engagement is not treated as an add-on, but as part of what makes a project competitive, credible, and implementable.

The FOA also aligns strongly with federal priorities around workforce, labor, equity, and community benefits. Demonstration projects are expected to invest in the domestic workforce by creating good-paying jobs, and to respect workers free and fair choice to join a union. In addition, DOE emphasizes advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, which suggests applicants should be prepared to describe concrete plans for inclusive hiring, training, supplier opportunities, and reducing barriers to participation. The opportunity further connects to the Justice40 Initiative, with an expectation that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities. In practice, applicants would need to show how their project will deliver measurable benefits to disadvantaged communities, not only in broad societal terms but through specific outcomes tied to the project.

Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. This wide eligibility is consistent with the demonstration focus, since large projects often require partnerships across technology developers, utilities, local governments, community organizations, labor partners, and financiers.

Key dates in the source information include a creation date of November 14, 2022 and an original closing date of March 3, 2023. Applications are submitted through DOE OCEDs Funding Opportunity eXCHANGE portal at https://oced-exchange.energy.gov, and applicants must register there to submit required materials. Overall, the FOA is designed to move long-duration storage from promising concept to proven infrastructure by funding large, stakeholder-connected demonstrations that deliver grid value while also advancing workforce and equity goals.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW: LONG-DURATION ENERGY STORAGE DEMONSTRATIONS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.255.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 14, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 03, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $70,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 11 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

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