On November 4, 2022, the White House announced a new initiative to support research and development projects on 37 “game-changing” technologies to advance the Biden Administration’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Led by an interagency working group, the “Net-Zero Game Changers Initiative” will direct billions of dollars under the bipartisan infrastructure law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act toward five initial priorities:

• Efficient Building Heating and Cooling, including refrigerants with low global warming potential;
• Net-Zero Aviation, cost-competitive with conventional aviation, including electric and hybrid aircraft and sustainable aviation fuels production;
• Net-Zero Power Grid and Electrification, including advanced transmission and distribution systems;
• Fusion Energy at Scale, cost-competitive with conventional energy; and
• Industrial Products and Fuels for a Net-Zero, Circular Economy, including secure supply chains and alternative pathways for producing low-carbon steel, aluminum, cement, chemicals, industrial heat, clean water, and electrofuels.

Under the initiative, federal departments and agencies will increase their coordination on these priority areas and create roadmaps for translating early-stage research into widespread use.

Other research and development opportunities identified include innovation in energy storage, alternative biofuels, electric vehicle batteries, and advanced wind and solar power.

We will be tracking future funding announcements under this initiative.