Created by the U.S. Division of Vitality (DOE) to assist commercialize clear vitality applied sciences, the Vitality Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC)  supplies grants to incubators supporting vitality innovation and improvement throughout america. With a 30 % decline in local weather tech enterprise capital funding in 2023, federal help is important 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 by 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 progressive incubators supporting vitality startups and entrepreneurs,” in accordance 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 vitality 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 progressive decarbonization applied sciences within the development trade. Specializing in options that advance the sector of “industrialized development,” an strategy to creating buildings utilizing manufacturing strategies, TDE invests in firms which have a excessive decarbonization potential by the usage of lower-embodied carbon constructing supplies and improved operational vitality effectivity. “With an emphasis on ‘studying by doing,’” mentioned 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 group supplies a precious function 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,” mentioned Colby Sawnson, an govt in residence at ADL Ventures.

REACH (Fort Collins, Colorado) — Primarily based on Colorado’s Entrance Vary, REACH helps entrepreneurs on the nexus of meals, vitality 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,” mentioned Jeff Muhs, managing director of accelerator packages at Colorado State College. “In communities throughout our area, vitality and meals manufacturing often produce wastewater and compete for restricted fresh-water assets, and vitality 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 mentioned.

Ascend (Hadley, Massachusetts and Detroit) — Ascend by VentureWell, in partnership with TechTown, helps “hard-tech startups addressing vitality and mobility challenges,” mentioned Christina Tamer, vp of ventures at Enterprise Nicely. It’s based mostly in Michigan, the middle of the American automotive trade for greater than a century. By “partaking a various group by regional partnerships,” Tamer mentioned, Ascend allows the adoption of zero-emission autos, vitality storage and charging, and promotes security and vitality effectivity in transportation. 

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

LabStart (Golden, Colorado) — LabStart“is a hybrid local weather tech startup studio and incubator,” mentioned 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 attainable phases — earlier than an organization is fashioned and earlier than a clear vitality know-how is licensed.” LabStart is tackling the shortage of range in clear vitality entrepreneurship by serving to startups navigate the complexities of commercializing know-how 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,” mentioned Holcomb.

“By demonstrating the success of underrepresented entrepreneurs in deep local weather tech innovation,” mentioned 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.”