The Tennessee Valley Authority is due to receive comments on the preparation of an environmental impact statement for Competitive Power Ventures’s proposed 200-megawatt solar project in Lee and Union Counties, Mississippi. The project includes a 20-megawatt battery energy storage system and is expected to occupy nearly 1,000 acres of the approximately 1,700-acre project study area. The agency has entered into a power purchase agreement with the company for electricity generated by the proposed project.

The U.S. Energy Department is due to receive applications in response to its fiscal year 2024 Solar Energy Supply Chain Incubator funding opportunity, which will provide $50.5 million for research, development, and demonstration projects that de-risk solar hardware, manufacturing processes, and software products across a wide range of solar technology areas. The department seeks projects that provide outreach, education, or technology development for software that delivers an automated permit review and approval process for rooftop solar PV systems. The initiative aims to increase U.S. domestic manufacturing across the solar energy supply chain and expand private investment in the country’s solar manufacturing sector. READ MORE

The Bureau of Land Management will hold a competitive geothermal lease sale offering 66 parcels totaling about 219,250 acres across Nevada. The Energy Act of 2020 directed the U.S. Interior Department to permit 25 gigawatts of solar, wind, and geothermal production on public lands by 2025. Geothermal was the first renewable resource approved for production on public lands, with the first project approved in 1978. The agency issues leases for a 10-year period. Renewable energy deployment on public lands supports the nation’s goal of attaining a carbon-free power sector by 2035.

The U.S. Energy Department will host an informational webinar to discuss a $112.5 million funding opportunity to advance the commercial viability of wave energy technologies, its largest investment in marine energy. The five-year funding program will cover research and development activities, such as the design, manufacture, and testing of wave energy converters. This investment will advance promising wave energy technologies, lower financial risks for developers, and incentivize investors. The initiative aims to support technologies at smaller scales as they progress toward utility scale, while increasing learning for installation and maintenance. Concept papers are due by Oct. 25 and applications by Jan. 30.

The U.S. Energy Department is due to receive applications for a $36 million funding opportunity to support weatherization demonstration projects to expedite the nation’s shift to clean energy and lower heating and cooling costs. The initiative aims to expand the impact of current residential weatherization programs by utilizing leveraged resources and stronger community partnerships to perform deep energy retrofits in low-income homes and support local involvement in the energy workforce. Leveraged resources may include federal,non-DOE funding, or non-federal funding, financial contributions, in-kind donations, volunteer labor, and other resources offered by partner organizations.