$130M up for grabs in DOE research grants

Breakthroughs in biofuels, rare earth alternatives and solar power electronics are just some of the areas DOE will focus on.

Engineering plants to replace oil is one of five project areas that will be eligible for support under the $130 million in funding made available by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), the Energy Department said in a statement April 21.

"In addition to creating new jobs, breakthroughs in clean energy technologies can reduce our country's dependence on foreign oil, decrease the cost of clean electricity and build a sustainable infrastructure for future generations of Americans," Energy Secretary Steven Chu said.

ARPA-E's fourth round of funding opportunities also includes projects for high-energy advanced thermal storage, rare earth alternatives in critical technologies, green electricity network integration and solar agile delivery of electrical power technology.