More than 17,000 mine land sites across 1.5 million acres degrade air, land and water quality throughout the U.S. A plan to repurpose these sites for clean energy projects is being funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with up to $500 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Projects supported by the DOE Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations can potentially generate up to 90 GW of clean energy — enough to power nearly 30 million homes. Approved projects must demonstrate replicable pathways that resolve key barriers to expanded clean energy development on mine land and focus on the preservation of natural and agricultural resources. Initiatives that deliver the benefits of integrating clean energy facilities on mine land to mine operations, local energy infrastructure and to the mining communities themselves are also preferred.

Eligible clean energy technologies include solar, microgrids, geothermal, direct air capture, energy storage, advanced nuclear technologies and fossil-fueled electricity generation with carbon capture, utilization and sequestration. Up to five clean energy projects will be implemented in different regions; at least two must be solar projects.

Interested participants are invited to submit an eligible concept paper by May 11, 2023, and full applications for funding by August 31, 2023.