Policy & Regulation

DOE aims to train students for decarbonization, pollution remediation efforts

The U.S. Department of Energy is offering $6.1 million for student training and research in remediating pollution from coal-fired power generation and for using carbon capture and storage (CCUS) technologies.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is offering $6.1 million for student training and research in remediating pollution from coal-fired power generation and for using carbon capture and storage (CCUS) technologies.

Of that funding, $3.1 million would support the department’s University Coal Research (UCR) program. A second other opportunity will provide $2.2 million in support of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority Institutions (HBCU-OMI) program for environmental remediation and CCUS research. Additionally, up to $800,000 in additional funding related to emissions control would be available across both programs.

DOE said the funding opportunities would support roughly 20 student engineers and scientists working over 2-3 years on research projects related to advancing U.S. climate goals.

The funding would support "guided decarbonization" approaches. The department said one example would be exploring the generation of low-carbon energy by blending biomass feedstocks with waste coal, coupled with carbon capture and dedicated storage. Another approach would be using algae to uptake carbon dioxide, which would then be converted to fuels, plastics, or fine chemicals. The DOE funding would also help HBCUs assess resources and determine gaps in their programs.

The funding would also support remediating pollution left behind by combusting coal—such as coal ash, coal refuse, acid mine drainage, and tens of thousands of abandoned mines across the U.S.

That Infrastructure Law signed into effect in November 2021 includes $12 billion to invest in CCUS technologies. Additionally, $21 billion was allocated to clean up Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund and brownfield sites, reclaim abandoned mine land, and cap abandoned oil and gas wells.