DOE Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (formerly EERE)

Administers DOE Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation for practical innovation and measurable outcomes.

The DOE Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) — formerly the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) — funds research, development, demonstration, and deployment across 13 technology sub-offices. In 2026, the office was reorganized and renamed under a new administration, shifting its primary emphasis from renewable-energy R&D toward American critical-minerals supply chains, advanced manufacturing, and energy security.

CMEI issues competitive funding opportunities (FOAs) through the EERE eXCHANGE portal (eere-exchange.energy.gov). The three largest 2026 funding streams are the Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator (CMMA, $69M), the Battery Materials Processing program ($500M, now between cycles), and HPC4EI / HPC4Mfg ($10M+). Many historic renewable sub-offices — Solar (SETO), Wind (WETO), Hydrogen (HFTO), Buildings (BTO) — currently have no open 2026 FOAs.

Programs are often delivered via partner national laboratories (Lawrence Livermore, Ames, NREL). Industry-led partnerships are preferred; most FOAs require U.S. entities. IP typically stays with the awardee under the Bayh-Dole framework, with DOE march-in rights.