The Department of Energy (DOE) issued a request for information (RFI) from the public on how the Defense Production Act (DPA) could best be used to accelerate domestic manufacturing and deployment of key technologies, strengthen U.S. power grid reliability, and deploy clean energy. This input will help DOE design DPA actions that scale up clean energy while strengthening national security and reducing fuel prices.
In particular, DOE is interested in gathering public input on how to use the DPA to address in parallel:
- Technology supply chain challenges and opportunities
- Domestic manufacturing, including small and medium-sized scale
- American workforce investment
- Energy equity, community access, and economic benefit
For example, using DPA authority, DOE could pursue a number of approaches to strengthen U.S. supply chains. DOE could provide direct financial support to expand domestic manufacturing capacity for transformers or key material inputs or could commit to purchase a quantity of transformers to provide manufacturers with demand certainty. In addition to transformers and electric grid components, the following technologies are covered by this RFI: solar photovoltaics; insulation materials; and electrolyzers, platinum group metals, and fuel cells for clean hydrogen.
Responses to the RFI must be submitted by 5 p.m. Eastern on November 30, 2022.