Through the Title 17 Innovative Energy Loan Guarantee Program, the Department’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) provides access to debt capital for projects that deploy technologies in the United States for the first time at commercial scale and that avoid, reduce, sequester or utilize greenhouse gases.  Hybrid technology solutions include the addition of renewable energy, hydrogen production/storage/utilization, and other energy storage technologies at existing fossil generation and nuclear power plants.

Project sponsors may be considering these hybrid technology solutions for a number of reasons:  

• Maximizing generation of existing assets;
• Improving performance and reducing emissions;
• Adding valuable revenue streams while adding predictability to generation profiles;
• Lowering the cost of the hybrid addition by leveraging existing footprints and transmission infrastructure.

Some examples of opportunities that may be eligible for LPO debt capital include:

• Adding Hydrogen Production and Storage (Power-to-Gas-to-Power (P2G2P)) at existing fossil and nuclear power plants: By applying available/excess power to produce Hydrogen at existing fossil and nuclear power plants, the plants can sustainably and predictably operate at optimum efficiencies, and the hydrogen can be stored in the gas network or stored on-site and later converted into power again. The gas created through P2G2P technology enables storage of extremely long duration—weeks or even months.
• Co-locating innovative renewable energy systems (such as wind and solar) at existing fossil (such as natural gas) and nuclear power plants: Utilizing the existing facility footprint and leveraging the available transmission infrastructure could lower costs of deploying renewable energy and maximize the amount of electricity generated at the facility.
• Co-locating advanced energy storage technologies and/or the production of other high value products: Many opportunities exist to improve performance at existing facilities by consistently operating at design conditions.  This can be accomplished by adding a variety of advanced energy storage solutions and the production of other high value products, including:
  • Hydrogen production and storage
  • Thermal energy storage
  • Battery storage
  • Advanced desalination facilities

Potential Applicants are encouraged to request a pre-application consultation with LPO to discuss their hybrid technology solutions.  Consultations can be established by emailing LPO@hq.doe.gov or calling 202-586-8336.  During the consultation, LPO will work with the applicant to determine whether its hybrid technology solution (including solutions similar to the examples) is eligible for a loan guarantee.