DE-FOA-0003186: PROGRESSION TO NET-ZERO EMISSION PROPULSION TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE RAIL SECTOR | DE FOA 0003186

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003186

DE-FOA-0003186, titled "Progression to Net-Zero Emission Propulsion Technologies for the Rail Sector," is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) effort issued as a Request for Information (RFI), not a traditional grant or Funding Opportunity Announcement. In other words, DOE is not soliciting project applications or awarding funds through this notice. Instead, it is collecting input from industry and other stakeholders to shape future actions, priorities, and coordination needs related to decarbonizing rail propulsion. The notice was amended (Amendment 000001) specifically to extend the response deadline to February 12, 2024, with submissions due by 5:00 pm Eastern Time.

The RFI is framed around the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, which sets an economy-wide transportation goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, explicitly including the rail sector. DOE emphasizes that achieving this goal is not simply a matter of swapping one locomotive technology for another. It requires coordinated movement across the entire rail ecosystem: feedstock supply, alternative fuel production and distribution, locomotive and engine manufacturing, safety and operating practices, customer and shipper demand, and the regulatory environment. DOE also signals a sense of urgency by stating that commercially viable, well-to-wheel net-zero emission line-haul locomotives need to be present in the domestic fleet by 2030 to put the sector on a credible trajectory toward the 2050 target. That 2030 milestone implies near-term demonstrations and deployments, alongside infrastructure buildout and standards development, rather than only laboratory research.

A key part of the document is DOE's interest in propulsion pathways across two time horizons. For transitional or interim use leading up to 2030, DOE lists biodiesel, renewable diesel, ammonia, methanol, hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines, and ethanol as options under consideration. These are positioned as nearer-term levers that could reduce emissions sooner, potentially using modified existing platforms or leveraging more immediately scalable fuel supply chains in certain regions. For the mid- to long-term future, the RFI highlights hydrogen fuel cells, battery systems (either in tenders or integrated into locomotives), and direct electrification via catenary systems, as well as hybrid combinations. DOE underscores that none of these options is universally best; each comes with regionally sensitive tradeoffs tied to infrastructure readiness, energy and fuel availability, operating duty cycles, terrain, temperature, grid carbon intensity, safety constraints, and economics.

The central purpose of the RFI is to aggregate practical knowledge from rail stakeholders so DOE can better direct next steps on technology development, demonstration strategy, infrastructure requirements, and the partnerships needed to coordinate deployment. EERE is particularly interested in understanding where the rail industry is already headed on alternative fuels, what is driving that direction (for example cost, regulation, customer requirements, corporate climate commitments, or operational performance), and what the most important barriers are that could slow or derail the transition. Barriers implied by the scope of the questions include fuel production and distribution capacity, refueling or charging infrastructure, supply chain maturity, locomotive performance and reliability, lifecycle emissions verification (well-to-wheel), safety codes and standards, interoperability across railroads, and the business case for fleet turnover.

From an administrative standpoint, eligibility is listed as unrestricted, which aligns with the fact that this is an information-gathering request rather than a competitive assistance award. The notice is associated with DOE's Golden Field Office and references CFDA number 81.087. The listing also shows no expected awards, reinforcing that this action is not a funding competition. The AwardCeiling field appearing in the source data should not be interpreted as available funding under this notice because the RFI explicitly states EERE is not accepting applications.

Submission instructions are straightforward but specific. Responses had to be submitted electronically by email to GreenRail@ee.doe.gov, as attachments rather than embedded text, by 5:00 pm ET on February 12, 2024. DOE required the response in Microsoft Word (.docx) format, limited to 15 pages, using 12-point font and one-inch margins. For large attachments above 25 MB, DOE recommended compressing files (for example, using a zip file) to reduce delivery problems. The notice also directs respondents to consult the full RFI document on EERE-Exchange.energy.gov for complete context and any detailed questions DOE posed to stakeholders.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a signaling and planning step by DOE: it is gathering grounded, operationally realistic feedback to help chart a path toward deploying net-zero propulsion technologies and their supporting infrastructure at scale, with a particular focus on achieving credible line-haul solutions by 2030 and aligning the rail sector with the 2050 net-zero transportation objective.

• The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DE-FOA-0003186: PROGRESSION TO NET-ZERO EMISSION PROPULSION TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE RAIL SECTOR" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-12. (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 $1.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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