This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is being issued by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) to invest in innovative research that accelerates the large-scale development and deployment of solar technology to support an equitable transition to a decarbonized electricity system by 2035 and decarbonized energy sector by 2050. Decarbonizing the grid responsibly and equitably requires that wildlife and ecosystems associated with solar energy facilities are well understood. Achieving this goal will support the nationwide effort to meet the threat of climate change and ensure that all Americans as well as the nation’s wildlife and ecosystems benefit from the transition to a clean energy economy. Climate change is a threat not just to human societies but also “presents a growing threat to the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats in profound ways.”[1]
The goal of this funding opportunity is to develop solutions and/or strategies that minimize the adverse impacts of solar energy on wildlife and maximize the ecosystem benefits while enabling the rapid deployment of ground-mounted solar energy. SETO is interested in projects that will produce results with broad relevance to solar stakeholders by establishing methods, technologies, models, best management practices, and/or resources that facilitate solar energy’s pivotal role in achieving a 100% clean electricity system by 2035 and a net-zero energy system by 2050. Successful projects will produce research results that are generalizable to multiple sites, pertinent to multiple stakeholder groups, impactful in a short timeframe (i.e., 3 years or less), and engage local communities most affected by solar energy deployment.
[1] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Conservation in a Changing Climate. https://www.fws.gov/home/climatechange/
Modification 000003 - See the Modification table in the FOA. Changes from modification 000003 are highlighed in blue.
Modification 000002 - See the Modification table in the FOA. Changes from modification 000002 are highlighed in green.
Modification 000001 - See the Modification table in the FOA. Changes from modification 000001 are highlighed in yellow.