Department of Energy - March 30, 2010



U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today the availability of $37.5 million in U.S. funding over the next five years to support the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center. Funding from the Department of Energy will be matched by the grantees to support $75 million in total U.S. research that will focus on advancing technologies for building energy efficiency, clean coal including carbon capture and storage, and clean vehicles. The Clean Energy Research Center (CERC) will be located in existing facilities in both the U.S. and China and will include an additional $75 million in Chinese funding.

Cooperation between China and the United States on clean energy is crucial to confronting the global climate crisis and presents an important opportunity to create American jobs and build U.S. leadership in a growing global industry, said Secretary Chu. By jointly developing new technologies and learning from China's experiences, we can create new export opportunities for American companies and ensure that we remain on the cutting edge of innovation. This partnership will also be a foundation for broader partnerships with China on cutting carbon pollution.

President Obama and President Hu Jintao formally announced the establishment of the CERC during the President's trip to Beijing last November. At the time, Secretary Chu joined with Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang and Chinese National Energy Administrator Zhang Guobao to sign the protocol launching the Center. The CERC will facilitate joint research and development of clean energy technologies by teams of scientists and engineers from both the U.S. and China, as well as serve as a clearinghouse to help researchers in each country. Funding from the U.S. Government will be used to support work conducted by U.S. institutions and individuals only.

The U.S. and China are the world's top energy consumers, energy producers and greenhouse gas emitters. They will play central roles in the world's transition to a clean energy economy in the years ahead. Technology will play an important role in this transition, and the U.S. and China have a strong shared interest in advances in key technologies. The initial research areas under the CERC -building efficiency, clean coal and clean vehicles - are areas where the U.S. and China have complementary strengths, so that each country can benefit from internationally collaborative research.

DOE will provide one award for each of the CERC's initial work areas - building efficiency, clean coal and clean vehicles. Universities, national labs, private companies and other relevant entities are eligible to apply through Grants.gov. Applications are due by Friday, May 14 with selections expected this summer. The full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is available on FedConnect's public opportunities page:
https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/PublicPages/PublicSearch/Public_Opportunities.aspx