Department of Energy: Doling Out Stimulus Dollars

The overarching mission of the U.S. Department of Energy is to ensure and advance the national, economic, and energy security of the nation. DOE is involved in everything from environmental cleanup of the nuclear weapons complex to carbon sequestration programs.

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But the multi-faceted agency has been getting the lion's share of attention for its role as the major conduit for stimulus funds (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) allocated to modernizing the Smart Grid and energy programs related to energy reliability, security, advanced technologies and R&D, alternative fuels, and renewable energy development, production, and interconnection with the grid. These programs are administered by a host of DOE offices, including:

• The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has begun announcing funding opportunities for high-risk, high-payoff transformational energy technologies in energy production, transmission, use, and storage.
• The Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (EDER) is responsible for spearheading efforts to modernize the grid, enhance grid security and reliability, and disruption recovery.
• The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) administers grants in an array of areas, including: biomass, emerging battery storage technologies, energy efficiency and conservation, geothermal technologies, solar deployment and photovoltaics, general solar R&D, wind turbines, and State Energy Program Formula Grants (SEP).

DOE is also well-represented on the Smart Grid Task Force. EDER is the task force lead and is joined by EERE and the agency's National Energy Technological Laboratory. The task force was established to ensure integration and coordination of DOE offices and other federal agencies involved in Smart Grid efforts.

Department of Energy Administration

·         Steven Chu

Secretary of Energy

·         Daniel Poneman

Deputy Secretary

·         Kristina Johnson

Under Secretary

·         Main switchboard      (202) 586-5000

·         Patricia Hoffman        (202) 586-1411

Assistant Secretary

EDER

·         Steven Chalk            1-877-337-3463

Acting Assistant Secretary

EERE

·         Eric Lightner              (202) 586-1411

Director

Smart Grid Task Force

Online resources:

• DOE Web site
• EDER Web site
• EERE Web site
• Recovery Act Clearinghouse Web site (funding, application information)
• Smart Grid Task Force Web site