Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003296
The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), through the Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO), is soliciting proposals under Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0003296, titled "Combined Wellbore Construction High Temperature Tools and Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage (RTES)." The overall purpose is to fund research, development, and demonstration work that helps validate geothermal technologies, improves performance, and lowers costs. A central theme running through the FOA is that geothermal project economics depend heavily on better subsurface understanding and on practical enabling technologies that can operate reliably in difficult downhole environments. Awards are expected to be made as cooperative agreements, meaning DOE anticipates substantial involvement during project execution rather than a hands-off grant model.
This FOA is organized into two distinct topic areas, each with its own technical focus and outcomes. Topic Area 1 concentrates on the tools needed to evaluate well integrity in high-temperature geothermal conditions, especially for cement and casing evaluation. Topic Area 2 focuses on demonstrating reservoir thermal energy storage (RTES) at relatively low temperatures (below 130 degrees C) to help decarbonize industrial heat needs. While the topics are different, they share a common motivation: pushing geothermal-related technology beyond what is readily available from conventional oil and gas applications and proving performance in real-world conditions.
Topic Area 1, "High-Temperature Tools for Well Integrity Evaluation," targets a specific gap in geothermal drilling and completion operations. Many existing cement and casing evaluation tools are derived from oil and gas service offerings and generally work up to the upper end of oil and gas temperature requirements. However, the FOA notes that these off-the-shelf solutions are typically not sufficient for hotter geothermal environments, including enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), where temperatures and downhole conditions can be significantly more extreme. As the geothermal industry adopts improved casing and cementing methods, early confirmation that those methods worked as intended becomes critical. In geothermal wells, collecting reliable inspection data can be both technically challenging and expensive because tools must survive high temperatures and other hostile conditions while still producing high-quality measurements. Projects under Topic Area 1 are therefore expected to develop, adapt, or demonstrate downhole evaluation tools and technologies that can verify cement and casing integrity in high-temperature geothermal wellbores, helping operators detect issues early and reduce long-term risk and cost.
Topic Area 2, "Utilization of Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage (RTES) Technology for Decarbonization of Industrial Processes," aims to demonstrate a different kind of geothermal-adjacent capability: using the subsurface as a large thermal battery. The FOA calls for demonstrations of low-temperature RTES (below 130 degrees C) that can provide useful heat for industrial processes. The examples provided include processes such as melting plastic, removing moisture (drying), treating chemicals, and other industrial heat applications that can potentially switch from fossil-fueled heat sources to stored thermal energy. RTES is framed as a way to use deep geologic formations to store heat over time, benefiting from large storage volumes, geothermal gradients, and the natural insulation properties of the subsurface. The stored heat can then be extracted later for use on timescales that may vary by application, enabling a more flexible and potentially lower-carbon approach to meeting industrial thermal demand.
Strategically, the FOA is positioned as part of broader federal decarbonization and geothermal cost-reduction efforts. It explicitly ties the anticipated work to the Biden-Harris Administration goals of achieving carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. It also aligns with DOE's Enhanced Geothermal Shot and related roadmap, as well as GTO planning documents such as the GeoVision Roadmap and the GTO Multi-Year Program Plan. In practice, that means DOE is looking for projects that do not just advance science in isolation, but that help move geothermal and thermal storage technologies toward scalable deployment, with clear pathways to improved reliability, performance, and cost.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed as a discretionary funding program in the energy category (CFDA 81.087) and is open to unrestricted eligible applicants, suggesting broad eligibility rather than a narrow set of institution types. The contracting office is identified as DOE's Golden Field Office. The FOA originally listed a closing date of April 1, 2024. DOE anticipated making around 11 awards, with an award ceiling of $10,000,000 per award, indicating the agency was prepared to support substantial projects, including demonstrations that typically require higher budgets than early-stage research.
In summary, FOA DE-FOA-0003296 funds two complementary thrusts designed to make geothermal and geothermal-adjacent solutions more deployable: first, improving the ability to inspect and validate well construction integrity in very high-temperature geothermal wells by advancing cement and casing evaluation tools; and second, proving low-temperature reservoir thermal energy storage as a practical heat decarbonization option for industrial processes. Together, these topic areas reflect DOE's emphasis on real-world performance, harsh-environment operability, and demonstrations that can reduce technical and financial risk for future geothermal and thermal storage deployments.Apply for DE FOA 0003296
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Combined Wellbore Construction High Temperature Tools and Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage (RTES)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-01-30.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 11 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.
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FAQs: DOE EERE Geothermal Technologies Office FOA DE-FOA-0003296
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) from the Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO): DE-FOA-0003296, titled "Combined Wellbore Construction High Temperature Tools and Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage (RTES)."
What is the overall purpose of the FOA?
The FOA is intended to fund research, development, and demonstration activities that validate geothermal-related technologies, improve performance, and reduce costs. A recurring focus is on improving subsurface understanding and developing enabling technologies that can operate reliably in harsh downhole environments.
What type of award does DOE expect to use?
Awards are expected to be made as cooperative agreements, which means DOE anticipates substantial involvement during project execution rather than a fully hands-off grant approach.
How is the FOA organized?
The FOA is divided into two distinct topic areas with different technical goals and outcomes: (1) high-temperature tools for well integrity evaluation, and (2) demonstration of reservoir thermal energy storage (RTES) for industrial heat decarbonization.
What is Topic Area 1 about?
Topic Area 1 is titled "High-Temperature Tools for Well Integrity Evaluation." It targets downhole tools and technologies needed to evaluate geothermal well integrity under high-temperature conditions, with emphasis on cement and casing evaluation.
Why does Topic Area 1 matter for geothermal projects?
Geothermal economics and long-term risk are strongly influenced by well construction quality and early confirmation that casing and cementing methods worked as intended. Reliable inspection data can be difficult and expensive to obtain in geothermal wells because tools must survive high temperatures and other hostile downhole conditions while still producing high-quality measurements.
What gap is Topic Area 1 trying to address?
The FOA notes that many existing cement and casing evaluation tools are derived from conventional oil and gas offerings and generally only meet oil and gas temperature requirements. These off-the-shelf tools are often insufficient for hotter geothermal environments, including enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), where downhole conditions can be more extreme.
What kinds of outcomes are expected under Topic Area 1?
Projects are expected to develop, adapt, or demonstrate downhole evaluation tools/technologies that can verify cement and casing integrity in high-temperature geothermal wellbores. The intent is to help operators detect issues early and reduce long-term cost and risk.
What is Topic Area 2 about?
Topic Area 2 is titled "Utilization of Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage (RTES) Technology for Decarbonization of Industrial Processes." It focuses on demonstrating low-temperature RTES (below 130 degrees C) to provide useful heat for industrial processes.
What temperature range is targeted for RTES demonstrations?
The FOA calls for low-temperature RTES demonstrations below 130 degrees C.
How does RTES work in the context described by the FOA?
RTES is framed as using the subsurface as a large thermal battery. Heat is stored in deep geologic formations over time, taking advantage of large storage volumes, geothermal gradients, and the subsurface's insulating properties. The stored heat can later be extracted and used on timescales that vary by application.
What kinds of industrial uses are mentioned for RTES heat?
The FOA lists examples such as melting plastic, removing moisture (drying), treating chemicals, and other industrial heat applications that could potentially shift away from fossil-fueled heat sources to stored thermal energy.
What is the shared motivation across both topic areas?
Both topics aim to push geothermal and geothermal-adjacent technologies beyond what is readily available from conventional oil and gas applications, and to prove performance in real-world conditions to reduce technical and financial risk.
How does the FOA connect to broader federal goals?
The FOA is positioned within broader federal decarbonization and geothermal cost-reduction efforts. It explicitly ties to the Biden-Harris Administration goals of carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and a net-zero emissions economy by 2050, and aligns with DOE initiatives and planning documents such as the Enhanced Geothermal Shot, GeoVision Roadmap, and the GTO Multi-Year Program Plan.
What kind of projects is DOE looking for, based on the description?
DOE is looking for work that goes beyond advancing science in isolation and instead supports scalable deployment. The emphasis is on real-world performance, harsh-environment operability, improved reliability, better performance, and lower cost, including demonstrations where appropriate.
What is the program category and listing information provided?
The opportunity is described as a discretionary funding program in the energy category and is associated with CFDA 81.087.
Who is eligible to apply?
The FOA is described as open to "unrestricted eligible applicants," suggesting broad eligibility rather than being limited to a narrow set of institution types.
Which DOE office is identified as the contracting office?
The contracting office is identified as DOE's Golden Field Office.
What was the FOA closing date listed in the description?
The FOA originally listed a closing date of April 1, 2024.
How many awards did DOE anticipate making?
DOE anticipated making around 11 awards under this FOA.
What is the maximum award size mentioned?
The award ceiling is listed as $10,000,000 per award.
Why might the award ceiling be relatively high?
The description indicates DOE was prepared to support substantial projects, including demonstrations, which typically require larger budgets than early-stage research alone.
What is a key technical challenge highlighted for geothermal projects in this FOA?
A central theme is that geothermal project economics depend heavily on better subsurface understanding and practical enabling technologies that can operate reliably in difficult downhole environments, particularly where temperatures and conditions exceed typical oil and gas requirements.
Does this FOA focus only on geothermal electricity generation?
No. While the FOA is administered through geothermal offices and tied to geothermal technology development, Topic Area 2 specifically targets industrial heat decarbonization through low-temperature RTES, which is a geothermal-adjacent thermal storage application rather than strictly electricity generation.
What is the main value proposition of Topic Area 1 for operators?
The main value proposition is earlier and more reliable verification of well construction integrity (cement and casing), enabling detection of problems sooner and reducing long-term operational and financial risk in high-temperature geothermal wellbores.
What is the main value proposition of Topic Area 2 for industry?
The main value proposition is demonstrating that subsurface thermal storage below 130 degrees C can supply useful industrial process heat, potentially displacing fossil-fueled heat sources and providing flexibility through stored heat that can be extracted when needed.
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| Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0003274: Mixed Algae Conversion Research Opportunity (MACRO) Apply for DE FOA 0003276 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003276 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Notice of Intent (NOI) to issue Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled “Concentrating Solar Flux to Heat and Power.” Apply for DE FOA 0003338 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003338 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0003298: CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT ON TRIBAL LANDS - 2024 Apply for DE FOA 0003298 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003298 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Local Government Energy Program: Communities Sparking Investment in Transformative Energy Apply for DE FOA 0003229 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003229 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $3,600,000 |
| Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL): Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation (RECI) Apply for DE FOA 0003225 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003225 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program Section 40209 Apply for DE FOA 0003294 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003294 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $100,000,000 |
| Solar and Wind Interconnection for Future Transmission (SWIFTR) Apply for DE FOA 0003246 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003246 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| NOTICE OF INTENT (NOI) TO ISSUE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT DE-FOA-0003183: BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW (BIL) SECTION 41007(B)(1): AERODYNAMICS FOR EXTREME-SCALE OFFSHORE WIND PERFORMANCE AND SURVIVAL (AESOPS) Apply for DE FOA 0003318 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003318 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Promoting Domestic and International Consensus on Clean Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Technologies Apply for DE FOA 0003355 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003355 Agency: Headquarters Category: Energy Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Concentrating Solar Flux to Heat & Power Apply for DE FOA 0003269 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003269 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0003274 - MACRO - Mixed Algae Conversion Research Opportunity Apply for DE FOA 0003274 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003274 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| Notice of Intent: Smart Manufacturing Technologies for Material and Process Innovation Funding Opportunity Announcement Apply for DE FOA 0003328 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003328 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Notice of Intent (NOI) for Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA0003334 titled “Offshore Wind National and Regional Research and Development.” Apply for DE FOA 0003345 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003345 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Request for Information: U.S Domestic Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing Innovation Apply for DE FOA 0003315 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003315 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Medium and Heavy Duty Vehicle Powertrain Electrification and Dual Fuel Fleet Demonstration Apply for DE FOA 0001349 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001349 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| RFI: High Yields through Productivity and Integration Research (HYPIR) Apply for DE FOA 0001399 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001399 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| PHOTOVOLTAICS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (PVRD) Apply for DE FOA 0001387 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001387 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $1,125,000 |
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