Promoting Domestic and International Consensus on Clean Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Technologies
Agency: Headquarters
Posted: 2024-04-03 | Closing date: 2024-09-30
Award ceiling: 10000000
Award floor: 1
Expected number of awards: 2
Cost sharing or matching requirement: No

Background The mission of the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) is to minimize the environmental impacts of fossil fuels while working towards net-zero emissions. FECM’s programs use research, development, demonstration, and deployment approaches to advance technologies to reduce carbon emissions and other environmental impacts of fossil fuel production and use, particularly the hardest-to-decarbonize applications in the electricity and industrial sectors. Priority areas of technology work include point-source carbon capture, hydrogen with carbon management, methane emissions reduction, critical mineral production, and carbon dioxide removal to address the accumulated CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. FECM recognizes that global decarbonization through carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is essential to meeting climate goals and works to engage with international colleagues to leverage expertise in these areas. FECM is also committed to improving the conditions of communities impacted by the legacy of fossil fuel use and to supporting a healthy economic transition that accelerates the growth of good-paying jobs. The Office of Carbon Management’s mission is to facilitate a just and environmentally sustainable transition toward a net-zero carbon economy. This mission focuses on the capture, storage, and containment of carbon dioxide. We address emissions associated with the power and industrial sectors, as well as legacy emissions in the atmosphere, and we seek to permanently store and/or convert carbon dioxide (CO2) to reduce negative climate impacts. Our actions center on investments in technological readiness and analysis. Our department researches a portfolio of carbon management approaches, with an emphasis on facilitating development of approaches that meet our technical, justice, and sustainability requirements for commercialization. Our goals are to improve their performance, reduce costs, and scale the deployment of the technologies to decarbonize the power and industrial sectors and to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. The Office of Carbon Management comprises two major offices: The Office of Carbon Management Technologies leads and invests in research, development, demonstration, and deployment across five divisions: Hydrogen with Carbon Management, Carbon Transport and Storage, Carbon Dioxide Removal, Carbon Conversion, and Point Source Carbon Capture. The Office of Policy, Analysis and Engagement leads in strategic activities and international and intra-governmental coordination across three divisions: Policy and Analysis, Engagement, and Federal Partnerships. FECM’s Office of Resource Sustainability (ORS) administers the Department’s technological development and approaches for reducing the environmental impacts of our historical and continued use of fossil fuels. Reducing the environmental impacts of fossil fuel infrastructure and reducing emissions throughout the supply chain is critical to achieving net-zero emissions. ORS supports a just transition to clean energy while minimizing the environmental impacts in sectors where fossil fuels are difficult to avoid. These goals are accomplished through policy, research, innovation, outreach, and stewardship. ORS’s Office of Research & Development advances technologies and solutions to reduce the environmental impacts and emissions associated with fossil energy development, use, transportation, and storage. Its Office of Regulation, Analysis, and Engagement regulates the import and export of natural gas, conducts analysis of fossil fuel and carbon markets, assesses policy and regulatory proposals, leads outreach for domestic and international engagements, and addresses environmental and energy justice impacts for communities most impacted by fossil fuel development and use. DOE will not accept questions at this time regarding issuance of the FOA. Details on how to submit questions and comments will be provided in the FOA, if issued. Technical Overview and Objectives Program Area 1: Carbon Management Technologies The U.S. energy portfolio and U.S. economy depend heavily on fossil fuels and other sources of GHG emissions today, spanning sectors like power generation, industry, heat and transportation fuels. Advancing clean energy, carbon capture with durable storage in both the power and industrial sectors and CDR are imperative for achieving net-zero GHG goals. FECM envisions enabling the demonstration and ultimately deployment of technologies for carbon management and mitigating challenges of fossil fuel use in a just and sustainable way, with the goal of achieving net-zero GHG emissions by mid-century. As previously stated, one of the key missions of the Office of Fossil Energy is to, “minimize the environmental impacts of fossil fuels while working towards net-zero emissions.” To accomplish this mission, it is imperative that FECM provide outreach and education to many stakeholders, including the general public in order to allow them to make educated choices about energy. Towards this end, FECM seeks to partner with organizations with similar goals to help improve understanding and develop cooperative action on CDRs by reaching out to additional international and national organizations to conduct a series of co-related tasks that mutually serve the mission of the public as well as FECM. These “Areas of Interest” are described below: Areas of Interest Area 1: Carbon Management Technology Consultation, Analysis and Cooperation Engage recognized experts in Fossil Energy and Carbon Management to provide advice and assistance to decision makers, stakeholders, state and local government officials, non-profit organizations, universities, non-governmental organizations, and the public as appropriate. These consultations could involve face-to-face meetings and discussions with the selected experts. Conduct analyses and prepare studies and reports on selected topics by Fossil Energy and Carbon Management experts to provide independent and unbiased perspectives on critical issues. These studies and reports would promote greater understanding of Carbon Management domestically and internationally. The information created will be used at seminars, conferences and workshops attended by various stakeholders, as well as disseminated domestically and internationally, as appropriate. Area 2: Carbon Management Technology Outreach Develop outreach materials that are custom tailored to be readily understood by domestic and international audiences so that its relevance is clear. These materials may include fact sheets, technical papers, flyers, briefing materials, displays, videos, and other products. In addition, information will be acquired from key Fossil Energy and Carbon Management-related activities and projects and added to a global outreach data base that can be used to target specific sectors of the public that may desire education on Carbon Management issues and developments. Area 3: Carbon Management Technology Technical Conference and Workshop Support Support efforts to increase the capacity of decision makers, stakeholders and the public to understand, develop and deploy Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Technologies. These programs will include conferences, workshops, fora or other events that benefit the public by providing insight and education. Organize and conduct technical workshops or seminars focused on specific Fossil Energy and Carbon Management-related topics (like identifying/eliminating key barriers to CDR deployment, assessing the impacts to Carbon Management of new/proposed policies or laws, etc.) and related issues each year in the U.S. These conferences should include speakers and participation by qualified, objective experts. As appropriate, summaries of the findings, outcomes, and/or discussions will be disseminated to the public. Support international Fossil Energy and Carbon Management-related conferences to exchange information in order to highlight developments, projects and deployment of Carbon Management in the U.S. and around the world. The audience would be domestic and international industry and government decision makers, technology developers, educators, policymakers, the public and other stakeholders. As appropriate, summaries of the findings, outcomes, and/or discussions will be provided to the public. Identify high level speakers from government and industry to convene on key technology, policy, regulatory and financial issues. Support U.S. efforts to participate in and assist the Carbon Management programs being pursued by organizations such as the World Energy Council (WEC), International Energy Agency (IEA) and the G-8 Energy Ministers. Program Area 2: Domestic and International Oil, Natural Gas, Methane Hydrates, Hydrogen, and Critical Minerals The DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s Office of Resource Sustainability (ORS) administers the Department’s technological development and approaches for reducing the environmental impacts of our historical and continued use of fossil fuels. Reducing the environmental impacts of fossil fuel infrastructure and reducing emissions throughout the supply chain is critical to achieving net-zero emissions. ORS supports a just transition to clean energy while minimizing the environmental impacts in sectors where fossil fuels are difficult to avoid. These goals are accomplished through policy, research, innovation, outreach, and stewardship. ORS advances technologies and solutions to reduce the environmental impacts and emissions associated with fossil energy development, use, transportation, and storage. This includes reducing emissions in the production, transportation, and storage of oil and natural gas; developing advanced remediation technologies for produced water, abandoned mines, abandoned wells, and the conversion of methane to useful products; and improving the economics and environmental performance of critical minerals extraction, processing, use, and disposal. ORS also regulates the import and export of natural gas, conducts analysis of fossil fuel and carbon markets, assesses policy and regulatory proposals, leads outreach for domestic and international engagements, and addresses environmental and energy justice impacts for communities most impacted by fossil fuel development and use. ORS areas of interest are described as follows. Areas of Interest Area 1: Oil, Natural Gas, Hydrogen, and Critical Minerals Consultation, Analysis, and Cooperation Engage recognized experts in global oil, natural gas, hydrogen, and critical minerals to provide advice and assistance to Government and private decision makers, U.S. industry representatives, non-governmental organization (NGO) leaders, and other members of the public who make critical decisions about global oil, natural gas, hydrogen and critical minerals policy. These consultations could involve face-to-face meetings and discussions with the selected global oil, natural gas, hydrogen, and critical minerals experts. Develop market analyses, technical studies, in-person and virtual workshops, and stakeholder events for policy level officials, industry leaders, NGOs, universities, non-profit organizations, and public figures. These events will provide independent and unbiased perspectives on topics associated with oil and natural gas and clean energy development such as mitigating environmental impacts, greenhouse gas (GHG)/methane emissions, natural gas markets and trade, petrochemicals, hydrogen production and transportation, critical minerals, and local and community impacts of energy projects. As appropriate, summaries of the findings, outcomes, and/or discussions from the events will be provided to the public. Support in-person and virtual workshops and events to promote DOE studies and papers on technical, regulatory, climate (e.g., carbon and methane management), environment, community, and/or economic issues related to oil, natural gas, hydrogen, and critical minerals for stakeholders in the US and other countries. Support ongoing Working (WG), Technical (TG), and Stakeholder (SG) Advisory Groups, including those of the Greenhouse Gas Supply Chain Emissions Measurement, Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MMRV) Framework, through coordinating and implementing in-person or virtual meetings; recording meeting attendance; drafting and distributing meeting notes to include documenting and tracking recommendations and action items; assisting in developing PowerPoint summary materials for briefings; and establishing and maintaining international project coordination online portals for communication and disseminating and receiving information from the WG/TG/SGs; and coordinating information flow among the WG/TG/SGs. Area 2: Oil, Natural Gas, Methane Hydrates, Hydrogen, and Critical Minerals Bilateral and Regional Initiatives and Activities Assist in the organization and implementation of meetings, conferences, workshops, and task force related events on oil, natural gas, methane hydrates, hydrogen, and critical minerals technologies with global partners including foreign governments, companies, universities, and NGOs. These meetings, conferences, workshops, and task force events benefit the public by allowing officials in the U.S. Government and other governments, U.S. and foreign industry leaders, and NGO leaders to exchange information about advanced technologies and best practices in oil, natural gas, methane hydrates, hydrogen, and critical minerals development. Examples of such ORS events are the US – India Low Emission Gas Task Force (LEGTF) under the US – India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP); Mozambique Initiative; and Greenhouse Gas Supply Chain Emissions Measurement, Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MMRV) Framework. As appropriate, summaries of the findings, outcomes, and/or discussions from these events will be provided to the public, including through webpages. For the above-listed and similar initiatives and activities, identify and recruit appropriate public and private sector experts for speaking roles and for attendance. DOE may issue a FOA as described in the NOI; may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described in the NOI; or may not issue a FOA at all.