Funding for waste-to-energy assistance program announced

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are launching the next phase of the organic Waste-to-Energy Technical Assistance for Local Governments program.

Organic waste streams, such as food waste; sludge; manure; fats, oils and grease (FOG), represent significant environmental, economic and social sustainability challenges for communities.

Given that these waste streams require local solutions to various aspects of their management, this technical assistance program seeks to provide local governments with the most relevant data for their decision-making.

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This program aims to enable organic waste-to-energy (WTE) and resource recovery at the municipal level by providing applicants with technical expertise and relevant data to address challenges unique to each municipality with respect to their waste streams, says NREL.

The benefits of participating in the technical assistance program include access to subject matter experts at no cost to the entity, access to data and information on the options available for energy and resource recovery and support in incorporating WTE technologies in waste management plans.

BETO will fund up to 40 hours of subject-matter assistance to local governments on a variety of topics including waste resource information, techno-economic comparison of options and market evaluation. Online applications are open March 1 to April 14. For more information, including eligibility and how to apply, visit the Technical Assistance web page.