DOE issues additional Cleanup to Clean Energy RFIs

On October 17, the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy issued an RFI to identify industry partners interested in developing commercial clean energy projects on DOE land at the Idaho National Laboratory Site in eastern Idaho.

The same day, the DOE’s Office of Environmental Management issued an RFI for organizations interested in leasing federal land to develop utility-scale, carbon pollution–free electricity projects at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.

The DOE’s first Cleanup to Clean Energy RFI, issued in late August, focused on the Hanford Site near Richland, Wash. The DOE has identified about 19,000 acres of Hanford land that could potentially be used for industrial activities that include carbon-free electricity generation and storage.

The basis: The DOE launched the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative in July to help achieve President Biden’s climate goals and the directive in Executive Order 14057 for agencies to use their properties for the development of new clean electricity generation. That order, issued in December 2021, sets requirements for federal agencies to reduce their impact on the environment and to reduce the impact of climate change.

INL: The RFI for the 890-square-mile INL Site is open to industry, government, tribes, and community members who wish to comment on the potential use of INL land for carbon-free electricity projects. Comments must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. (MST) on December 15.

The DOE is also holding a Cleanup to Clean Energy information day at INL on October 25, where leaders in nuclear energy, wind, solar, geothermal, net-zero microgrids, and other clean energy technologies are invited to participate. Attendees will have a chance to learn more about the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative, the RFI, and the INL Site.

Savannah River: The DOE said it has identified approximately 13,200 acres of SRS land that could potentially be used for carbon-free electricity generation and storage. The department may decide to lease part or all the available land for such projects, or award leases to one or multiple entities.

The deadline for the SRS RFI is November 17.