Abandoned mining infrastructure, Nevada (source: flickr/ BLM Nevada, creative commons)Interested applicants will need to submit concept papers by 11 May 2023 and full applications by 31 August 2023. There will also be a webinar on the funding opportunity announcement on 19 April 2023 (Register here). More details are available on the full funding opportunity announcement.
DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) manages this program and will provide up to 50% of the cost, ranging from USD 10 million to USD 150 million, for each project. DOE is seeking well designed, financially viable projects that can be deployed quickly. For this funding announcement, DOE seeks projects that demonstrate:
Replicable pathways that resolve key barriers to expanded clean energy development on mine land
Preservation of natural and agricultural resources through repurposing mine land for clean energy projects
Benefits of integrating clean energy facilities on mine land to mine operations, local energy infrastructure, and to the mining communities themselves
Projects selected through this funding opportunity will help to create high-quality and long-term jobs, spur economic development, and provide other direct benefits to the local community. DOE intends to award projects that direct benefits to economically distressed areas, including former coal and manufacturing communities. In addition, DOE aims to prioritize projects in which community members are partners and/or equity co-owners.
“Deploying clean energy projects on America’s mine lands will unlock new opportunities for energy communities that have helped power our nation for generations, especially those in rural areas that have been the most affected by the energy transition,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.
Approximately 17,750 mine land sites are located across 1.5 million acres in the United States, which expose local populations to harmful pollutants and contaminate the air, land, and water quality in the surrounding areas. Repurposing this extensive area of land for clean energy projects is estimated to generate up to 90 GW of clean energy—enough to power nearly 30 million American homes.
Projects that aim to harness geothermal energy from mine water have been sparse in the U.S., with the most recent notable story involving a project by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) back in 2019. However, there has been a lot of effort to design such systems in the UK, particularly in Durham County.
Those who are interested in learning about the developments in the field of using mine water for heating, cooling, and thermal storage may participate in the 2023 Mine Water Geothermal Energy Symposium, a virtual event on April 2023.
