| DOE has launched
a new Web site to support its $2 billion Loan Guarantee Program, which
was announced on August 7th. The site includes a solicitation that was
released on August 8th, calling for projects that support the President's
Advanced Energy Initiative. Specifically, the solicitation requests proposals
relating to biomass, hydrogen, hydropower, solar, and wind energy; hybrid
and alternative fuel vehicles; and industrial energy efficiency. Also included
in the solicitation are projects related to the efficient and reliable
delivery of electricity, pollution control equipment, carbon sequestration,
and advanced coal technologies. DOE plans to select loan guarantee commitments
totaling as much as $2 billion, but there's a catch: since DOE does not
expect to receive congressional appropriations to cover the costs of the
loan guarantees, borrowers will likely have to pay the subsidy cost up
front, when closing the loan. The pre-application due date is November
6th.
Although the current solicitation
is aimed specifically at the Advanced Energy Initiative, future loan guarantee
solicitations may be broader. The guidelines released on August 14th spell
out 10 categories of projects for loan guarantees: renewable energy systems;
hydrogen fuel cells; production facilities for fuel-efficient vehicles;
energy-efficient end-use technologies; advanced nuclear energy facilities;
advanced fossil energy systems; efficient electrical generation, transmission,
and distribution; carbon capture and sequestration; pollution control systems;
and refineries. See the Loan
Guarantee Program Web site and download the solicitation (PDF
238 KB) and the guidelines

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