WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced up to $100 million in funding to support President Biden’s commitment to support clean energy technologies by providing a path to market for promising technologies. Developing and deploying innovative energy technologies is key to achieving the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals to deliver a clean energy future and achieve net-zero emissions economy-wide by 2050.
“ARPA-E’s SCALEUP program has successfully demonstrated what can happen when technical experts are empowered with the commercialization support to develop a strong pathway to market" said ARPA-E Director Evelyn N. Wang. “I’m excited that we are building on the success of this effort with the third installment of SCALEUP, and I look forward to what the third cohort of teams accomplish."
The Seeding Critical Advances for Leading Energy technologies with Untapped Potential (SCALEUP ) program provides new funding to previous Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) awardees that are determined to have a viable road to market. To be selected, SCALEUP selectees must deliver a workable path to commercial deployment and the ability to attract private sector investments.
In 2019, ARPA-E issued its first SCALEUP funding opportunity, which paved the way for advancing technologies aimed at improving the electric grid’s reliability and resiliency; changing the way methane emissions are discovered and mitigated; creating next generation battery technology; and accelerating grid storage and electric vehicle adoption. One of the project teams from the initial SCALEUP-Sila, a next-generation battery materials company-was later selected for $100 million in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to support the build-out of a facility in Moses Lake, Washington. Early ARPA-E funding and SCALEUP support were instrumental in the company’s success, and continued support demonstrates how critical President Biden’s whole-of-government strategy is to supporting energy technology from early stages, such as R&D, to full-scale deployment.
In 2021, ARPA-E issued the second iteration of SCALEUP, which supported work in hybrid electric aircraft; high-power density magnetic components; efficient, cost-effective and compact U.S.-manufactured electric vehicle charging equipment; wood as strong as steel; and geomechanical pumped storage.
Visit the ARPA-E eXCHANGE website for more information about SCALEUP 2023, including key guidelines and dates for applicants.