Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000036
Apply for DE FOA 0000036
- The National Energy Technology Laboratory in the recovery act sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Recovery Act Smart Grid Demonstrations" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.122 Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Research, Development and Analysis.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 25, 2009 and posted on Apr 16, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 26, 2009 The purpose of this amendment is to issue the Smart Grid Demonstrations Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) in FINAL form. The FOA had previously been issued in DRAFT form on 04/16/2009 for potential applicants to submit questions and comments by 05/06/2009. DOE reviewed all of the questions and comments submitted during the comment period and utilized them, as appropriate, in creating this FINAL version of the FOA. This FINAL version of the FOA supersedes the DRAFT version of the FOA.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Recovery Act Smart Grid Demonstrations opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE FOA 0000036) was a competitive U.S. Department of Energy program funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Run through DOE's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) with the National Energy Technology Laboratory involved in administering the announcement, the program sought large, real-world demonstrations of smart grid technologies using cooperative agreements. The intent was not just to test ideas in a lab setting, but to prove out performance in operational power systems at a scale big enough that the approaches could be adopted and copied in other parts of the country.
At its core, the FOA aimed to fund regionally distinctive demonstration projects across U.S. States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories. DOE wanted projects that reflect the "essential and salient" characteristics of each region, meaning demonstrations should be designed around local grid conditions, customer mix, generation resources, and operational challenges. Rather than producing one generic pilot, the program envisioned a set of different use cases that, taken together, could guide national implementation. The expectation was that each project would generate credible evidence about what works, what it costs, what benefits it produces, and how it could be scaled or replicated elsewhere.
The demonstrations were expected to do three main things. First, they had to verify the technical viability of smart grid technologies in the field. Second, they needed to quantify costs and benefits in a disciplined way so utilities, regulators, and other stakeholders could compare options and justify investments. Third, they were intended to validate new smart grid business models, which generally means testing how operational practices, rate structures, incentives, data access, and utility-customer interactions might change when advanced grid technologies are deployed. In other words, DOE was looking for projects that would not only install hardware and software, but also demonstrate workable ways to operate and pay for a smarter grid.
A major theme of the FOA was behavior change enabled by better information and control. The projects were supposed to collect and provide enough timely, actionable information for customers, electricity distributors, and generators to respond in ways that reduce demand and system costs, improve energy efficiency, better match supply and demand, and increase overall grid reliability. That framing reflects a broad view of smart grid value: sensors, communications, automation, and analytics are useful insofar as they enable operational decisions and customer actions that flatten peaks, reduce congestion, and make the grid more resilient and cost-effective.
DOE also highlighted broader public benefits that it expected these demonstrations to support. Those social benefits included reduced emissions, lower electricity costs over time, increased reliability, and improved security. The FOA also emphasized flexibility, specifically the ability of a smarter grid to integrate newer energy technologies, including renewable generation that can be intermittent, as well as distributed energy resources located closer to customers. In practice, that often implies grid capabilities like improved situational awareness, advanced distribution management, demand response, voltage and reactive power optimization, and other tools that help balance variable resources while maintaining power quality and reliability.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was categorized under the Recovery Act funding activity and used a cooperative agreement instrument, which typically indicates substantial federal involvement in project oversight, reporting, and coordination compared to a more hands-off grant. The CFDA listing was 81.122 (Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Research, Development and Analysis). Cost sharing or matching was required, signaling that applicants needed to contribute a portion of project costs and demonstrate financial commitment and leverage of federal funds.
In terms of timeline, DOE first issued the FOA in draft form on April 16, 2009, and invited questions through FedConnect by May 6, 2009. After reviewing feedback received during that comment period, DOE released a final version of the FOA, with the final application closing date listed as August 26, 2009. The archived date shown is September 30, 2009, reflecting that the competition window and active posting period had ended. The award ceiling and floor were listed as zero in the source record, which usually means the specific minimum and maximum award sizes were defined in the full announcement rather than in the summary fields.
Eligibility was described as "unrestricted," meaning the opportunity was broadly open to many types of entities, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications included in the full FOA text. The listing also provided a point of contact for applicants who had trouble accessing the full announcement electronically: Keith Carrington (phone 304-285-4456), with an email contact noted in the source record. Overall, the program can be summarized as a Recovery Act effort to accelerate smart grid adoption by funding high-impact, regionally tailored demonstrations that produce transferable lessons on technology performance, economics, and operational and business practices, with an emphasis on measurable reliability, efficiency, cost, and emissions outcomes.
Recovery Act Smart Grid Demonstrations (DE FOA 0000036) - FAQs
What is the Recovery Act Smart Grid Demonstrations opportunity (DE FOA 0000036)?
It was a competitive U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunity supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The program focused on large, real-world demonstrations of smart grid technologies, using cooperative agreements rather than small laboratory or proof-of-concept efforts.
Which DOE office ran this funding opportunity?
The opportunity was run through DOE's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE), with the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) involved in administering the announcement.
What was the main goal of the program?
The main goal was to prove smart grid technologies in operational power systems at a meaningful scale, producing credible results that could be adopted and replicated elsewhere in the United States.
What kinds of projects was DOE looking for?
DOE sought large, real-world smart grid demonstration projects designed around the essential and salient characteristics of specific regions. The intent was a set of distinct demonstrations (not one generic pilot) that together could guide broader national implementation.
Where were projects expected to take place?
Projects were expected to take place across U.S. States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories.
What does "regionally distinctive" mean in this FOA?
It means the demonstration should reflect local conditions such as grid characteristics, customer mix, generation resources, and operational challenges. DOE expected projects to be designed around real regional needs and realities.
What were the three main outcomes expected from the demonstrations?
The demonstrations were expected to: (1) verify technical viability of smart grid technologies in the field, (2) quantify costs and benefits in a disciplined way, and (3) validate smart grid business models, including how operations, rates, incentives, data access, and utility-customer interactions might change with advanced grid technologies.
Was the program focused on lab testing or field deployment?
It was focused on field deployment. DOE emphasized operational, real-world power system demonstrations at a scale large enough to generate transferable lessons.
What did DOE mean by validating smart grid business models?
In this context, it meant demonstrating workable approaches for operating and paying for a smarter grid, including practical changes to operational practices and potential impacts to rate structures, incentives, data access, and customer interactions tied to advanced deployments.
Why did the FOA emphasize behavior change?
A central theme was that better information and control should enable customers, electricity distributors, and generators to respond in ways that reduce demand and system costs, improve efficiency, better match supply and demand, and increase reliability.
What types of benefits did DOE expect projects to measure or support?
DOE highlighted benefits such as reduced emissions, lower electricity costs over time, increased reliability, improved security, and greater flexibility to integrate newer energy technologies such as intermittent renewable generation and distributed energy resources.
How were these demonstrations expected to help integrate renewables and distributed energy resources?
The FOA emphasized grid flexibility and capabilities that support integration of newer technologies, including intermittent renewable generation and resources located closer to customers, with improved balancing while maintaining power quality and reliability.
What funding instrument was used for awards?
The FOA used a cooperative agreement instrument, which typically implies substantial federal involvement in oversight, reporting, and coordination compared to a more hands-off grant structure.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. Cost sharing (matching) was required, meaning applicants needed to contribute a portion of project costs and demonstrate financial commitment and leverage of federal funds.
What was the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA listing was 81.122, titled "Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Research, Development and Analysis."
When was the FOA issued and when did it close?
DOE issued a draft FOA on April 16, 2009. Questions were invited through FedConnect through May 6, 2009. After considering feedback, DOE released the final FOA, with a final application closing date of August 26, 2009.
What does the archived date of September 30, 2009 indicate?
It indicates the posting and competition window had ended and the opportunity was no longer active as of that archived date.
Were award minimums and maximums specified in the summary record?
No. The source record listed the award ceiling and floor as zero, which typically means the specific award range was defined in the full announcement rather than in the summary fields.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was described as "unrestricted," indicating the opportunity was broadly open to many types of entities, subject to any additional clarifications included in the full FOA text.
How were applicant questions handled during the draft period?
DOE invited questions through FedConnect through May 6, 2009, during the draft FOA comment period.
Who was listed as a point of contact for access issues?
The listing provided a point of contact for applicants who had trouble accessing the full announcement electronically: Keith Carrington, phone 304-285-4456 (an email contact was also noted in the source record).
What made these demonstrations different from a single pilot project?
DOE envisioned multiple demonstrations across different regions, each tailored to local conditions, so the combined set of results could provide a broader, more practical foundation for national replication and implementation.
What kinds of evidence was DOE expecting projects to produce?
DOE expected credible evidence about technology performance, costs, benefits, and the pathways for scaling or replicating solutions in other parts of the country.
What is the overall summary of the program's purpose?
It was a Recovery Act effort to accelerate smart grid adoption by funding high-impact, regionally tailored demonstrations that generate transferable lessons on technology performance, economics, and operational and business practices, with measurable outcomes tied to reliability, efficiency, costs, and emissions.
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