Created by the U.S. Division of Power (DOE) to assist commercialize clear power applied sciences, the Power Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC)  offers grants to incubators supporting power innovation and growth throughout the US. With a 30 p.c decline in local weather tech enterprise capital funding in 2023, federal assist is crucial to kick beginning new firms tackling local weather change.

The EPIC Awards are in the course of their third spherical of grants and have improved upon their supply mannequin to maximise their impression. Recipients transfer via two phases of the competitors with money prizes at every stage as they advance. The EPIC Spherical 3 will award $4 million to “the nation’s most modern incubators supporting power startups and entrepreneurs,” in keeping with the EPIC web site.

The winners from the second spherical of grants have been introduced on the finish of 2023. We related with every of them to find out how they’re accelerating clear power improvements of their communities. 

From reimagining manufacturing in Appalachia to transportation in Michigan, these facilities are supporting their native communities and serving to them face the distinctive challenges for every of their areas as employers and jobs transition to a extra sustainable financial system.

The Deployment Engine (Charleston, West Virginia) — Launched by ADL Ventures, The Deployment Engine (TDE) is an accelerator based mostly in Appalachia that helps widespread deployment of modern decarbonization applied sciences within the development trade. Specializing in options that advance the sector of “industrialized development,” an method to creating buildings utilizing manufacturing strategies, TDE invests in firms which have a excessive decarbonization potential via the usage of lower-embodied carbon constructing supplies and improved operational power effectivity. “With an emphasis on ‘studying by doing,’” stated Program Supervisor Alyssa Watson, “TDE focuses on creating buyer (vs. investor) deal stream and touchdown our start-ups their preliminary prospects to ignite an industrialized development ecosystem in Appalachia.”

TDE’s location within the Appalachia neighborhood offers a worthwhile position in “revitalizing its financial system by fostering a brand new startup ecosystem round industrialized development, which is repurposing previous belongings (factories, mills, underused rail) to supply jobs and deploy industrialized inexpensive housing for the locals,” stated Colby Sawnson, an government in residence at ADL Ventures.

REACH (Fort Collins, Colorado) — Based mostly on Colorado’s Entrance Vary, REACH helps entrepreneurs on the nexus of meals, power and water (FEW) methods. 

REACH is utilizing the EPIC grant to “assist affiliated early-stage startups residing on the FEW nexus as they navigate the complexities of commercializing applied sciences,” stated Jeff Muhs, managing director of accelerator applications at Colorado State College. “In communities throughout our area, power and meals manufacturing often produce wastewater and compete for restricted fresh-water assets, and power is required to pump water for irrigation, to deal with wastewater, and to course of and transport all three commodities.” 

Examples “embody agriculture waste-to-energy methods minimizing water use and co-located dryland agriculture and photo voltaic photovoltaic (PV) infrastructure, or ‘agrivoltaics,’” Muhs stated.

Ascend (Hadley, Massachusetts and Detroit) — Ascend by VentureWell, in partnership with TechTown, helps “hard-tech startups addressing power and mobility challenges,” stated Christina Tamer, vice chairman of ventures at Enterprise Nicely. It’s based mostly in Michigan, the middle of the American automotive trade for greater than a century. By “participating a various neighborhood via regional partnerships,” Tamer stated, Ascend permits the adoption of zero-emission automobiles, power storage and charging, and promotes security and power effectivity in transportation. 

Ascend’s six-week accelerator program is designed “to bridge the hole between buyer discovery and funding readiness,” stated Tamer. 

LabStart (Golden, Colorado) — LabStart“is a hybrid local weather tech startup studio and incubator,” stated Megan Holcomb, the group’s chief working officer. It takes an “equity-centric program mannequin” to “uplift passionate folks and leading edge improvements from the earliest doable phases — earlier than an organization is fashioned and earlier than a clear power expertise is licensed.” LabStart is tackling the dearth of variety in clear power entrepreneurship by serving to startups navigate the complexities of commercializing expertise birthed within the laboratory. They’re utilizing the EPIC Prize funds to “present proficient entrepreneurs from socially or economically deprived backgrounds with people-first capability constructing, entry to important networks, entry to private and non-private capital, and Nationwide Lab licensing experience and steerage,” stated Holcomb.

“By demonstrating the success of underrepresented entrepreneurs in deep local weather tech innovation,” stated Holcomb, “we hope systemically underserved communities will probably be impressed to enter local weather entrepreneurship in the event that they see success from friends with relatable life histories.”