US govt launches USD-500m programme for clean energy on mines

The Biden Administration on Wednesday issued a Request For Information (RFI) in relation to a USD-500-million (EUR 475.4m) programme that will finance solar, geothermal and other clean energy demonstration projects on current or former mine lands across the US.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) seeks public input on how to design the “Clean Energy Demonstrations on Current and Former Mine Land Program,” which is funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and operated through the DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.

The programme will back demonstration projects involving one or more of the following clean energy technologies on mining sites: solar; microgrids; geothermal energy; direct air capture; fossil-fuelled generation with carbon capture, utilisation and sequestration (CCUS); energy storage, including pumped-storage hydro and compressed air; and advanced nuclear. Two of the funded demos will be required to include solar energy and possibly use locally-made equipment.

According to a recent analysis by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US has about 17,750 mine land sites located across 1.5 million acres that have the potential for up to 89 GW of clean power capacity deployment through redevelopment.

DOE anticipates announcing a funding opportunity to solicit project proposals next year.

(USD 1 = EUR 0.951)

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