Federal grant programs / Department of Energy

Renewable Energy Research and Development (81.087)

Also known as Renewable Energy

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$2.5 billion
• Grant awards900
• Typical award$1.3 million
• Awarded in FY 2025$378 million
• Size rank138 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceProject grants (cooperative agreements)

Key findings

• Annual funding rose from $359 million in fiscal 2021 to $378 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 138th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 40% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 50 states and territories.

What the program funds

The goal of this program has been to conduct balanced research and development efforts in the following energy technologies: solar, biomass, hydrogen and fuel cells, wind, hydropower, and geothermal. Grants and cooperative agreements will be offered to develop and transfer to the nonfederal sector various renewable energy technologies on a competitive basis, consistent with current Department of Energy (DOE) priorities. Submission deadlines will be published in specific Notices of Funding Opportunities on the DOE Funding Opportunity Exchange by the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/. Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) are also posted at the grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

• Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies (ASPECT)
  Open · Closes December 1, 2026 (24 days left) · up to $20.0 million

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

For-profit organizations, private nonprofit institutions/organizations, intrastate, interstate, and local agencies and universities may apply.

What the money can and cannot pay for

Assistance may be used to develop and transfer renewable energy technologies to the scientific and industrial communities, State, and local governments. Assistance may be used to develop and transfer renewable energy technologies to the scientific and industrial communities, State, and local governments. ;

Matching requirements

Statutory Formula: Title 2, Part 910, Subpart 130 Cost sharing (EPACT),Public Law 109-58.Energy Policy Act 2005 (Section 988)This program has statutorily required cost share percentages based on project type: Education & Outreach 0%, Research & Development 20%, Demonstration and Commercialization 50%.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

$15,000 to $66,539,696

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Colleges and universities received 30% of the money, businesses 28% and small businesses 26%.

By state

46 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.