United States DOE launches US$ 500m mines-to-clean energy programme

• The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has actually launched a US$ 500 million programme that will certainly install clean energy projects on present or former mine lands throughout the country.

Solar PV, microgrids and/or energy storage space are among the innovations the programme will be sustaining, and also a minimum of two financed projects will require to consist of solar power.

The DOE is exploring chances for domestic solar makers to supply the projects.

The press to discover domestic solar suppliers for the programme comes a month after United States President Joe Biden authorized the DOE to use the Defense Production Act (DPA) to increase the production of PV modules and module parts in the United States.

The Biden Administration intends to fund clean energy projects on mining land that would certainly benefit the communities nearby, specifically disadvantaged communities, but likewise produce new jobs and also help reduce carbon contamination.

Moreover, a current evaluation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) located more than 17,000 mine land websites across the US which, if they were to be redeveloped as clean energy projects, could amount to 89GW of generation capability.

"Creating clean energy on mine lands is a chance for fossil fuel communities, which have actually powered our country for a generation, to get a financial boost and play a management function in our clean energy transition," stated Jennifer Granholm, the US Secretary of Energy.

The DOE anticipates to introduce a financing chance to solicit projects proposals in 2023.