Notice of Intent (NOI) DE-FOA-0003607, is to Issue Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) No. DE-FOA-0003606, titled, "Improving Efficiency, Reliability, and Flexibility of Coal-Based Power Plants" | DE FOA 0003607

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003607

Notice of Intent (NOI) DE-FOA-0003607 is an early, informational announcement from the U.S. Department of Energy, through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), signaling that DOE plans to release a future Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) numbered DE-FOA-0003606 titled "Improving Efficiency, Reliability, and Flexibility of Coal-Based Power Plants." The key takeaway is that this is not the actual funding announcement yet: DOE is not accepting applications at this time, is not requesting feedback or comments on the notice, and clearly states that details may change once the full NOFO is issued.

The planned focus of the future NOFO is on practical upgrades that can make existing coal-fired power plants run more efficiently, more reliably, and with greater operational flexibility, especially at sites where there is a strong case for "strategic refurbishment" rather than retirement. The NOI highlights three main technical areas DOE expects projects to address. First is the development of advanced wastewater management systems, which points to improved handling, treatment, recycling, and disposal of plant water streams in ways that reduce environmental impacts and operational constraints. Second is dual firing retrofits, meaning modifications that allow a plant to burn more than one type of fuel, improving how quickly and effectively the plant can respond to changing grid needs and fuel availability. Third is the development or deployment of natural gas cofiring systems at coal facilities, which generally refers to blending natural gas with coal to support more flexible operations, potentially improve certain performance characteristics, and help plants adjust output more responsively.

DOE frames the rationale around rapidly rising electricity demand tied to large, power-intensive national priorities and industrial growth areas. The notice specifically points to demand from national defense installations, semiconductor fabrication plants, AI data centers, critical mineral processing, and broader industrial reshoring. In DOE's framing, improving the performance and flexibility of coal-based generation that is positioned for refurbishment could provide a faster and more cost-effective route to maintaining "affordable, reliable, secure power at scale" for these loads, compared with building entirely new infrastructure on the same timeline.

From an administrative and funding-structure standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as a discretionary funding program in the energy and natural resources area, with the anticipated funding instrument listed as a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement typically implies more substantial federal involvement in project oversight or collaboration than a standard grant, so applicants should expect more active coordination with DOE if awards are ultimately made under the coming NOFO. The CFDA (assistance listing) number provided is 81.089, which is commonly associated with DOE fossil energy and carbon management related assistance programs.

On eligibility, the NOI says the final eligibility requirements will be spelled out in the eventual NOFO, but it is anticipated to be "Unrestricted." In practical terms, that usually suggests a broad range of potential applicants could be eligible (for example, private companies, utilities, technology vendors, engineering firms, universities, and other organizations), subject to whatever compliance, cost-share, teaming, or technical requirements DOE sets in the actual solicitation. Because this is only a notice of intent, prospective applicants cannot rely on eligibility, selection criteria, or required deliverables until the official NOFO is published.

The source fields included with the notice also list an "OriginalClosingDate" of 2025-10-31, but since DOE is not accepting applications under this NOI, that date should be treated as a placeholder or system date rather than an actionable deadline for submission. The record also shows an award ceiling of 2 (as listed in the data), expected awards of 0 at the NOI stage, and a creation date of 2025-10-06. Bottom line: this announcement is best read as a heads-up to start tracking the upcoming NOFO, lining up partners (such as plant owners/operators, retrofit technology providers, and wastewater treatment experts), and preparing to respond quickly once DOE releases the full funding opportunity with formal requirements, deadlines, and evaluation criteria.

• The National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent (NOI) DE-FOA-0003607, is to Issue Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) No. DE-FOA-0003606, titled, "Improving Efficiency, Reliability, and Flexibility of Coal-Based Power Plants"" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-10-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-10-31. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for DE FOA 0003607

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