To deal with the pressures faced by EERE executives, they turned to their military backgrounds. They identified risks and created specialized teams focused on specific projects and goals. While military-style methods of management may not work in every situation, they have helped EERE survive even the most challenging times. Many of their goals were achieved. EERE today is one of top-performing non-profits in the world. This article will give you an overview of their mission and funding requests.
EERE's mission
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is a federal agency charged with making America a global leader in clean energy. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has set ambitious clean energies goals and laid out a plan to reach them. The agency will focus its resources on the few "high-probability paths" that have the greatest impact to achieve its goals.
The organization's mission consists of developing innovative energy-saving technology and policies to reduce risks associated with emerging technologies. EERE publishes Funding Opportunity Announcements to support these efforts. EERE's preferred clients are electric utility interests and environmentalists. In some cases, it collaborates with manufacturers to implement energy-efficiency standards and policies. This collaboration included the creation of regional appliances efficiency standards under Obama Administration.
The funding levels for EERE have increased over the years. The Department's largest applied research and development office in applied energy is now EERE, with a total budget that exceeds $200 million for all other DOE offices. As a result, it's important to conduct oversight of EERE's work. However, today's hearing seems to be misdirected.
Request for funding by EERE
The FY2017 funding request to EERE includes $2.9B in discretionary funding as well as $1.3B in mandatory funding. This is a $2.2 billion increase (104%) on the FY2016 level of $2.1 million. However, EERE does not expect to have a substantial involvement in the projects it supports.
This request is open to domestic and international entities. If the project involves a cooperative agreement, then the Prime Recipient must incorporate in the United States. This determination will be made based on the eligibility criteria of the Prime Recipient, representative and ownership of intellectual property rights.
In its funding request, the Obama Administration is encouraging the development of innovative technologies for renewable energy efficiency. It also seeks to establish regional clean energy innovation partnerships throughout the United States to accelerate the development of next-generation clean energy technology pathways.
Deadline for EERE to allocate funds
A provision in the EERE of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), established the timeframe for the allocation and spending of funds. As part of the ARRA, the EERE office was required to announce grant programs within 18 months, solicit applications, perform merit reviews, negotiate grants and distribute the funds. These initiatives had two goals: to create long-term job opportunities and boost the economy.
The EERE team reviewed existing processes and decided to create a centralized reporting process. Before, teams reported to their respective technology development managers. They would then share the relevant project data with top stakeholders. They designed a process to centralize reporting. This included data sharing requirements and guidelines for measuring performance.
A project may have more than one budget period. This means funds that were allocated to one award could be used for more projects.