The Obama administration this week announced millions of dollars in new grants for dozens of projects related to advanced solar technology and other new clean energy technologies.
On Thursday, the Department of Energy said that it had awarded $156 million to fund 60 different cutting edge technology projects in five categories: low cost biofuels, substitutes for rare earths (the expensive minerals used in electric vehicle motors and wind turbines), advanced thermal storage systems including systems for storing solar energy, “smart grid” technology that integrates renewable energy alongside coal and nuclear power, and low cost utility-scale solar systems.
This particular grant program is administered by the department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E.) The agency is modeled after DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, credited with developing the Internet and the computer chip.
via Obama Administration Presses Ahead With Renewable Energy Grants | TPM Idea Lab.