The U.S. Department of Energy recently issued a request for qualifications for utility-scale energy projects within the 310-square-mile Savannah River Site, a 310-square-mile-site in Aiken, South Carolina.
The purpose of the RFQ is to receive proposals from parties interested in utilizing DOE-owned land at SRS to develop carbon-pollution-free electricity projects with a focus on generating opportunities for projects of 200 megawatts or larger, “benefiting the broader region,” DOE said.
The RFQ is tied to DOE’s Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative.
In addition to the RFQ being open to all CFE technologies, including nuclear, the federal government is also open to considering proposals that include development of colocated loads, such as data centers, that would directly off-take the CFE generated on DOE property.
Proposals are due by Oct. 4.
Since announcing the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative in July last year, DOE has issued six requests for qualifications to lease land at the SRS; Hanford Site in Washington; Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico; Nevada National Security Site; and Idaho National Laboratory.
On June 20, DOE's Office of Environmental Management (EM) announced the selection of Stellar Renewable Power LLC to begin realty agreement negotiations for commercial clean energy solar projects at SRS.
On July 18, EM announced Ameresco Inc. as the second developer selected for a solar project.
On Aug. 20, Stellar Renewable Power signed the first realty agreement for a CFE project as part of the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative at SRS.
DOE will continue to engage and partner with industry, tribal nations, communities, stakeholders, regulators and others to implement a process for further development of clean energy projects on DOE-owned land, it said.
