Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002795
The Department of Energy (DOE), through its National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), issued a Request for Information (RFI) titled "Water Research and Development for Produced Water and Legacy Wastewaters Associated with Thermal Power Plants" (Funding Opportunity Number: DE FOA 0002795; CFDA: 81.089). The posting is listed under the Energy activity category and is marked as a discretionary opportunity, but it is important to read it for what it is: this is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and it is not accepting grant applications. The document is essentially a market and stakeholder input exercise intended to shape future DOE thinking, priorities, and potential project designs in the produced water and legacy wastewater space tied to thermal power generation.
A key detail in the notice is that Amendment 000001 does not change the substance of the original RFI. The amendment is described as an internal administrative change only, released primarily to enable or "trigger" the posting on Grants.gov. In other words, the amendment should not be interpreted as opening funding, changing requirements, or revising technical scope. It is administrative housekeeping to ensure the announcement appears properly in federal systems.
The core purpose of the RFI is to collect feedback from a wide range of stakeholders on potential projects, approaches, and technical directions related to produced water and legacy wastewaters associated with thermal power plants. DOE is explicitly inviting input not just from traditional technology developers and researchers, but also from investors, industry members, academia, national laboratories and other research labs, government agencies, communities that could be impacted by these activities, and other interested parties. The breadth of the audience signals that DOE is looking for both technical insights (what can work, what is scalable, what is cost-effective) and practical on-the-ground perspectives (what is acceptable to communities, what barriers exist, and what benefits or harms might result).
Another central theme is that responses should be framed with environmental justice and the energy transition in mind, with special attention to tribal and other impacted communities. This emphasis suggests DOE is seeking concepts that do more than treat water as a purely technical problem; it wants ideas that consider who bears environmental burdens, who receives benefits, how risks are managed, and how projects might fit into changing regional energy and industrial landscapes. For respondents, that typically means addressing issues like equitable siting and permitting, community engagement, transparency, long-term stewardship, and avoiding solutions that shift pollution or water risk onto already overburdened populations.
In terms of the content DOE is looking for, the RFI asks for information on "concepts, processes, configurations, and systems" relevant to produced water and legacy wastewater challenges linked to thermal power plants. While the notice excerpt does not list the full set of numbered questions, it makes clear DOE prefers that respondents address all numbered items from the RFI, but it will still accept and value partial responses that speak to only some of the questions. This is typical of RFIs: they are designed to lower the barrier to participation and encourage targeted, high-quality input even if a stakeholder only has expertise in one part of the problem (for example, treatment technologies, monitoring and sensors, brine management, beneficial reuse pathways, or community impacts).
Several administrative fields in the listing can be easily misread, so they are worth clarifying. The opportunity indicates an "Award Ceiling: 2" and "Expected Awards: 0." Because this is an RFI and not a funding solicitation, those numbers should not be interpreted as real funding commitments or anticipated awards. Similarly, eligibility is described as "Unrestricted," meaning DOE is open to hearing from essentially any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility language in the full text. That again aligns with the intent of an RFI: DOE wants broad input rather than restricting participation to a narrow set of applicants.
Finally, timing and status are straightforward. The RFI was created on August 25, 2022, with an original closing date of October 14, 2022. The practical takeaway is that this posting was meant to gather stakeholder feedback within that window to inform DOE planning. Anyone looking for funding should treat this as an early signal of interest area and a chance to help shape what a future FOA might look like, rather than an opportunity to submit a proposal for financial support under this specific notice.Apply for DE FOA 0002795
- The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Water Research and Development for Produced Water and Legacy Wastewaters Associated with Thermal Power Plants" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 25, 2022.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 14, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this DOE/NETL posting?
This posting is a Request for Information (RFI) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), issued through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). Its title is "Water Research and Development for Produced Water and Legacy Wastewaters Associated with Thermal Power Plants."
2) Is this a grant or funding opportunity I can apply to?
No. This is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and it is not accepting grant applications. It is a stakeholder input request intended to help DOE shape future priorities and potential project designs.
3) What is the purpose of the RFI?
The purpose is to collect feedback from stakeholders on potential projects, approaches, and technical directions related to produced water and legacy wastewaters associated with thermal power plants. DOE is using the input to inform its planning and future decisions in this topic area.
4) What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA listed for this RFI?
The listing references Funding Opportunity Number DE FOA 0002795 and CFDA 81.089.
5) Why does it look like a "discretionary opportunity" on Grants.gov if it is not funding?
Some administrative fields in federal listings can make an RFI appear similar to a funding notice. In this case, the document should be read for what it is: a market and stakeholder input exercise, not a solicitation for proposals.
6) What does Amendment 000001 mean for this RFI?
Amendment 000001 does not change the substance of the original RFI. It is described as an internal administrative change released primarily to enable or "trigger" the posting on Grants.gov, not to open funding or revise the technical scope.
7) Does the amendment open the door to funding or change requirements?
No. The amendment should not be interpreted as opening funding, changing requirements, or revising the technical scope. It is administrative housekeeping to ensure the announcement appears properly in federal systems.
8) Who is DOE inviting to respond to the RFI?
DOE is inviting input from a wide range of stakeholders, including technology developers and researchers, investors, industry members, academia, national laboratories and other research labs, government agencies, communities that could be impacted, and other interested parties.
9) Is eligibility limited to certain entity types?
The listing describes eligibility as "Unrestricted," which indicates DOE is open to hearing from essentially any type of entity, consistent with the goal of broad stakeholder input for an RFI.
10) What topic area is this RFI associated with?
The posting is listed under the Energy activity category and focuses on water research and development connected to produced water and legacy wastewaters associated with thermal power plants.
11) What kinds of information is DOE asking respondents to provide?
DOE is seeking information on "concepts, processes, configurations, and systems" relevant to produced water and legacy wastewater challenges tied to thermal power plants. The intent is to surface ideas about what can work, what can scale, what is cost-effective, and what barriers exist.
12) Do responses need to address every question in the RFI?
DOE indicates it prefers that respondents address all numbered items in the RFI, but it will still accept and value partial responses that address only some of the questions.
13) What is the role of environmental justice in this RFI?
DOE emphasizes that responses should be framed with environmental justice and the energy transition in mind, with special attention to tribal and other impacted communities. This signals that DOE is interested in concepts that consider who bears environmental burdens, who receives benefits, and how risks are managed.
14) What kinds of community-related considerations does DOE appear to want addressed?
Based on the emphasis in the notice, respondents should consider practical and on-the-ground perspectives such as community engagement, transparency, equitable siting and permitting, long-term stewardship, and avoiding solutions that shift pollution or water risk onto already overburdened populations.
15) What do the "Award Ceiling: 2" and "Expected Awards: 0" fields mean here?
Because this is an RFI and not a funding solicitation, those figures should not be interpreted as real funding commitments, award counts, or anticipated grants. They are administrative fields that can be misleading in the context of an RFI.
16) Is DOE planning to make awards under this specific notice?
No awards are expected under this specific notice because it is not a solicitation for funding. The listing shows "Expected Awards: 0," consistent with the RFI status.
17) What is the timeline for this RFI?
The RFI was created on August 25, 2022, and the original closing date was October 14, 2022. The posting was designed to gather feedback within that window to inform DOE planning.
18) What should organizations looking for funding take away from this RFI?
This RFI should be treated as an early signal of DOE interest in produced water and legacy wastewater topics related to thermal power generation, and as a chance to shape what a future FOA might look like, rather than a current opportunity to submit a grant proposal for funding under this notice.
19) What is the practical value of responding to an RFI like this?
Responding can help DOE understand the state of the art, real-world constraints, community impacts, and promising project concepts. The input can influence future DOE priorities and how potential future funding opportunities are structured.
20) Is DOE only looking for technical input?
No. While DOE is clearly seeking technical insights, the notice also signals interest in practical perspectives, including community impacts and acceptability, barriers to implementation, and how proposed approaches fit within the energy transition.
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| BIL: Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects Program FRONT-END ENGINEERING DESIGN STUDIES FOR INTEGRATED CARBON CAPTURE, TRANSPORT and STORAGE SYSTEMS Apply for DE FOA 0002738 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002738 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $12,500,000 |
| Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Additional Clean Hydrogen Programs (Section 40314): Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Apply for DE FOA 0002779 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002779 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $1,250,000,000 |
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