EVENT: Register Today to Join Secretary Granholm at the 2021 Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit

Register now for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) annual Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit taking place May 17-20, 2021. The summit will feature four days of sessions with expert speakers and facilitated peer-to-peer knowledge sharing targeted to manufacturers and industrial organizations. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm will provide the opening keynote.

The 2021 Summit is free to attend. Explore sessions, special events, plenaries, and the latest agenda. Register here.


David M. Turk Sworn In as Deputy Secretary of Energy

Last month, David M. Turk was sworn in as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, following a bipartisan vote of 98-2 in the United States Senate. Prior to his nomination as Deputy Secretary, Turk was the Deputy Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), where he focused on helping countries around the world achieve their clean energy transitions. Read the full announcement.


Department of Energy Announces Smart Manufacturing Request for Proposals and Selects 14 Projects

Last month, DOE announced a new request for proposals (RFP) and $1.36 million in selections for projects that will accelerate the adoption of Smart Manufacturing practices. These initiatives support the Biden Administration's efforts to spur innovation, create a highly skilled Smart Manufacturing workforce, and reduce the carbon footprint of the manufacturing sector.

View the announcement and a full list of selected projects.


FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: High Performance Computing for Energy Innovation Issues Notice of Intent 

The High Performance Computing for Energy Innovation (HPC4EI) initiative, funded by DOE, recently announced its intent to issue a solicitation in May 2021. The HPC4EI initiative intends to award up to $300,000 for selected teams to collaborate with the U.S. National Laboratories and leverage supercomputing resources to increase efficiency and improve performance in manufacturing. Read the full Notice of Intent.


FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: DOE Cybersecurity Institute Issues Notice of Intent

The Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII) recently announced its intent to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Secure Innovations for Manufacturing Competitiveness. CyManII intends to make up to six awards, each between $50,000 - $250,000, subject to DOE approval and availability of funds. CyManII will also conduct one or more informational webinars during the RFP process. Webinar dates will be posted at www.CyManII.org/news/.


AVAILABLE NOW: Fall 2020 Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Virtual Workshop Report

AMO's Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Virtual Workshop Summary Report is now available. The report summarizes the stakeholder discussions about the role that energy-efficient combined heat and power (CHP) technologies can play in enhancing the energy flexibility and resilience of manufacturing facilities, as well as the advancements needed to bolster technology adoption.


MEDIA CLIP: The Energy Department Moves to Bolster Production of Strategic Minerals from U.S. Soil

AMO Acting Director Mike McKittrick and Andy Schwartz, acting director of the Materials Sciences and Engineering Division in Energy's basic research from the DOE Office of Science, recently spoke with Federal News Network. Listen to how the federal government can bolster domestic production of rare-earth elements crucial to electric vehicles and other energy imperatives. Click on Part 1 and Part 2 to listen to this podcast that was broadcasted on April 20, 2021.


Innovation Crossroads Alumna Scales Electro-Extraction Technology for Battery Recycling and Sustainable Processing of Critical Materials   

Megan O'Connor, CEO/founder of Nth Cycle and an Innovation Crossroads alumna, has developed technology that extracts critical metals from batteries, e-waste, low-grade ore, and mine tailings so they can be reused to make clean energy products. Nth Cycle recently secured $3.2 million in funding to scale their electro-extraction technology that will enable more sustainable manufacturing processes. Learn more about Megan O'Connor's work through the Innovation Crossroads program. 

Innovation Crossroads is part of the AMO-funded Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program and is located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Discover how this program helps scientists and engineers perform early-stage research and development to transition clean energy technology from the lab to the marketplace.