Electricity Research, Development and Analysis

The Office of Electricity (OE) leads the Department’s research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) programs to strengthen and modernize our Nation’s power grid. OE programs support activities, primarily through competitive solicitations, with key objectives:

• RD&D system monitoring and diagnostics, advanced data analytics, and robust control technologies and enhance the reliability and performance of the electricity system, mitigate large-scale blackouts, prepare for, and respond to the impacts of natural disasters, and adapt to evolving system needs, emerging risks, and interdependencies.
• Characterize risk and uncertainty across multiple utility and infrastructure boundaries for increased resiliency.
• RD&D of technologies, tools, and techniques required by the distribution grid to maintain and improve reliability and resilience.
• Develop solutions to strengthen information security and resilience of the electricity delivery system against cyber-related threats.
• Accelerate bi-directional electrical energy storage technologies as a key component of a reliable, resilient, and affordable future-ready grid.
• Enhance and advance the components and technologies that make up the electric power T&D infrastructure (i.e., grid hardware).
• Rapidly assess new grid systems and subsystems by testing integrated technology suites in controlled pilot environments prior to the hardware and software being deployed by industry in operational environments.

All types of domestic entities are eligible to apply, such as profit organizations, private nonprofit institutions/organizations, universities, research organizations, and state and local governments.
All information regarding eligibility requirements will be included in the specific Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

All applications which pass an initial review will receive an objective merit review. The objective merit review will be based on evaluation criteria set forth in the competitive solicitation(s) or criteria set forth in 2 CFR Part 200 for Unsolicited Proposals.

From 60 to 120 days