FY 2020 Geothermal Technologies Office Hydrothermal and Low Temperature Multi-Topic Funding Opportunity Announcement | DE FOA 0002219

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002219

The FY 2020 Geothermal Technologies Office Hydrothermal and Low Temperature Multi-Topic Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0002219) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) competitive funding opportunity run through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), specifically the Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO). Its overall purpose is to support early-stage research and development that builds the technical knowledge and tools industry needs to accelerate geothermal deployment, while also lowering the cost and risk of geothermal projects. The program is grounded in the idea that geothermal energy, drawn from the earth's heat, can provide reliable, secure, clean, and long-lasting domestic energy, but that major barriers remain in finding resources, proving them, and integrating certain geothermal applications into broader energy systems.

This FOA is structured as a multi-topic call focused on two main needs. First, it targets the challenge of discovering and characterizing "hidden" geothermal systems, particularly in the Basin and Range region of the United States, where geothermal potential is significant but not always obvious from surface indicators. The goal here is to improve exploration methods and reduce uncertainty so developers can identify promising resources faster and at lower cost. Second, the FOA aims to strengthen energy system resilience by using low-temperature geothermal resources in ways that support energy storage and direct-use heating and cooling in large, campus-like settings. This includes concepts such as Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage (RTES), Deep Direct-Use (DDU), and other geothermal direct-use applications that could be deployed at places with large, steady thermal loads and critical operations, such as universities, military installations, hospital complexes, and similar large energy users across the country.

The funding opportunity is divided into two topic areas. Topic Area 1 focuses on exploration research and development for hidden geothermal systems in the Basin and Range, emphasizing approaches that can reduce exploration risk and improve confidence in resource identification. Topic Area 2 falls under the Advanced Energy Storage Initiative (AESI) and is focused on bi-directional energy storage using low-temperature geothermal applications, which points to systems that can both store and deliver thermal energy in coordination with broader energy needs, improving flexibility and resilience. In practical terms, Topic Area 2 is aimed at expanding geothermal beyond electricity production into thermal infrastructure that can shift and manage heat over time, potentially reducing peak demand, improving reliability during disruptions, and making better use of local subsurface heat resources.

Awards under this FOA are expected to be made as cooperative agreements, meaning DOE anticipates substantial involvement during the project period rather than simply providing pass-through grant funding. The opportunity is listed as discretionary funding in the energy category (CFDA 81.087). Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is open to a wide range of applicant types, subject to any additional clarifications in the full announcement. The FOA anticipates making around 7 awards, with an award ceiling of up to $10,000,000 per award, indicating support for sizable, multi-year efforts that could involve research teams, field validation, and integrated demonstrations depending on the topic and project scope.

Key dates for this funding round were set in early 2020. The FOA was created on February 4, 2020. A Letter of Intent was due March 2, 2020 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time, and full applications were due April 8, 2020 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time. Applications had to be submitted through EERE Exchange (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov), DOE's online portal for EERE funding opportunities. The system enforces hard deadlines by automatically disabling submission buttons at the deadline, so applicants were expected to plan ahead, with DOE specifically encouraging submission at least 48 hours before the cutoff. Any technical issues prior to the deadline were directed to the Exchange Helpdesk at EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov, but the responsibility for meeting deadlines remained with the applicant.

Taken together, this FOA reflects DOE GTO's dual emphasis on upstream resource discovery (making geothermal easier and cheaper to find and prove, especially where resources are not obvious) and downstream application expansion (using low-temperature geothermal for storage and direct-use systems that improve resilience and serve large, high-value facilities). The underlying theme is risk reduction: lowering the uncertainty in exploration and increasing the practicality and value of geothermal systems by tying them to real-world, resilient energy services beyond traditional power generation.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2020 Geothermal Technologies Office Hydrothermal and Low Temperature Multi-Topic Funding Opportunity Announcement" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 04, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 08, 2020 Deadline for Letter of Intent March 2, 2020 500pm ET Deadline for Full Applications April 8, 2020 500pm ET. (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 $10,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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