WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has announced new funding totaling nearly $11 million to help small businesses in nine states develop new ideas to boost energy efficiency, cut carbon pollution, and reduce U.S. reliance on imported oil.

As part of its efforts to support innovative small businesses and bring new clean energy technologies to market faster, DOE said these projects will focus on developing clean energy technologies with a strong potential for commercialization and job creation. Technologies among the 11 projects receiving funding include:

• A project led by Cool Energy Inc. that will test a high-efficiency, low-temperature geothermal power technology that could help develop geothermal energy resources across most of the United States.

• A project led by Proton OnSite to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of systems that produce hydrogen fuel from renewable energy sources. This fuel can then be used for hydrogen fuel cells.

Funded by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy through DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, these awards are for Phase II projects to further develop Phase I projects and produce a prototype or equivalent within two years.

For more information, visit DOE’s SBIR/STTR web page.

Publication date: 8/5/2013