Inactive

“Communities-Local Energy Action Program - Manufacturing Support” OBJECTIVE The objective of this work effort is for selection of subcontractor(s) to support NREL in providing manufacturing analysis a... “Communities-Local Energy Action Program - Manufacturing Support” OBJECTIVE The objective of this work effort is for selection of subcontractor(s) to support NREL in providing manufacturing analysis and planning activities as related to technical assistance services to communities to progress their clean energy economy planning. Subcontractor(s) and NREL will work with community-led, multi-disciplinary teams to assist communities in developing a robust plan (e.g., strategic plan or roadmap, business plan, implementation plan) that can be used to guide community efforts to attract and retain clean energy manufacturing in their community (e.g. policy, program or project implementation, financing schemes, funding opportunities, etc.). Technical assistance will be focused on one, or a combination, of the following seven pathways incorporated into this Pilot initiative (NREL will provide technical assistance for pathways 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7): Clean Energy Planning and Development Energy Efficient Buildings and Beneficial Electrification Planning and Investment Clean Transportation Planning and Investment Carbon Capture and Storage Energy Site Reclamation and Critical Minerals Processing Community Resilience Microgrids New or Enhanced Manufacturing This sources sought is specifically around Pathway 7, new or enhanced manufacturing. As stated in the Opportunity Announcement: The manufacturing sector is a cornerstone of the U.S. economy; more than 240,000 manufacturing firms employ roughly 8.5% of the workforce and account for approximately 11% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). At the community level, the U.S. manufacturing footprint translates to substantial opportunities for economic growth and high-quality jobs, including the 60% of Americans without a four-year college degree. Manufacturing jobs are particularly impactful for communities, as each manufacturing job creates multiple indirect jobs in other sectors like product and process engineering, design, operations and maintenance, transportation, testing and lab work, as well as in the payroll, accounting, and legal fields. U.S. manufacturers will be critical to producing solar panels, wind turbine blades, batteries, and other technologies key to the country’s clean energy transition. At the same time, manufacturing, which currently accounts for approximately one quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, faces its own decarbonization challenges. The goal of technical assistance for the New or Enhanced Manufacturing pathway is to assist communities in developing and implementing a strategy to foster a strong, clean, and resilient local manufacturing ecosystem, including assessing potential for clean energy supply chain manufacturing. Selected communities can receive assistance to engage with existing local manufacturing facilities on energy performance to lower emissions and reduce waste; identify how local strengths—such as natural resources or existing manufacturing infrastructure or capabilities—could play a role in manufacturing new clean energy technologies; evaluate education and workforce development resources to train a skilled local workforce; and/or provide planning support for new manufacturing capacity. This coordinated approach can help communities develop more sustainable and cost-competitive manufacturing capabilities while fostering local conditions to attract new firms to the area. DOE/NREL’s technical assistance may also connect community-based manufacturers with additional opportunities, such as demonstrating emerging technologies at their facilities, receiving financial consulting services, and conducting R&D at cutting edge facilities like the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Manufacturing Demonstration Facility. Opportunities could include: Resilient Manufacturing… Workforce Development… Industrial Decarbonization and Pollution Prevention…