Increasing Utilization and Reliability of Electric Infrastructure with Grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) | DE FOA 0002948

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002948

The Department of Energy, through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), released a discretionary funding opportunity called "Increasing Utilization and Reliability of Electric Infrastructure with Grid-enhancing technologies (GETs)" (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0002948). The program is focused on research, development, and demonstration (RD and D) projects that can prove, in real operating conditions, how grid-enhancing technologies can increase the usable capacity and reliability of the existing electric grid. Rather than funding purely conceptual studies, the emphasis is on at-scale field demonstrations that show measurable, real-world benefits and practical pathways to broader adoption.

At its core, the opportunity is about getting more performance out of today’s transmission and distribution infrastructure without relying solely on long timelines for building major new lines. Grid-enhancing technologies is a broad term that generally refers to tools and systems that help utilities and grid operators monitor, control, and optimize power flows on existing equipment. These approaches often aim to unlock "headroom" on existing lines, improve situational awareness, reduce congestion, increase transfer capability when conditions allow, and strengthen reliability during changing operating conditions. The DOE is looking for innovative approaches that do not just claim these benefits in theory, but can demonstrate them on the ground in a way that produces credible evidence for the industry.

Awards under this announcement are made as cooperative agreements, which typically means DOE expects to be more actively involved than in a standard grant. In practice, cooperative agreements often include substantial federal involvement in planning, technical oversight, milestones, reporting, and coordination to ensure the demonstration meets program goals and generates useful results for the wider grid community. The funding activity is categorized under Energy, Science and Technology, and other Research and Development, and it is associated with CFDA number 81.122.

The maximum award amount listed is $2,100,000, and DOE anticipated making around five awards. The opportunity was created on February 24, 2023, with an original closing date of May 9, 2023. While those dates indicate the submission window for this specific round has passed, the structure and details still matter for understanding what DOE was trying to accelerate: field-proven GET deployments that can be replicated and scaled.

Eligibility is described as "unrestricted," meaning it is open to a wide range of applicant types, subject to any additional eligibility language contained in the full announcement. In DOE funding, unrestricted eligibility commonly allows applications from private companies, utilities, system operators, universities, national labs (often with specific conditions), state and local entities, and other organizations capable of carrying out a field demonstration. The key practical requirement is typically whether the applicant can actually host or partner for an operational deployment, collect data, and execute the project with appropriate technical and project management capabilities.

In terms of what DOE is asking applicants to do, the central requirement is to conduct RD and D that results in a real demonstration at meaningful scale. That usually implies deploying technology on actual grid assets, integrating it with utility or operator processes, tracking performance over time, and reporting outcomes in a way that can inform future investment and regulatory decisions. The projects DOE is seeking are intended to show "real world benefits and usage," which generally points to demonstrations that include operational constraints, stakeholder coordination, installation and commissioning challenges, cybersecurity and interoperability considerations, and measurable before-and-after comparisons. The overall message of the announcement is that DOE wants evidence that GETs can be used reliably and effectively in practice, not just in modeling or lab settings.

In summary, DE-FOA-0002948 is a DOE/NETL cooperative agreement funding opportunity aimed at accelerating practical, scalable adoption of grid-enhancing technologies by supporting at-scale field demonstrations. With awards up to $2.1 million and an expected five selections, the program is designed to produce credible, transferable lessons and performance results showing how GET deployments can increase utilization of existing electric infrastructure and improve reliability in real operating environments.

• The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Increasing Utilization and Reliability of Electric Infrastructure with Grid-enhancing technologies (GETs)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.122.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 24, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 09, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for DE FOA 0002948

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