Office: Resource Sustainability
FOA number: DE-FOA-0002846
Download the full FOA: FedConnect
FOA Amount: $32 million
Background Information
On October 12, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to fund a $32 million Bipartisan Infrastructure Law program supporting front-end engineering design (FEED) studies to produce rare earth elements (REEs) and other critical minerals and materials (CMMs) from domestic coal-based resources. Rare earth elements and other critical minerals are key to manufacturing clean energy technologies right here in America—such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells—that will help the nation reach the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Converting coal production waste into components of clean energy technology can create good-paying jobs in communities that have historically produced fossil energy fuels and power.
The United States currently imports more than 80% of its rare earth elements from offshore suppliers to produce clean energy technologies and other indispensable products that we rely on every day such as smart phones, computers, and medical equipment. Across the country, there are billions of tons of coal waste and ash, acid mine drainage, and discharged water. Fortunately, these waste streams from mining, energy production, and related activities, contain a wide variety of valuable rare earth elements and other critical minerals that can be produced and used to build clean energy technologies, while helping to create healthier environments for communities across the country.
To help build a domestic supply chain critical to the U.S. economy and national security, this funding will produce FEED studies that will accelerate the application of extraction and processing technologies for producing critical minerals from our abundant national sources of coal and coal by-products. FEED studies are detailed engineering and cost studies for specific facilities from real-world feedstocks, that will identify risks, costs, and plans for projects to develop technologies that produce REEs and other CMMs from domestic coal-based resources and associated by-products, such as coal ash, mine waste, and acid mine drainage. This effort will further enable greater opportunities for the development of large-scale pilot or demonstration facilities across the country.
This funding is provided from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Section 41003(b).
This notice of intent (NOI) is issued so that interested parties are aware of the DOE’s intention to issue a funding opportunity announcement in the near term. Any information contained in this NOI is subject to change without notice. Full applications are not being accepted at this time.
Expected Funding
DOE expects to award up to $32 million in funding with a minimum of a 20% cost-sharing from the awardees.
Key Dates
| NOI Issue Date: | 10/12/2022 |
| Expected FOA Issue Date: | First quarter of calendar year 2023 |
Additional Information
- There are several registration requirements that must be completed in order to submit an application, which can take a minimum of 44 days to complete. Failure to complete these requirements could interfere with an applicant's ability to apply. Download the full notice of intent on FedConnect for detailed submission and registration requirements.
- Sign up for the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s (FECM) email list to get notified of new FECM funding opportunities and to stay current with our latest news.