WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) today announced up to $60 million in funding to create regional teams to support the development of critical mineral and materials supply chains and novel high-value, nonfuel carbon-based products from unconventional and secondary feedstocks, such as coal and coal by-products, effluent waters from oil and natural gas development and production, and acid mine drainage. Realizing the critical mineral and materials potential in these feedstocks would enable the United States to rebuild a domestic supply chain for rare earth elements and other critical minerals and materials—which support high-tech manufacturing and the production of components for clean energy technologies—and reduce our dependence on international supply chains.

“The Department of Energy is looking to realize our nation’s full economic potential for producing critical minerals and other high value materials from unconventional feedstocks,” said Brad Crabtree, Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. “Through regional partnerships, we will work with universities, the private sector, and local stakeholders to safely and securely recover and process these resources while creating good-paying jobs for American workers and environmental benefits for communities across the country.”

Projects selected under this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will continue the work of DOE’s Carbon Ore, Rare Earth and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) Initiative, but will expand the focus from the basin scale to a larger, regional scale. Geographical areas of interest include regions across the nation: 1) Eastern Coastal (including Puerto Rico), 2) Appalachian Mountain, 3) Upper Midwest and Illinois Basin, 4) Great Plains and Interior Highlands, 5) Gulf Coast, Texas and Permian Basin, 6) Rocky Mountain, 7) Pacific Coast and Basin and Range (including Hawaii), and 8) Alaska and Pacific Northwest. Successful applicants do not have to be current or past funding recipients under the CORE-CM Initiative.

Collaboration is strongly encouraged, and project teams may include partners such as private industry; university; local, state, and federal governments; local communities; and tribal governments working across one or more regions.

To support the goal of building a clean and equitable energy economy, projects funded under this FOA are expected to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; facilitate robust community engagement; contribute to energy equality; and invest in America’s workforce. To ensure these objectives are met, applications will be required to include a Research and Development Community Benefits Plan.

Read more details about this FOA here. The application deadline is June 24, 2024 at 5:00 PM ET.

FECM minimizes environmental and climate impacts of fossil fuels and industrial processes while working to achieve net-zero emissions across the U.S. economy. Priority areas of technology work include carbon capture, carbon conversion, carbon dioxide removal, carbon dioxide transport and storage, hydrogen production with carbon management, methane emissions reduction, and critical minerals production. To learn more, visit the FECM website, sign up for FECM news announcements, and visit the National Energy Technology Laboratory website.