DE-FOA-0003296_Combined Wellbore Construction High Temperature Tools and RTES (002).pdf

Template Version November 2023

EERE T 540.117-01: Funding Opportunity Announcement

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

Combined Wellbore Construction High Temperature Tools and

Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage (RTES)

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: DE-FOA-0003296 FOA Type: Initial

Assistance Listing Number: 81.087

FOA Issue Date: January 30, 2024 Informational Webinar Posted to eXCHANGE: February 5, 2024, 2:00 p.m. ET Submission Deadline for Letter of Intent: March 1, 2024, 5:00 p.m. ET Submission Deadline for Full Applications: April 1, 2024, 5:00 p.m. ET Expected Submission Deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments: May 16, 2024, 5:00 p.m. ET Expected Date for EERE Selection Notifications: July 2024 Expected Timeframe for Award Negotiations: September 2024

• Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent by 5:00 p.m. ET on the due date listed above to be eligible to submit a Full Application.

• To apply to this FOA, applicants must register with and submit application materials through EERE eXCHANGE at https://eere-eXCHANGE.energy.gov, EERE’s online application portal.

• Applicants must designate primary and backup points-of-contact in EERE eXCHANGE with whom EERE will communicate to conduct award negotiations. If an application is selected for award negotiations, it is not a commitment to issue an award. It is imperative that the applicant/selectee be responsive during award negotiations and meet negotiation deadlines. Failure to do so may result in cancelation of further award negotiations and rescission of the selection.

• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM) - Each applicant (unless the applicant is excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110) is required to: (1) register in the SAM at https://www.sam.gov before submitting an application; (2) provide a valid UEI number in the application; and (3) maintain an active SAM registration with current information when the applicant has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency. DOE may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/

Questions about this FOA? Email HT.Tools.RTES.FOA@ee.doe.gov Problems with EERE Exchange? Email EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov Include FOA name and number in subject line.

complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time DOE is ready to make a federal award, DOE will determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

NOTE: Due to the high number of UEI requests and SAM registrations, entity legal business name and address validations are taking longer than expected to process.

Entities should start the UEI and SAM registration process as soon as possible. If entities have technical difficulties with the UEI validation or SAM registration process they should use the HELP feature on SAM.gov. SAM.gov will address service tickets in the order in which they are received and asks that entities not create multiple service tickets for the same request or technical issue. Additional entity validation resources can be found here: GSAFSD Tier 0 Knowledge Base - Validating your Entity.

mailto:HT.Tools.RTES.FOA@ee.doe.gov mailto:EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov https://sam.gov/content/help https://sam.gov/content/home https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0058422&sys_kb_id=1b5f22581b2115102fe5ed7ae54bcb4e&spa=1 subject line.

i

Table of Contents

Table of Contents.................................................................................................................................................... i

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Background and Context

i. Background and Purpose

ii. Technology Space and Strategic Goals

iii. Teaming Partner List: Topic Area 2 ONLY

B. Topic Areas C. Applications Specifically Not of Interest D. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion E. Authorizing Statutes

II. Award Information

A. Award Overview

i. Estimated Funding

ii. Period of Performance

iii. New Applications Only

B. EERE Funding Agreements

i. Cooperative Agreements

ii. Funding Agreements with Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDCs)

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

i. Domestic Entities

ii. Foreign Entities

B. Cost Sharing

i. Legal Responsibility

ii. Cost Share Allocation

iii. Cost Share Types and Allowability

iv. Cost Share Contributions by FFRDCs

v. Cost Share Verification

vi. Cost Share Payment

C. Compliance Criteria D. Responsiveness Criteria E. Other Eligibility Requirements

i. Requirements for DOE/NNSA FFRDCs Listed as the Applicant

ii. Requirements for DOE/NNSA and Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs Included as a Subrecipient

F. Limitation on Number of Full Applications Eligible for Review G. Questions Regarding Eligibility

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Application Process

i. Additional Information on EERE eXCHANGE

B. Application Forms C. Content and Form of the Letter of Intent D. Content and Form of the Full Application

i. Full Application Content Requirements

ii. SF-424: Application for Federal Assistance

iii. Technical Volume subject line.

ii

iv. Resumes

v. Letters of Commitment

vi. Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO)

vii. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan

viii. Budget Justification Workbook

ix. Summary for Public Release

x. Summary Slide

xi. Subrecipient Budget Justification (if applicable)

xii. Budget for DOE/NNSA FFRDC (if applicable)

xiii. Authorization for Non-DOE/NNSA or DOE/NNSA FFRDCs (if applicable)

xiv. SF-LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

xv. Waiver Requests (if applicable)

xvi. Current and Pending Support

xvii. Locations of Work

xviii. Transparency of Foreign Connections

xix. Potentially Duplicative Funding Notice

E. Content and Form of Replies to Reviewer Comments (Optional) F. Post Selection Information Requests G. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM) H. Submission Dates and Times I. Intergovernmental Review J. Funding Restrictions

i. Allowable Costs

ii. Pre-Award Costs

iii. Performance of Work in the United States (Foreign Work Waiver)

iv. Construction

v. Foreign Travel

vi. Equipment and Supplies

vii. Build America Buy America Requirements for Infrastructure Projects

viii. Lobbying

ix. Risk Assessment

x. Invoice Review and Approval

xii. Affirmative Action and Pay Transparency Requirements

xiii. Foreign Collaboration Considerations

V. Application Review Information

A. Technical Review Criteria

i. Full Applications

ii. Criteria for Replies to Reviewer Comments

B. Standards for Application Evaluation C. Other Selection Factors

i. Program Policy Factors D. Evaluation and Selection Process

i. Overview

ii. Pre-Selection Interviews

iii. Pre-Selection Clarification

iv. Recipient Responsibility and Qualifications

v. Selection

E. Anticipated Notice of Selection and Award Negotiation Dates

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

i. Ineligible Submissions subject line.

iii

ii. Full Application Notifications

iii. Applicants Selected for Award Negotiations

iv. Alternate Selection Determinations

v. Unsuccessful Applicants

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

i. Registration Requirements

ii. Award Administrative Requirements

iii. Foreign National Participation

iv. Subaward and Executive Reporting

v. National Policy Requirements

vi. Environmental Review in Accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

vii. Flood Resilience

viii. Applicant Representations and Certifications

ix. Statement of Federal Stewardship

x. Statement of Substantial Involvement

xi. Intellectual Property Management Plan (if applicable)

xii. Subject Invention Utilization Reporting

xiii. Intellectual Property Provisions

xiv. Reporting

xv. Go/No-Go Review

xvi. Conference Spending

xvii. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Financing Statements

xviii. Real Property and Equipment

xix. Implementation of Executive Order 13798, Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty

xx. Participants and Collaborating Organizations

xxi. Current and Pending Support

xxii. U.S. Manufacturing Commitments

xxiii. Interim Conflict of Interest Policy for Financial Assistance

xxiv. Data Management Plan (if applicable)

xxv. Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

xxvi. Human Subjects Research

VII. Questions/Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information

A. FOA Modifications B. Government Right to Reject or Negotiate C. Commitment of Public Funds D. Treatment of Application Information E. Evaluation and Administration by Non-Federal Personnel F. Notice Regarding Eligible/Ineligible Activities G. Notice of Right to Conduct a Review of Financial Capability H. Requirement for Full and Complete Disclosure I. Retention of Submissions J. Title to Subject Inventions K. Government Rights in Subject Inventions L. Rights in Technical Data M. Copyright N. Export Control O. Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment P. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Q. Annual Independent Audits R. Informational Webinar subject line.

iv

Appendix A – Cost Share Information

Appendix B – Sample Cost Share Calculation for Blended Cost Share Percentage

Appendix C – Waiver Requests For: 1. Foreign Entity Participation; and 2. Foreign Work

Appendix D – Required Use of American Iron, Steel, Manufactured Products, and Construction Materials Buy America Requirements for Infrastructure Projects

Appendix E – Definition of Technology Readiness Levels

Appendix G – List of Acronyms subject line.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Background and Context

i. Background and Purpose

1. Topic Area 1 - High Temperature Tools for Well Integrity Evaluation

Geothermal energy is a renewable and diverse solution for the United States;

providing firm and flexible, low- to no-emissions electricity generation and delivering unique technology solutions to America’s heating and cooling demands in turn, directly supporting the Administration’s goals of carbon-pollution-free electricity by 2035 and economywide net-zero emissions by 2050.1 Geothermal resources can be found nationwide and represent vast domestic energy potential; however, only a fraction of this potential has been realized due to technical and non-technical barriers that constrain industry growth.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Geothermal Technologies Office’s (GTO) 2023 Enhanced Geothermal ShotTM analysis, building on GTO’s 2019 GeoVision2 report, concludes that with aggressive technology improvements in areas relevant to enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), geothermal electricity generation could provide 90 gigawatts-electric (GWe) of firm, flexible power to the U.S. grid by 2050.

EGS are engineered, or “humanmade”, geothermal reservoirs, created where there is hot rock, but little to no natural permeability and/or fluid saturation.

Harnessing the potential of EGS requires the use of wellbores to access thermal resources. These wellbores are a critical component of the infrastructure and success of EGS and represent a significant investment in geothermal electricity generation projects. Improving the cost structure, consistency, and longevity of subsurface access to EGS resources is mission critical to supporting the nation’s energy aspirations.

A key requirement for effective accessibility of EGS potential nationwide is addressing the current costs and technical challenges associated with wellbore construction. Time-measured aggregate drilling activities and factors such as rate

1 Executive Order (EO) 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” January 27, 2021.

2 The GeoVision Roadmap (chapter 4) outlines a compilation of technical, economic, and institutional actions that the entire geothermal community including DOE, other governmen agencies, industry, and academia must address in order for geothermal technologies to play a larger role in the nation’s energy mix.

mailto:HT.Tools.RTES.FOA@ee.doe.gov https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy23osti/84822.pdf https://www.energy.gov/eere/geothermal/geovision https://www.energy.gov/eere/geothermal/geovision https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/ https://www.energy.gov/eere/geothermal/geovision subject line.

of penetration (ROP) are often thought to be the most influential factors in wellbore and overall project costs. However, wellbore casing and cementing materials and operations represent around 30% to 40% or more of the overall well cost.3 Beyond initial savings during the drilling phase, creating long-term durability and extending the useful life of wellbore components can significantly impact operating costs and project economics. Therefore, reducing costs associated with the casing and cementing of geothermal wells is essential to meeting the 90 GW potential identified in DOE’s Enhanced Geothermal Shot™.

As advancements and novel methods in casing and cementing are implemented, a critical, early element of success is evaluating their efficacy. Given the harsh conditions often encountered in geothermal borehole environments, obtaining quality inspection and confirmation information can be a costly and difficult task.

The projects selected under Topic Area 1 of this FOA will seek to address the availability of downhole cement and casing evaluation tools for use in high temperature and hostile geothermal wellbores.

2. Topic Area 2 - Utilization of Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage Technology and

Low-Temperature Geothermal Resources as part of an Industrial Process

In addition to facilitating access to nationwide geothermal electricity generation through EGS systems, advancements in thermal energy storage technologies are necessary to catalyze the effective use of available thermal energy in support of the Administration’s goal of economywide net-zero emissions by 2050.Thermal energy storage technologies offer the ability to resolve renewable resource intermittency when deployed alongside other renewable technologies, expand process heating potential, and—in the case of Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage (RTES)—provide long-duration storage capabilities to offset seasonal fluctuations.

RTES is a unique technology that has the advantage of being able to store thermal energy directly in underground reservoirs for 100 or more hours without conversion to electricity. This technical advantage provides a unique solution to reducing emissions from energy-intensive processes that utilize industrial heating. In 2020, the industrial sector accounted for ~ 33% of the nation’s primary energy use and nearly 758 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2),4 with

3 Capuano, Jr., Louis, Huh, M., Swanson, R., Raymond, D. W., Finger, J. T., Mansure, A. J., Polsky, Y., and Knudsen, S.

D., 2008, Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) Well Construction Technology Evaluation Report, SAND2008-7866, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM.

4 Renewable Thermal Collaborative, Industrial Thermal Decarbonization Package. 2018.

https://www.renewablethermal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Decarbonization_FullPackage_Updated-Sept- 2023.pdf.

mailto:HT.Tools.RTES.FOA@ee.doe.gov https://www.renewablethermal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Decarbonization_FullPackage_Updated-Sept-2023.pdf https://www.renewablethermal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Decarbonization_FullPackage_Updated-Sept-2023.pdf subject line.

chemicals, iron and steel, cement, and food products among the top energy-consuming and carbon-emitting industrial sectors (Figure 1). Several industrial sectors consume most of their energy through industrial heating processes—that is, the methods by which heat is used to transform materials into useful products. Heat is used to remove moisture, separate chemicals, create steam, treat metals, melt plastics, etc. Within the industrial sector, low-temperature industrial heat processes (<130◦ C) make up more than 97% of the industrial heat needs in the food industry sub-sector and more than 75% in paper industry sub-sector while accounting for nearly 30% of total industrial heating CO2 emissions in 2018.5. Methane and CO2 emissions could be reduced by ~37% for the chemicals sub-sector by replacing natural gas with clean low-temperature heating technologies.6

Figure 1: Modified from DOE’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office DE-FOA-0002804: IA (Energy Information Administration), Annual Energy Outlook 2021 with Projections to 2050. 2021.

https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/archive/aeo21/. Does not include non-energy related CO2 or other GHG emissions.

To drastically reduce emissions from the energy-intensive process of industrial heating, DOE launched the Industrial Heat Shot to develop cost-competitive industrial heat decarbonization technologies and lower greenhouse gas emissions from industrial heating applications 85% by 2035. Thermal energy storage technologies, like RTES, are complementary to most industrial sub-

5 Renewable Thermal Collaborative, Industrial Thermal Decarbonization Package. 2018.

https://www.renewablethermal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Decarbonization_FullPackage_Updated-Sept- 2023.pdf.

6 Renewable Thermal Collaborative, Industrial Thermal Decarbonization Package. 2018.

https://www.renewablethermal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Decarbonization_FullPackage_Updated-Sept- 2023.pdf.

mailto:HT.Tools.RTES.FOA@ee.doe.gov https://www.energy.gov/eere/industrial-heat-shot https://www.renewablethermal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Decarbonization_FullPackage_Updated-Sept-2023.pdf https://www.renewablethermal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Decarbonization_FullPackage_Updated-Sept-2023.pdf https://www.renewablethermal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Decarbonization_FullPackage_Updated-Sept-2023.pdf https://www.renewablethermal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Decarbonization_FullPackage_Updated-Sept-2023.pdf subject line.

sectors and thereby play a key role in the move towards industrial decarbonization.

A major gap in RTES technology development is the lack of domestic full-scale demonstrations that allow for temporal technical evaluations that can drive technology adoption. Therefore, in support of the Industrial Heat Shot™, GTO seeks to move RTES technology from domestic feasibility studies to demonstration in the industrial sector to provide a long-term, reliable, thermal energy decarbonization technology for U.S. industrial processing and manufacturing.

As part of the whole-of-government approach to advance equity and encourage worker organizing and collective bargaining7,8,9 this FOA and any related activities will seek to encourage meaningful engagement and participation of labor unions and underserved communities and underrepresented groups, including consultation with Tribal Nations10 Consistent with Executive Order 14052, this FOA is designed to support the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities11 in accordance with the Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, and drive the creation of good-paying union jobs through a focus on high labor standards and the free and fair chance for workers to join a union.

This FOA supports the administration goals laid out above by increasing the utilization of geothermal resources that can be found nationwide and represent vast domestic energy potential. As stated above, only a fraction of this potential has been realized due to technical and non-technical barriers that constrain industry growth.

Building a clean and equitable energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. This FOA will advance the Biden Administration’s goals to achieve carbon-pollution-free electricity by 2035 and to “deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050“12 to the

7 EO 13985, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government” January 20, 2021.

8 EO 14025, “Worker Organizing and Empowerment,” April 26, 2021.

9 EO 14052, “Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” November 18, 2021.

10 EO 13175, “Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments”, charges all executive departments and agencies with engaging in regular, meaningful, and robust consultation with Tribal officials in the development of Federal policies that have Tribal implications. November 6, 2000.

11 EO 14008, “Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad” January 27, 2021.

12 EO 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” January 27, 2021.

mailto:HT.Tools.RTES.FOA@ee.doe.gov https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/04/29/2021-09213/worker-organizing-and-empowerment https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-14052-implementation-the-infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act subject line.

benefit of all Americans. The Department of Energy is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of underserved communities.

The research and development (R&D); research, development, and demonstration (RD&D); and technical assistance activities to be funded under this FOA will support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving the innovation that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. Specifically, this FOA will enable technologies to provide reliable and flexible, emissions-free electricity generation and deliver unique technology solutions to America’s heating and cooling demands; directly supporting the Administration’s goals of carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.

ii. Technology Space and Strategic Goals This FOA intends to facilitate improvements in two key facets of geothermal energy production and application through reducing the cost of geothermal wellbore construction (Topic Area 1) and managing the storage of produced heat (Topic Area 2).

1. Topic Area 1 – High Temperature Tools for Well Integrity Evaluation

Topic Area 1 seeks applications to address wellbore tools and technology to supplement and advance beyond currently available off-the-shelf (OTS) solutions provided by the oil and gas industry for cement and casing evaluation. Current solutions are suitable for the upper end of the oil and gas industry’s temperature needs but are not generally considered adequate for use in hotter, EGS systems.

Current OTS solutions may be implemented in certain situations that use wellbore cooling methods, but these situations do not drastically increase the operable temperature range and available time for downhole interrogation.

Reliance on secondary temperature mitigation for logging can substantially increase time and costs while degrading reliability and repeatability.

Topic Area 1 funding of up to $23.1 M will support projects that address the shortcomings of current downhole logging and monitoring tools to provide more cost-effective and consistent methods of downhole evaluation of wellbore construction materials and practices. Confirmation of success and identification of adverse conditions will help to drive innovation in the practices and materials used in the casing and cementing space.

subject line.

The goals of Topic Area 1 are to develop high-temperature well integrity evaluation tools and solutions that:

• Operate in high-temperature geothermal environments to provide consistent, high-resolution evaluation information

• Operate in a manner which are not reliant on extraneous wellbore cooling or substantial mitigation of borehole conditions

• Provide high-fidelity data to adequately characterize conditions that may present safety hazards, risk to the environment, and efficacy of wellbore construction for long-term operation.

2. Topic Area 2 - Utilization of Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage Technology and

Low-Temperature Geothermal Resources as part of an Industrial Process

Topic Area 2 funding of up to $7.9 M seeks to demonstrate low-temperature (<130◦ C) RTES technology utilization as part of an industrial process. RTES is a type of thermal energy storage that takes advantage of large subsurface storage capacities, geothermal gradients, and thermal insulation associated with deep geologic formations to store thermal energy to be extracted in the future for beneficial use on a variety of timescales. These systems often include three main components: 1) a heat source, 2) a subsurface formation or reservoir that does not intersect aquifer systems used for potable water and is suitable for storing and producing heated fluids, and 3) a heat exchange system that extracts heat and delivers it to the end user.

Figure 2 provides a schematic illustration of a notional RTES system. During times of excess heat production from an industrial process or energy generation facility (“heat source”), heated fluids from that energy source are transferred from the generation site to a well drilled into a deep geologic formation. The fluids are injected and stored in a subsurface reservoir in porous and permeable formations for a determined amount of time until heated fluids are needed again (i.e., winter, process peak thermal load). Heated fluids are then extracted from the subsurface and delivered to the heat exchanger for a direct-use heating application. The cycle repeats itself on a seasonal basis or as needed based on industrial demand, location, climate, or community. These systems are like Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) systems in that they use subsurface storage capacities, thermal insulation, and subsurface temperatures; however, a key difference is that RTES uses formations that are isolated from shallow aquifers and involve low-quality, non-potable waters/brines.

subject line.

Figure 2: Schematic Diagram of a Notional RTES System.

Previous GTO-funded work related to RTES includes the Beyond Batteries initiative and a laboratory research call for geothermal hybrids R&D. These activities have helped increase the understanding of various concepts, technologies, and innovations related to RTES—thus providing the groundwork necessary to move RTES into the demonstration phase. A recent report by Idaho National Laboratory summarized the current state of technology for RTES and presented modeling results that benchmarked anticipated RTES costs against other thermal storage technologies on a cost basis (Figure 3).13 Based on these foundations, GTO considers RTES technology to be at the readiness level for a pilot U.S. demonstration.

13 Ginosar, Daniel M., Atkinson, Trevor A., Adhikari, Birendra, Toman, Jakub N. M. N., and Podgorney, John. Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage Benchmarking (Rev. 3). United States: N. p., 2023. Web.

doi:10.2172/1997222.

subject line.

Figure 3: Estimate levelized Cost of Energy for RTES and other selected Thermal Energy Storage Systems. Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES); High-Temperature (HT) ATES; Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (BTES); Concentrated Solar Power (CSP); Phase Change Material (PCM). Source: See footnote 13.

The subsequent sections offer detailed technical descriptions of the two Topic Areas.

iii. Teaming Partner List: Topic Area 2 ONLY DOE is compiling a Teaming Partner List to facilitate the formation of project teams for Topic Area 2 of this FOA. The Teaming Partner List allows organizations that may wish to participate on a project to express their interest to other applicants and explore potential partnerships.

The Teaming Partner List for Topic Area 2 will be available on EERE eXCHANGE and will be regularly updated to reflect new teaming partners who provide their organization’s information.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: View the Teaming Partner List by visiting the EERE eXCHANGE homepage and clicking on “Teaming Partners” within the left-hand navigation pane. This page allows users to view published Teaming Partner Lists.

To join the Teaming Partner List, submit a request within eXCHANGE. Select the appropriate Teaming Partner List from the drop-down menu and fill in the following information: Investigator Name, Organization Name, Organization Type, Topic Area, Background and Capabilities, Website, Contact Address, Contact Email, and Contact Phone.

DISCLAIMER: By submitting a request to be included on the Teaming Partner List, the requesting organization consents to the publication of the above-referenced subject line.

information. By facilitating the Teaming Partner List, DOE is not endorsing, sponsoring, or otherwise evaluating the qualifications of the individuals and organizations that are identifying themselves for placement on this Teaming Partner List. DOE will not pay for the provision of any information, nor will it compensate any applicants or requesting organizations for the development of such information.

There is no Teaming List for Topic Area 1.

B. Topic Areas

1. Topic Area 1: High-Temperature Tools for Well Integrity Evaluation

This topic seeks applications for the development of high-fidelity tools or sub-components for evaluation of casing corrosion and thickness, cement bond, cement placement, and annular fluid or gas presence, and relevant cement properties such as density. The applicant's technical volume must include a detailed overview of how the following requirements are met by the proposed work.

Requirements:

• Ability to operate at temperatures greater than 250°C for at least 24 hours;

• Ability to withstand pressures of up to 15,000 PSI for at least 24 hours;

• Operate and adequately characterize cement and/or casing conditions in a cased hole environment that can be configurable to an inner diameter range from 5 ½” to 12 1/2”;

• Specified diameter range does not need to be covered by a single tool configuration; however, a pathway or demonstration of scalability to the full range is required;

• In addition, a representative prototype covering the full or partial diameter range will be required for testing purposes (diameter range of 6” to 9” would be acceptable);

• Full, continuous circumferential wellbore inspection across specified diameter variance;

• Compatible with current conveyance methods, or conveyance methods developed as part of the proposed project, to run in fully horizontal or highly deviated well sections capable of equivalent operating conditions as described previously;

• Testing conducted in an appropriately analogous active or experimental wellbore or a suitable apparatus that can simulate wellbore conditions;

• Demonstrated or simulated repeatable deployment capabilities are highly encouraged;

subject line.

• Applications that demonstrate the proposed tools can operate without active cooling mechanisms will be prioritized.

While proposals for full tools are preferred, if an applicant does not believe that the requested tool(s) can be developed with funding available in this solicitation, applications will be considered that are directed at the development of critical components or component assemblies required for the subject tool(s). In the case of components or component assemblies:

• A clear description of the function of individual component or assembly of components in the tool is requested.

• Current limitations of proposed components or component assemblies are required.

• A clear pathway to full tool development is necessary as a result of the successful creation of the proposed components or subcomponents.

• The sub-components must be subject to testing at specifications identified previously, separately or within an existing functioning tool or apparatus that will demonstrate its proposed capabilities when completely integrated in a new tool system.

Preference will be given to proposals that include full tool development focused on high-temperature wellbore integrity evaluations.

Projects are expected to be carried out over a period of 24 to 36 months.

2. Topic Area #2: Utilization of Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage Technology and

Low-Temperature Geothermal Resource as part of an Industrial Process

This topic seeks applications for the demonstration of low-temperature (<130◦ C) RTES technology for thermal storage as part of an industrial process, to further advance a cost-effective strategy to decarbonize domestic industrial processes.

The project under this topic area will engineer, design, and demonstrate a RTES system that provides thermal energy to an industrial process as its primary use.

A successful demonstration will provide one of the first domestic opportunities to evaluate RTES technology at scale and establish a baseline for cost effectiveness and decarbonization as it relates to other technologies in industrial processes.

The pilot demonstration must be designed to:

• Store fluid in a subsurface reservoir;

• Use stored fluid in the subsurface to provide heat for an industrial process requiring less than < 130◦ C;

subject line.

• Target reservoir formations below aquifer systems used for potable water in an area;

• Provide a minimum of 10 hours of thermal storage, with preference given to longer-duration storage systems (> 10 hours).

Project Duration The pilot demonstration should consist of multiple phases over a period of 36–48 months. Phases must include the following tasks but the applicant is not limited to only these tasks if applicable to the Topic Area:

Phase 1

• Complete subsurface reservoir characterization

• Integrate industrial process and RTES system design

• Conduct technoeconomic analysis

Phase 2

• Deploy system, with appropriate integrity and flow tests

Phase 3

• Evaluate the RTES system, which should include but not be limited to:

o Optimizing operational parameters o Borehole integrity due to thermal cycling o Borehole and surface plant scaling o Subsurface reservoir conditions

• Evaluate the industrial process, which should include but not be limited to:

o Quantifying reduction in CO2 emissions and energy use o Changes in industrial process efficiencies.

Applicants should include a detailed plan of how the RTES system and industrial process will be evaluated and how performance information will be disseminated to the public.

Documentation for the following sub-sections should be submitted as part of the Technical Volume in the application.

Project Team Applicants will be required to assemble a project team that includes appropriate level of expertise to address the following key areas of the demonstration:

• Industrial processes and operations

• Subsurface reservoir characterization

• Wellbore integrity and operations

• Technoeconomic evaluations and cost analysis.

subject line.

Subsurface Reservoir Characterization RTES technology requires the use of geologic formations that have suitable reservoir characteristics to meet the demands of injection/extraction, formation volumetrics, thermal conductivity, fluid flow, and reservoir temperature.

Applicants will be required to provide sufficient information as part of the Technical Volume to clearly demonstrate reservoir feasibility for the RTES system to de-risk subsurface failure. This can include but not be limited to previous reservoir characterization work like formation evaluations, downhole logs, historical data, and reservoir samples.

Cost Analysis Applicants should describe the expected cost of their proposed RTES system within the Technical Volume in dollars per kilowatt-hour thermal ($/kWth) and describe the expected cost sensitivity as a function of storage duration. Some of these costs scale with the thermal throughput/output rates ($/kWth) or with the amount of thermal energy stored ($/kWth). Time-of-use or the type of energy being displaced when extracting from an RTES system should be considered, as well as accounting for fossil fuel ramp-ups. Applicants are encouraged to describe these scaling relationships for their specific RTES system. Note that, depending on the expected operational concept, the charge rate (kWth) may be very different from the discharge rate (kWth). Applications should explicitly describe assumptions and methodologies used in any technoeconomic analyses.

To provide a complete accounting of system cost and performance, the following must be described in the Technical Volume of the application:

• Preliminary RTES system design;

• Industrial process that will utilize the thermal stored energy;

• Capital costs of the RTES system components;

• Operational costs;

• Designed component and system lifetime, which may dictate maintenance expectations and operational costs;

• Energetic and exergetic (kWth) system efficiency.

All work under EERE funding agreements must be performed in the United States.

See Section IV.J.iii. Performance of Work in the United States (Foreign Work Waiver).

and Appendix C.

C. Applications Specifically Not of Interest

The following types of applications will be deemed nonresponsive and will not be reviewed or considered (See Section III.D. Responsiveness Criteria of the FOA):

subject line.

• Applications that fall outside the technical parameters specified in FOA Sections I.A. Background and Context and I.B. Topic Areas.

• Applications for proposed technologies that are not based on sound scientific principles (e.g., violates the laws of thermodynamics).

• Topic Area #2 Only

• Applications that include geothermal heat pump (GHP) technology that uses closed loop heat exchange for space heating and/or cooling applications;

• Applications that do not use thermal energy from the RTES system for use in an industrial application

• Applications that utilize potable aquifer systems.

D. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

It is the policy of the Biden Administration that:

The Federal Government should pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity14 for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. Affirmatively advancing equity, civil rights, racial justice, and equal opportunity is the responsibility of the whole of our government. Because advancing equity requires a systematic approach to embedding fairness in decision-making processes, executive departments, and agencies (agencies) must recognize and work to redress inequities in their policies and programs that serve as barriers to equal opportunity.

By advancing equity across the Federal Government, we can create opportunities for the improvement of communities that have been historically underserved, which benefits everyone.15

As part of this whole of government approach, this FOA seeks to encourage the participation of underserved communities16 and underrepresented groups.

14 The term “equity” means the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

15 Executive Order 13985, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” January 20, 2021.

16 The term “underserved communities” refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of subject line.

Applicants are highly encouraged to include individuals from groups historically underrepresented17,18 in STEM on their project teams. As part of the application, applicants are required to describe how diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives will be incorporated in the project. Specifically, applicants are required to submit a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan that describes the actions the applicant will take to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment, support people from underrepresented groups in STEM, advance equity, and encourage the inclusion of individuals from these groups in the project; and the extent the project activities will be located in or benefit underserved communities. See Section IV.D. Content and Form of the Full Application. The plan should include at least one SMART (Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic and Time-Related) milestone per budget period supported by metrics to measure the success of the proposed actions. This plan will be evaluated as part of the technical review process and incorporated into the award if selected.

economic, social, and civic life, as exemplified by the list of in the definition of “equity.” E.O. 13985. For purposes of this FOA, as applicable to geographic communities, applicants can refer to economically distressed communities identified by the Internal Revenue Service as Qualified Opportunity Zones; communities identified as disadvantaged or underserved communities by their respective States; communities identified on the Index of Deep Disadvantage referenced at https://news.umich.edu/new-index-ranks-americas-100-most-disadvantaged-communities/, and communities that otherwise meet the definition of “underserved communities” stated above.

17 According to the National Science Foundation’s 2019 report titled, “Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering”, women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minority groups—blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, and American Indians or Alaska Natives—are vastly underrepresented in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields that drive the energy sector.

That is, their representation in STEM education and STEM employment is smaller than their representation in the U.S. population. https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf19304/digest/about-this-report For example, in the U.S., Hispanics, African Americans and American Indians or Alaska Natives make up 24 percent of the overall workforce, yet only account for 9 percent of the country’s science and engineering workforce. DOE seeks to inspire underrepresented Americans to pursue careers in energy and support their advancement into leadership positions.

https://www.energy.gov/articles/introducing-minorities-energy-initiative 18 See also. Note that Congress recognized in section 305 of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2017, Public Law 114-329:

(1) [I]t is critical to our Nation’s economic leadership and global competitiveness that the United States educate, train, and retain more scientists, engineers, and computer scientists; (2) there is currently a disconnect between the availability of and growing demand for STEM-skilled workers;

(3) historically, underrepresented populations are the largest untapped STEM talent pools in the United States; and (4) given the shifting demographic landscape, the United States should encourage full participation of individuals from underrepresented populations in STEM fields.

https://news.umich.edu/new-index-ranks-americas-100-most-disadvantaged-communities/ https://news.umich.edu/new-index-ranks-americas-100-most-disadvantaged-communities/ https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf19304/digest/about-this-report https://www.energy.gov/articles/introducing-minorities-energy-initiative subject line.

Further, Minority Serving Institutions19, Minority Business Enterprises, Minority Owned Businesses, Woman Owned Businesses, Veteran Owned Businesses, or entities located in an underserved community that meet the eligibility requirements (See Section III.) are encouraged to apply as the prime applicant or participate on an application as a proposed partner to the prime applicant. The Selection Official may consider the inclusion of these types of entities as part of the selection decision See Section V.C. Other Selection Factors.

E. Authorizing Statutes The programmatic authorizing statutes are:

Topic Area 1: EPAct 2005, Section 931(a)(2)(C), as codified at 42 U.S.C.

16231(a)(2)(C); and 42 U.S.C. 17194(b) - The Energy Act of 2020 (Pub. L 116-260 div.

Z, title III, Sec. 3002(d)) amending the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

Topic Area 2: 42 U.S.C. 17193(c) - The Energy Act of 2020 (Pub. L 116-260 div. Z, title III, Sec. 3002(c)) amending the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

Awards made under this announcement will fall under the purview of 2 CFR Part 200 as amended by 2 CFR Part 910.

II. Award Information

A. Award Overview

i. Estimated Funding EERE expects to make a total of approximately $31M of federal funding available for new awards under this FOA, subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

EERE anticipates making approximately 0–11 awards under this FOA. EERE may issue one, multiple, or no awards. Individual awards may vary between $100K and $10M for Topic Area 1, and between $0 and $7.9M for Topic Area 2.

EERE may issue awards in one, multiple, or none of the following topic areas:

19 Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Other Minority Institutions as educational entities recognized by the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Department of Education, and identified on the OCR's Department of Education U.S. accredited postsecondary minorities’ institution list. See https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html.

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html subject line.

Topic Area

Number Topic Area Title

Anticipated Number of

Awards

Anticipated Minimum

Award Size for Any One Individual

Award (Fed Share)

Anticipated Maximum Award Size for Any One Individual

Award (Fed Share)

Approximate Total

Federal Funding

Available for All Awards

Anticipated Period of

Performance (months)

High-Temperature

Tools for Well Integrity Evaluation

1–10 $100,000 $10,000,000 $23.1M 24–36

2 Utilization of Reservoir Thermal

Energy Storage Technology and Low

Temperature Geothermal

Resource as part of an Industrial Process

1 $0 $7,900,000 $7.9M 36–48

EERE may establish more than one budget period for each award and fund only the initial budget period(s). Funding for all budget periods, including the initial budget period, is not guaranteed.

ii. Period of Performance

EERE anticipates making awards that will run from 24 months up to 48 months, depending on topic area and comprising one or more budget periods. Project continuation will be contingent upon several elements, including satisfactory performance and Go/No-Go decision. For a complete list, see Section VI.B.xv.

Go/No-Go Review.

iii. New Applications Only EERE will accept only new applications under this FOA. EERE will not consider applications for renewals of existing EERE-funded awards through this FOA.

B. EERE Funding Agreements Through cooperative agreements and other similar agreements, EERE provides financial and other support to projects that have the potential to realize the FOA objectives. EERE does not use such agreements to acquire property or services for the direct benefit or use of the U. S. government.

subject line.

i. Cooperative Agreements EERE generally uses cooperative agreements to provide financial and other support to prime recipients.

Through cooperative agreements, EERE provides financial or other support to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by federal statute. Under cooperative agreements, the government and prime recipients share responsibility for the direction of projects.

EERE has substantial involvement in all projects funded via cooperative agreement. See Section VI.B.x Statement of Substantial Involvement of the FOA for more information on what substantial involvement may involve.

ii. Funding Agreements with Federally Funded Research and

Development Center (FFRDCs)20 In most cases, FFRDCs are funded independently of the remainder of the project team. The FFRDC then executes an agreement with any non-FFRDC project team members to arrange work structure, project execution, and any other matters.

Regardless of these arrangements, the entity that applied as the prime recipient for the project will remain the prime recipient for the project. See Section III.E.

Other Eligibility Requirements.

III. Eligibility Information To be considered for substantive evaluation, an applicant’s submission must meet the criteria set forth below. If the application does not meet these eligibility requirements, it will be considered ineligible and removed from further evaluation.

A. Eligible Applicants

i. Domestic Entities

The proposed prime recipient and subrecipient(s) must be domestic entities. The following types of domestic entities are eligible to participate as a prime recipient or subrecipient of this FOA:

1. Institutions of higher education;

2. For-profit entities;

20 FFRDCs are public-private partnerships that conduct research for the U.S. government. A listing of FFRDCs can be found at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/ffrdclist/.

http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/ffrdclist/ subject line.

3. Nonprofit entities; and

4. State and local governmental entities and federally recognized Indian

Tribes (Indian Tribes).

To qualify as a domestic entity, the entity must be organized, chartered, or incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a particular state or territory of the United States; have majority domestic ownership and control;

and have a physical place of business in the United States.

DOE/NNSA FFRDCs are eligible to apply for funding as a prime recipient or subrecipient.

Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs are eligible to participate as a subrecipient but are not eligible to apply as a prime recipient.

Federal agencies and instrumentalities (other than DOE) are eligible to participate as a subrecipient but are not eligible to apply as a prime recipient.

Entities banned…