Geothermal Deep Direct-Use Feasibility Studies | DE FOA 0001642

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001642

The Department of Energy, through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and its Geothermal Technologies Office, published a Notice of Intent (NOI) indicating that it plans to release a future funding opportunity focused on Geothermal Deep Direct-Use Feasibility Studies. The notice is essentially an early heads-up to the public and potential applicants that a formal Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) may be coming soon, but it also makes clear that every detail in the notice can change and that DOE may ultimately issue a different FOA or none at all. Because this is only an NOI, DOE is not accepting applications at this stage and will not respond to questions about the notice; a question-and-answer process would only be opened after an actual FOA is released.

The technical focus of the planned FOA is on “Deep Direct-Use” (DDU) geothermal systems, described as large-scale, low-temperature geothermal resources accessed via deep wells and paired with advanced direct-use applications. Rather than using geothermal heat primarily to generate electricity, direct-use applications put thermal energy to work more efficiently for heating and industrial needs, often through cascading uses where heat is used at multiple temperature levels across several end uses. The program’s broader goal is to push geothermal adoption beyond the western United States by supporting concepts that can work in different geological settings across the country, especially in areas that may not have the high-temperature resources traditionally associated with geothermal power generation.

The notice outlines two topic areas expected to be included in the eventual FOA. Topic Area 1, DDU Feasibility Studies, would fund the early-stage work needed to determine whether a DDU project makes sense at a given location. That includes initial site selection, geothermal resource assessment, and the broader feasibility study activities needed to evaluate technical viability and project readiness. Topic Area 2, DDU Community of Practice Administration and Techno-Economic Validation of DDU Projects, would support the creation and management of a Deep Direct-Use Community of Practice (COP). This topic is aimed at convening stakeholders, sharing lessons learned, and helping validate DDU project concepts using techno-economic analysis so that promising approaches can be compared consistently and moved toward implementation with clearer cost and performance expectations.

From the administrative details provided, the opportunity is listed under DOE’s Golden Field Office, categorized as discretionary funding within the energy area (CFDA 81.087), and it indicates a cooperative agreement as the intended funding instrument type, which typically implies substantial federal involvement during the project period. Eligibility is described as “unrestricted,” meaning it is broadly open to any type of entity, subject to any additional constraints that might appear in the eventual FOA text. The listing also shows an award ceiling of 2 (as posted in the record) and an “expected awards” value of 0, which is consistent with the document being a notice rather than an active solicitation. The creation date shown is October 24, 2016, and the closing date is effectively “not applicable” because no applications are being accepted under this NOI.

Anyone interested is directed to the EERE Exchange website (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov) to view the complete notice and to watch for the formal FOA release, since that future announcement would contain the definitive requirements, submission instructions, deadlines, evaluation criteria, and the official mechanism for submitting questions.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Geothermal Deep Direct-Use Feasibility Studies" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 24, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by This is a Notice of Intent. (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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