The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) developed the draft solicitation to continue its efforts under the CCPI.

NETL will conduct the comment-and-response period until December 26, 2003 and input will be used to prepare the final solicitation.

The final solicitation release is anticipated for about January 16, 2004, with selections expected toward the end of 2004.

In this second series of competitive solicitations, DOE anticipates the availability of between $300 million and $400 million to fund multiple project awards. Industry is expected to match or exceed the government's share for every project.

The CCPI is a cost-sharing partnership between the government and industry to demonstrate advanced coal-based electric power generation technologies.

The solicitation is open to technologies capable of producing any combination of heat, fuels, chemicals, or other useful by-products in conjunction with electricity generation.

Prospective projects must ensure that coal is used for at least 75 percent of the fuel energy input to the process, while electricity is at least 50 percent of the energy-equivalent output from the technology demonstrated.

Additionally, prospective projects must show the potential for rapid market penetration upon successful demonstration of the technology or concept.