December 17, 2010 - $184 million in grants for vehicle efficiency R&D

Improving vehicle energy efficiency is a key component of our federal energy strategy.  Of particular interest to businesses developing transportation efficiency technology, yesterday Secretary Chu announced a new funding opportunity.  DOE is putting up $184 million in grant funding for R&D into a variety of vehicle energy efficiency topics.



This vehicle powered by BioDiesel.

 The Funding Opportunity Announcement provides fairly standard federal contracting procedures, such as the use of the existing FedConnect and grants.gov infrastructure for tracking and applying.  Letters of intent are due by January 18, 2011, with applications due by February 28, 2011.

The Funding Opportunity Number is DE-FOA-0000239.

I see transportation energy efficiency as a rising star in the next decade.  According to the EIA, almost 20 percent of the world's total delivered energy is used in the transportation sector.  Liquid fuels dominate transportation, which alone accounts for more than 50 percent of world consumption of liquid fuels.  EIA's analysis projects that growth in transportation energy use between 2007 2035 will account for 87 % of the total increase in global liquid fuel consumption.  Cutting back on the sector's energy consumption can provide savings.