The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that will provide up to $100 million in federal funding for the refurbishment and modernization of existing coal power plants across the United States. This initiative is part of a broader effort, following a previous announcement in September regarding a planned $625 million investment aimed at expanding and revitalizing the American coal industry.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright commented on the new funding opportunity: “For years, the Biden and Obama administrations relentlessly targeted America’s coal industry and workers, resulting in the closure of reliable power plants and higher electricity costs. Thankfully, President Trump has ended the war on American coal and is restoring common sense energy policies that put Americans first. These projects will help keep America’s coal plants operating and ensure the United States has the reliable and affordable power it needs to keep the lights on and power our future.”
The initiative supports executive orders issued by President Trump focused on reinvigorating what he calls “America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry” as well as strengthening the reliability and security of the nation’s electric grid.
The NOFO seeks applications for projects targeting three main areas:
– Development, engineering, and implementation of advanced wastewater management systems designed for cost-effective water recovery and extraction of value-added byproducts from wastewater streams.
– Engineering, design, and installation of retrofit systems that allow switching between coal and natural gas fuels without affecting critical plant operations.
– Deployment of advanced co-firing systems using both coal and natural gas, including fuel-flexible burner designs and control systems to maximize gas co-firing capacity while minimizing efficiency losses.
Projects selected under this NOFO will be managed by DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), which operates within DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy.
Applications must be submitted by January 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET.
