Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000579
Apply for DE FOA 0000579
- The National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SMART GRID DATA ACCESS" 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 Nov 9, 2011 and posted on Nov 9, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 1, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $8,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
- 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 SMART GRID DATA ACCESS funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0000579) was a U.S. Department of Energy effort, administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory on behalf of the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, focused on giving electricity customers practical, usable access to their own electricity consumption information. The central idea was that customers make better decisions about energy use when they can easily see their usage data and when they (or service providers they choose) can run that data through software tools that turn raw meter readings into something actionable, such as insights, alerts, comparisons, budgeting, efficiency recommendations, or other value-added services. A major emphasis was on enabling not just customer access, but also access by authorized third parties designated by the customer, which is a key building block for an ecosystem of consumer-facing energy apps and services.
The program was structured as a two-phase pathway that moved projects from proof-of-capability to broad deployment. In Phase I, applicants were expected to demonstrate that electricity customers and/or their approved third parties could actually obtain usage data, and that the proposed tool or software product worked as intended to provide that access and deliver useful functionality. In practical terms, Phase I was about showing the technical and operational capability: data availability, mechanisms for sharing or downloading, and a working product or platform that could consume the data and present it in a way that provides value to the end user. Phase II then scaled what was proven in Phase I: the tools and software products demonstrated earlier were expected to be adopted across an entire utility service territory, or across a defined region or community within the jurisdiction of the applicant or the participating utility partner. That second phase highlighted that DOE was not only interested in prototypes, but in solutions that could be rolled out broadly and embedded into real utility/customer environments.
This was a discretionary grant opportunity using a Cooperative Agreement, which typically means DOE expected substantial involvement during the project (for example, technical direction, milestones, and close coordination), rather than a hands-off grant structure. The funding activity category was Energy, and it anticipated making about 12 awards. The estimated total funding available was $8,000,000, with an award ceiling of $2,500,000 and no stated award floor. The opportunity required cost sharing or matching, meaning awardees needed to contribute a portion of project costs from non-federal sources, which often signals a desire for applicants to have real financial stake and for projects to be grounded in implementable business and deployment plans.
Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to many entity types (such as utilities, technology companies, universities, nonprofits, state and local governments, and others), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full announcement. The announcement was posted on November 9, 2011, and the application deadline was March 1, 2012, with an archive date of June 1, 2012. The CFDA program number associated with it was 81.122 (Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Research, Development and Analysis). For applicants needing help accessing the full announcement, the listed contact was Sheldon Funk, Contract Specialist at NETL, with a phone number of 304-285-0204, and the announcement referenced FedConnect as the additional information link/source platform.
SMART GRID DATA ACCESS (DE-FOA-0000579) FAQs
What was the SMART GRID DATA ACCESS funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0000579)?
SMART GRID DATA ACCESS (DE-FOA-0000579) was a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunity aimed at improving how electricity customers access and use their own electricity consumption data. The goal was to support tools and approaches that make usage data practical and usable, so customers can make better-informed decisions about energy use.
Which DOE offices were involved, and who administered the opportunity?
The effort was a DOE initiative administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) on behalf of the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE).
What problem was this program trying to solve?
The program targeted a common gap in the energy space: customers may have meter readings and usage information, but not in a form that is easy to access, interpret, or act on. The opportunity focused on making customer usage data accessible and turning raw data into actionable information using software tools.
What was the central idea behind the program?
The core idea was that customers make better energy decisions when they can easily see their usage data and when that data can be processed through software tools that provide value-added outputs such as insights, alerts, comparisons, budgeting support, efficiency recommendations, or other services.
Did the opportunity support third-party access to customer data?
Yes. A major emphasis was enabling access not only for customers, but also for authorized third parties designated by the customer. This was described as a key building block for a broader ecosystem of consumer-facing energy applications and services.
What kinds of tools or services were envisioned?
The opportunity referenced software tools that convert raw electricity consumption data into something actionable. Examples mentioned include insights, alerts, comparisons, budgeting, efficiency recommendations, and other value-added services.
How was the program structured?
The program followed a two-phase pathway designed to move from proof-of-capability to broad deployment.
What was expected in Phase I?
Phase I focused on demonstrating technical and operational capability. Applicants were expected to show that customers and/or their approved third parties could obtain usage data, and that the proposed tool or software product worked as intended to provide that access and deliver useful functionality. This included demonstrating data availability, mechanisms for sharing or downloading, and a working product or platform that could consume the data and present it in a valuable way to end users.
What was expected in Phase II?
Phase II focused on scaling and deployment. Tools and software products demonstrated in Phase I were expected to be adopted across an entire utility service territory, or across a defined region or community within the jurisdiction of the applicant or the participating utility partner. The emphasis was on broad rollout in real utility/customer environments rather than remaining at a prototype stage.
Was this grant focused on prototypes or deployment?
Both, but with a clear progression. Phase I emphasized proof-of-capability, while Phase II emphasized scaling and broad deployment. The overall structure indicated DOE interest in solutions that could be rolled out widely and embedded into real-world utility/customer settings.
What type of funding mechanism was used?
This was a discretionary grant opportunity using a Cooperative Agreement.
What does it mean that the award was a Cooperative Agreement?
A Cooperative Agreement typically indicates DOE expected substantial involvement during the project, such as technical direction, milestones, and close coordination, rather than a fully hands-off grant relationship.
What was the funding activity category?
The funding activity category was Energy.
How many awards were anticipated?
The opportunity anticipated making about 12 awards.
What was the estimated total funding available?
The estimated total funding available was $8,000,000.
What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling was $2,500,000.
Was there a minimum award amount (award floor)?
No award floor was stated in the provided information.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The opportunity required cost sharing or matching, meaning awardees needed to contribute a portion of project costs from non-federal sources.
Why would DOE require cost sharing for this program?
The provided information indicates that cost sharing can signal DOE interest in applicants having a real financial stake and in projects being grounded in implementable business and deployment plans.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to many entity types, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full announcement.
What types of organizations could be included under "unrestricted" eligibility?
The information provided indicates this could include utilities, technology companies, universities, nonprofits, and state and local governments, among others (subject to any clarifications in the full announcement).
When was the opportunity posted?
The announcement was posted on November 9, 2011.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was March 1, 2012.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was June 1, 2012.
What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA program number associated with this opportunity was 81.122 (Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Research, Development and Analysis).
Where could applicants find additional information or access the full announcement?
The announcement referenced FedConnect as the additional information link/source platform for accessing the full opportunity details.
Who was the contact person listed for help with the full announcement?
The listed contact was Sheldon Funk, Contract Specialist at NETL.
What contact phone number was provided?
The provided phone number for the listed contact was 304-285-0204.
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