To address the challenges imposed by the rapidly evolving global energy market, ARPA-E seeks to support transformational research in all areas of energy R&D, including resource identification, extraction, transportation and use, and energy generation, storage, transmission and use in both the transportation and stationary power sectors. Areas of research responsive to this FOA include (but are not limited to) electricity generation by both renewable and non-renewable means, electricity transmission, storage, and distribution; energy efficiency for buildings, manufacturing and commerce, and personal use; and all aspects of transportation, including the production and distribution of both renewable and non-renewable fuels, electrification, and energy efficiency in transportation.
The result of a successful ARPA-E project will be such that at the end of the project the transformational technology will be sufficiently advanced and well defined in terms of performance and risk to promote next-stage development or transfer of the project to next-stage developers. Projects under this FOA must be aimed at more than progress toward identified project goals; the project must be aimed at actual delivery of these project goals. The R&D effort on later-stage technology development projects must carry the risk reduction process for the technology to the point at which entrepreneurial decisions can be made with confidence.