Industrial facilities face some of the greatest challenges in reducing carbon emissions. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is investing heavily to help industry overcome those challenges.

On Feb. 3, 2023, the DOE announced a major funding opportunity to establish a regional network of Technical Assistance Partnerships (TAPs). This network of experts will help industrial facilities and other large energy users increase the adoption of on-site clean energy technologies.

The DOE is investing $23 million in the effort, which will support up to 10 entities that can serve as regional TAPs across the country. Each TAP will represent a multistate region and serve as the primary technical, market and policy point of contact for end-users and other state and local stakeholders.

The funding will also support the creation of one entity to serve as a national Onsite Energy Technical Analysis and Support Center, which will centrally coordinate technical analysis and programmatic activities of the Onsite Energy TAPs.

The TAPs will support industry by providing specialized technical assistance to help them integrate the latest in clean energy technology on-site. Assistance may include initial site screenings to identify on-site energy opportunities and more advanced analysis to support project installations.

The TAPs will have expertise in a range of technologies, including battery storage, combined heat and power, district energy, fuel cells, geothermal, industrial heat pumps, renewable fuels, solar photovoltaics, solar thermal, thermal storage and wind power.

The DOE notes that the industrial sector is responsible for approximately 30% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and that energy use in this sector is projected to increase by 31% over the next two decades. The regional TAP program is designed to capitalize on the efficiencies and carbon reduction potential of on-site clean energy technologies to help the industrial sector reduce its overall emissions.