APRA-E Seeks Recommendations for Transformational Energy Projects

The Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E), housed at the U.S. Department of Energy, has released a Request for Information (RFI) to assist the development of its future funding opportunities and initiatives. Public and stakeholder ideas are needed in two categories:

• Identifying the novel and cutting-edge scientific discoveries, as well as their potential applications, to push advancement in transformative energy applications; and,
• Suggesting certain technologies that can overcome barriers, or "choke points", in the path of developing solutions to energy problems.

The RFI is looking for concepts that currently are not supported in topic or scale by other applied-energy technology initiatives associated with the Department of Energy. Future ARPA-E funding initiatives will not target exploratory basic research or large-scale demonstrations, but will concentrate on developing scientific breakthroughs on new energy technologies.

ARPA-E is intended to target the high-risk and high-payoff applied science and technology innovations related to improving energy efficiency, especially those minimizing emissions, reducing U.S. dependence on energy imports from other countries, and maintaining U.S. leadership in the development of advanced energy technologies. Modeled after DARPA, Congress created ARPA-E through the America COMPETES Act in 2007. It was initially funded in 2009 with a $400 million allocation from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (see the Feb 19, 2009 issue of the Digest).

Comments in response to RFI must be provided as an attachment on an email to arpa-e-rfi@hq.goe.gov by 5 p.m. EST on September 25, 2009.

Additional submission guidelines for this request are available at: http://arpa-e.energy.gov/public/rfi.pdf.

Understanding and Capitalizing on the Renewed Federal Interest in Energy Tech
There are few opportunities to help set the $400 million research agenda of a federal agency like ARPA-E is offering. The Obama Administration has made energy technology and addressing climate change a priority for its budget requests. SSTI is dedicating an entire day prior to our annual conference for exploring what the billions of new investments being made by the Department of Energy and other federal agencies mean for greening state, local and university TBED strategies. We'll also look at examples of what green TBED strategies are already yielding results, and the resources available to help your client companies green their businesses or commercialize new energy-related technologies. Join us Wednesday, Oct. 21 for an intensive workshop the Energy Imperative: Maximizing Green TBED Opportunities. More information is available at: http://ssticonference.org/preconference.html