During the latest three solicitations issued by the Department’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) for approximately $24 billion in Title XVII loan guarantees for energy projects (Solicitation No. DE–SOL– 007791, 7154 and 6303), the LPO identified sample lists of projects that were on the edge of commercial-scale deployment and poised to help launch new markets. These projects, and the technologies utilized by the projects, were identified after discussions with our colleagues in the national labs and the Department’s technology program offices, as well as with industry.

Not surprisingly, LPO has heard from technology providers and project developers with a wide range of exciting technologies and has received a robust pipeline of applications. However, during the course of our conversations with technology providers and project developers, it became clear that we could provide further clarity to potential applicants on the eligibility of projects.

In response, LPO developed and issued the following supplemental guidance for each of the open Title XVII solicitations:

These supplements make clear that eligible projects are not limited to the projects and technologies identified in the sample list of projects in the most recent round of solicitations, and LPO eagerly anticipates seeing what types of eligible projects the market applies for during each submission dated.  These supplements further illustrate LPO’s effort to be responsive to the needs of the market.

Current and prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to review these supplements and the solicitations in their entirety. Applications can be submitted online using the LPO Online Application Portal. If questions remain after reading the supplements and the solicitations, please contact us at lpo@hq.doe.gov and we will respond in a timely manner. 

Title XVII Open Solicitations

INNOVATIVE ENERGY AND INNOVATIVE SUPPLY CHAIN

Title 17 Clean Energy Financing – Innovative Energy and Innovative Supply Chain 

Financing for projects that: 

Deploy innovative clean energy technologies at commercial scale (Innovative Energy) 

Or  

Employ innovative manufacturing processes or manufacture innovative technologies at commercial scale (Innovative Supply Chain) 

Overview

Through the Innovative categories of the Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Program, LPO can finance projects that deploy new or significantly improved high-impact clean energy technology (Innovative Energy) or that employ new or significantly improved technology in the manufacturing process for a qualifying clean energy technology or manufacture innovative products with an eligible technology end-use (Innovative Supply Chain).

LPO-financed projects show private debt and equity investors that innovative clean energy technologies are bankable and ready for large-scale deployment. LPO has a strong track record of catalyzing clean energy deployment, having financed the first utility-scale photovoltaic solar projects in the United States, one of the world’s largest wind projects, the next generation of advanced nuclear reactors, and the nation’s first clean hydrogen energy and storage project.

Like commercial lenders and other private capital market lenders, LPO underwrites loans with the expectation that they will be repaid with interest. Unlike most lenders, LPO has in-house technical experts who work with applicants to understand the project’s true technical risks. From there, LPO’s credit, market, environmental, and legal professionals work with applicants to structure loan terms accordingly. The result is often access to lower-interest loans than would otherwise be available. The early deployments LPO finances de-risk follow-on deployments. 

LPO engages early with applicants and offers flexible financing that private lenders typically do not provide for projects developing innovative components for the low-carbon supply chain. By doing so, LPO can jumpstart production and minimize future supply chain bottlenecks for innovative clean energy technologies.  

Defining “Innovative”  

LPO considers projects innovative if they employ a New or Significantly Improved Technology. (See page 15 of the Program Guidance or the Title 17 Interim Final Rule for a definition of New or Significantly Improved Technology.) 

New or Significantly Improved Technology refers to technologies concerned with the production, consumption, storage, or transportation of energy, including of associated critical minerals and other components or other eligible energy-related project categories, and that is not a commercial technology, and that either: 

  1. Has only recently been developed, discovered, or learned; or
  2. Involves or constitutes one or more meaningful and important improvements in productivity or value, in comparison to commercial technologies used in the United States.

When evaluating whether a technology is “New or Significantly Improved,” LPO will consider whether the technology could have a catalytic effect on the market and whether the technology has the potential to be employed in other commercial projects.

Eligibility

In addition to the common eligibility requirements that apply to all Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Program projects, Innovative Energy and Innovative Supply Chain projects must meet several additional eligibility criteria. 

All Innovative projects must align with one of the following eligible technologies:  

  1. Renewable energy systems 
  2. Production facilities for the manufacture of fuel-efficient vehicles or parts of those vehicles     
  3. Advanced fossil energy technology  
  4. Hydrogen fuel cell technology 
  5. Pollution control equipment  
  6. Advanced nuclear energy 
  7. Oil refineries    
  8. Carbon capture and sequestration technologies 
  9. Energy storage technologies    
  10. Efficient electrical generation, transmission, and distribution 
  11. Industrial decarbonization technologies    
  12. Efficient end-use energy technologies 
  13. Supply of critical minerals   

Innovative Energy-Specific Requirements

  1. Projects must include a New or Significantly Improved Technology applied to one or more of the eligible technologies. 

Innovative Supply Chain-Specific Requirements

  1. Projects must either employ a New or Significantly Improved Technology in the manufacturing process for an eligible technology or manufacture a component that represents an eligible New or Significantly Improved Technology.   

  1. Projects must avoid, reduce, utilize, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases through (1) the manufacturing process of the relevant product or (2) the end-use of the component on a full life-cycle basis.   

Possible Project Areas  

    The following is a set of project types that could be eligible for Innovative Energy financing, subject to LPO review. These examples are neither exhaustive nor limiting. 

    The following is a set of project types that could be eligible for Innovative Energy financing, subject to LPO review. These examples are neither exhaustive nor limiting.  

    The following is a set of project types that could be eligible for Innovative Supply Chain financing, subject to LPO review. These examples are neither exhaustive nor limiting.   

    Additional program details and application requirements are described in the Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Program Guidance and on the Title 17 Overview web page.

    Next Steps

    If you have a project that may be eligible for financing through the Innovative Energy or Innovative Supply Chain project categories, please request a no-cost pre-application consultation