This FOA marks the sixth OPEN solicitation in the history of ARPA-E. Since the Agency’s inception in 2009, the three-year periodic cycle of ARPA-E OPEN programs have served as an opportunity to advance transformative energy breakthroughs in critical areas that fall outside the scope of its technology-focused programs. The energy transition towards net-zero by 2050 demands an unprecedented level of innovation. Vision OPEN 2024 challenges the research community to develop groundbreaking technologies to enable a future energy landscape that is dramatically different.

The Vision OPEN 2024 includes three goals that are critical to achieve a sustainable energy and carbon transition with:

• Greenhouse gas (GHG)-free abundant primary energy;
• An intermodal energy superhighway that transports diversified forms of primary energy; and
• A carbon transition that sustainably meets demand for polymers and other materials.

These goals will enable a novel and robust global energy system that responsibly meets the needs and aspirations of future generations. Achieving these three goals by 2050 will necessitate development and deployment of disruptive and ambitious technologies at an unparalleled speed and scale. Topics and subtopics for each goal include:

GOAL 1: GHG-FREE ABUNDANT PRIMARY ENERGY

Topic 1.A: Rapid Deployment

• Subtopic 1.A.1: Design and Manufacturing
• Subtopic 1.A.2: Installation

Topic 1.B: Transformative Advances

• Subtopic 1.B.1: Breakthrough Progression
• Subtopic 1.B.2: New Sources

GOAL 2: INTERMODAL ENERGY SUPERHIGHWAY

Topic 2.A: Novel and Efficient Energy Transport Systems

• Subtopic 2.A.1: Electrical Power Movement
• Subtopic 2.A.2: Chemical Availability
• Subtopic 2.A.3: Novel Use of Existing Infrastructure for Energy Transfer
• Subtopic 2.A.4: Energy Conversion

Topic 2.B: Electrical Delivery Optimization Through Intelligent Systems

• Subtopic 2.B.1: Intelligent Distribution
• Subtopic 2.B.2: Intelligent Utilization

GOAL 3: CARBON AS A SUSTAINABLE BUILDING BLOCK OF THE FUTURE

Topic 3.A: Living Refineries

• Subtopic 3.A.1: Synthetic Products
• Subtopic 3.A.2: Native Polymers

Topic 3.B: Refinery Transformation

• Subtopic 3.B.1: Electrochemical Process Integration
• Subtopic 3.B.2: Novel Feedstocks, Processes, and Products

Topic 3.C: Carbon Allotrope Manufacture and Utilization

• Subtopic 3.C.1: Novel Processes
• Subtopic 3.C.2: Novel Applications

Topic 3.D: Scalable Polymer Design and Deconstruction

• Subtopic 3.D.1: Synthesis, Characterization, and Prediction
• Subtopic 3.D.2: Deconstruction of Post-Consumer Plastic Waste