Last week at the Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative’s Southeast Regional Summit in Atlanta, Ga., the U.S. Department of Energy announced the national laboratories who will be taking the lead in implementing a new Small Business Vouchers Pilot, a public-private partnership that will connect clean energy innovators across the country with the top-notch scientists, engineers and world-class facilities at our national laboratories.

TAEBC member Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was selected as one of the five Energy Department National Laboratories to lead the $20 million pilot, with ORNL receiving the largest slice of the pie ($5.6 million).

This effort will help small businesses bring next-generation clean energy technologies to the market faster by unleashing the vast science and engineering capabilities of the Energy Department’s national laboratories to solve small businesses’ most pressing challenges. In total, the five labs will provide vouchers (starting later this summer) to more than 100 small businesses.

The labs chosen will focus on assisting small businesses developing specific clean energy technologies in the following areas: advanced manufacturing, buildings, vehicles, wind, water, bioenergy, fuel cells, geothermal and solar.

For more information about the voucher program and how it works, click here.