Environmental Leader

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $18 million in funding from the stimulus act to small businesses for the development and deployment of clean energy technologies and to help create new jobs, reports the Gov Monitor.

The first phase of funding will award 125 grants of up to $150,000 each to 107 small advanced technology firms across the United States. These companies were selected from 950 applicants that showed near-term commercialization and job creation.

Companies that demonstrate successful results will be eligible for $60 million in a second round of grants in the summer of 2010.

Grants were awarded in ten technology areas:

– Advanced Building Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Thermal Load Shifting, and Cool Roofs (15 projects, for up to $2,241,229 total)

– Water Usage in Electric Power Production (6 projects, for up to $878,144)

– Power Plant Cooling (1 project, $150,000)

– Advanced Gas Turbines and Materials (11 projects, for up to $1,637,033)

– Sensors, Controls, and Wireless Networks (12 projects, for up to $1,787,061)

– Advanced Water Power Technology Development (12 projects, for up to $1,747,259)

– Smart Controllers for Smart Grid Applications (8 projects, for up to $1,166,871)

– Advanced Solar Technologies (12 projects, for up to $2,783,996)

– Advanced Industrial Technologies Development (25 projects, for up to $3,709,564)

– Advanced Manufacturing Processes (16 projects, for up to $2,222,110)

Click here (PDF) for the complete list of awards.

The DOE also recently announced $620 million for smart-grid projects.