The US Department of Energy (DOE) has recently made significant announcements regarding advancements in cleantech, focusing particularly on cybersecurity and the support for clean energy innovation within communities. This initiative signifies a drive to strengthen energy resilience while promoting entrepreneurial activity in the clean technology sector.
In a move to bolster cybersecurity measures within the electric sector, the DOE has announced its continued collaboration with the Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator (CECA) program. This initiative, in conjunction with the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) and various utilities, aims to tackle the vulnerabilities presented by Industrial Control Systems (ICS) against an increasingly diversified grid that incorporates more renewable energy sources. The DOE stated, “Following a successful first cohort, CECA convened a second round addressing the complexity of industrial control systems and risks arising from incomplete system visibility.” This second phase includes a newly released summary report evaluating Asimily's risk management platform, which has reportedly improved the visibility of connected devices while enhancing various cybersecurity capabilities.
Alongside these cybersecurity efforts, the DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) has announced five winners of the Phase 2 awards in the Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) Round 3. The EPIC programme, now in its third year, aims to support energy innovation ecosystems, enhance clean energy business productivity, and increase the commercial success of energy tech startups. The winners include:
Arrowhead Center at NMSU, Las Cruces, NM: This incubator will focus on emerging technologies in energy and water, collaborating with National Lab technologies.
ClimateHaven, Inc., New Haven, CT: This organisation will provide business support services, with a keen focus on early-stage companies in green chemistry and engineering.
Dominion Energy Innovation Center, Ashland, VA: Known as DEIC Hyperscaled, this centre will specialise in startups that focus on data centre energy usage.
Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust, San Juan, Puerto Rico: Project Switch aims to position Puerto Rico as a premier hub for energy innovation in the Americas, building on the success of its Parallel18 accelerator programme.
Spark Innovation Center, Knoxville, TN: SparkShop will provide comprehensive product development support to help cleantech startups gain market entry and attract investor interest.
Another important initiative highlighted by the DOE is the Community Energy Innovation Prize, which has distributed $2 million across 19 teams. This programme is aimed at fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development in historically underrepresented communities within the clean energy sector. Each team awarded funding received a minimum of $10,000, with some of the most impactful projects receiving up to $310,000. Notably, the winning teams include Requity Foundation (Baltimore, Maryland) and Community Through Colors (Vieques, Puerto Rico), both of which were awarded the maximum funding.
Overall, these announcements from the DOE illustrate a concerted effort to enhance cybersecurity, promote clean energy innovation, and support historically underserved communities in transitioning to a cleaner energy economy.
Source: Noah Wire Services