Fossil Fuel Large-Scale Pilots Request for Information | DE FOA 0001776

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001776

The Fossil Fuel Large-Scale Pilots Request for Information (RFI), identified as DE FOA 0001776, was issued by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) under the U.S. Department of Energy umbrella to gather input from industry, researchers, utilities, technology developers, and other stakeholders. Rather than immediately offering funding for projects, this notice is an information-gathering step designed to help the government shape a future program. The overall aim is to build the groundwork for a later effort that would ultimately lead to the design, construction, and operation of two large-scale pilot projects focused on transformational coal technologies.

At the core of the RFI is an interest in coal-based power technologies that would represent a significant departure from conventional approaches. The government is signaling that incremental improvements are not the target; it is looking for concepts that change how energy conversion is done in a way that could deliver a major jump in performance and efficiency while also driving down the cost of electricity relative to existing coal power systems. In practice, this kind of language typically points to next-generation power cycles, advanced combustion or gasification pathways, novel heat integration strategies, high-temperature materials and components, and other system-level innovations that could materially alter cost and efficiency outcomes at scale. The emphasis on "large-scale pilots" also matters: the intention is not just lab or bench validation, but demonstration at a meaningful size where real-world operability, reliability, maintainability, and economics can be tested.

This opportunity is categorized as "Other" rather than a standard grant or cooperative agreement solicitation, which reinforces that it is an RFI and not a commitment to make awards. The listing shows an award ceiling of $0 and no expected number of awards, consistent with an information request rather than a funding announcement. The activity category is Energy, and the associated CFDA number is 81.089, a program identifier commonly used for Department of Energy fossil energy-related assistance listings. Eligible applicants are described as unrestricted, indicating that NETL was willing to receive perspectives broadly across sectors, including private companies, universities, national labs, non-profits, utilities, engineering firms, and other interested parties, as long as they could provide relevant insight.

From a program-design standpoint, an RFI like this is typically used to collect practical input on what technologies are most promising, what the major technical and commercial barriers are, what pilot-scale configurations make sense, what level of integration is needed to demonstrate a "step change," and what milestones and performance metrics should be used to evaluate success. Stakeholders may also be asked, implicitly or explicitly, to comment on siting considerations, permitting and environmental compliance issues, integration with existing infrastructure, potential pathways to commercialization, cost-sharing realities, timelines, supply-chain constraints, and risk-reduction strategies. By collecting this information ahead of time, NETL can craft a later solicitation or program plan that better reflects real-world conditions and improves the odds that the pilot projects will be buildable, financeable, and informative at the national level.

Key administrative details in the source data include a creation date of May 25, 2017, and an original closing date of June 14, 2017, meaning stakeholders had a relatively short window to submit feedback. Because the RFI is framed around culminating in two pilots, the long-term vision is a down-selection process where multiple concepts may be evaluated, and two are ultimately chosen for full pilot execution. The central message is that NETL was preparing to invest in coal-related technology demonstrations that could materially outperform existing plants on efficiency and cost, and it used this RFI to solicit the detailed stakeholder input needed to structure that future program effectively.

• The National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fossil Fuel Large-Scale Pilots Request for Information" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-05-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-06-14. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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