a photo of kitchen scraps

Organic food waste. Photo courtesy of iStock

The U.S Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have launched the next phase of the organic Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Technical Assistance for Local Governments.

Food waste, wastewater sludge, and other organic matter represent significant environmental, economic, and social sustainability challenges for municipalities. Given that these waste streams require local solutions to various aspects of their management or disposal, this technical assistance program provides municipalities with the most relevant data to help with decision making. The data from this program can help communities evaluate the most sensible end-uses for their waste, such as repurposing for: on-site heat/power, transportation fuels, nutrient recovery, or other options. BETO will provide subject matter assistance to municipalities on topics, including:

  • Waste resource information
  • Infrastructure considerations
  • Techno-economic comparison energy and resource recovery options
  • Evaluation and sharing of case studies (to the extent possible) from similar communities/projects
  • Equity assessments

The 2023 Waste-to-Energy Technical Assistance application portal opened on March 1, 2023, and applications were accepted from March 1, 2023, through April 14, 2023. For information on applicant eligibility and how to apply, please visit the Technical Assistance web page.

Timeline for Technical Assistance Opportunity

DATE

ACTION

3/1/2023

Application Portal Opens

4/14/2023

Application Portal Closes

TBD

Selections Announced

 

Learn more about WTE and BETO-funded technical assistance on the BETO website. If you have any further questions, please see Frequently Asked Questions or contact the WTE Technical Assistance Team at wte.assist@nrel.gov.