Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003047
The Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) funding opportunity DE-FOA-0003047, titled Grid Overhaul with Proactive, High-Speed Undergrounding for Reliability, Resilience, and Security (GOPHURRS), is aimed at dramatically changing how medium-voltage (MV) electricity distribution lines are placed underground in urban and suburban settings. The program is built around a practical problem: underground distribution lines can greatly improve reliability and reduce outage impacts, but today they are often too expensive, too slow to install, and too disruptive to communities to be a realistic default option. ARPA-E is looking for high-risk, high-reward applied research and development that could create a step-change in undergrounding methods and costs, rather than incremental improvements to conventional trenching.
At the center of GOPHURRS is a clear performance and cost target: technologies that can cut the cost of undergrounding distribution grids by at least 50 percent, while also reducing the time and cost of underground installation by a factor of two compared with traditional trenching-based approaches. The focus is specifically on medium-voltage distribution infrastructure in roughly the 5 to 46 kV range, including primary feeders and laterals, because that is where many customer-facing reliability problems originate and where undergrounding can directly reduce outages caused by storms, vegetation, vehicle contact, and other overhead-line hazards.
The opportunity frames the need using common reliability metrics. In the U.S., System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) and System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) are cited as being on the order of 5 to 8 hours and about 1.5 interruptions per customer, respectively, with an estimated economic cost of around $79 billion per year to electricity consumers. While undergrounding is known to improve reliability compared with overhead systems, the FOA emphasizes that distribution undergrounding can cost five to ten times more than overhead construction, which is the main barrier to broader adoption. Beyond cost, ARPA-E highlights serious practical drawbacks of current undergrounding practices: the risk of striking other buried utilities, worker hazards associated with manhole and confined-space operations, and major surface disruption that can lead to traffic detours and broader community safety impacts.
To overcome these barriers, GOPHURRS is explicitly trying to shift the undergrounding paradigm from "digging to drilling." In other words, ARPA-E is interested in trenchless or near-trenchless approaches that leave the surface largely intact while still enabling fast, accurate installation of conduits and cables. The technical vision includes autonomous or highly automated subsurface drilling that can follow intended routes, install conduit concurrently, and operate at high speed. A key enabling theme is the ability to detect and avoid hidden underground obstacles in real time, such as existing buried infrastructure and geologic anomalies, using advanced look-ahead sensing and guidance systems. The idea is to reduce surprises, prevent damage, and eliminate common sources of delay and cost overruns that are typical in urban underground construction.
The FOA also calls out life-cycle reliability, not just construction speed. Cable joints are noted as frequent failure points in underground systems, so the program seeks improved cable joint designs and installation systems that reduce the likelihood of early failures and lower long-term maintenance and replacement costs. Taken together, the program is aiming for an integrated step forward: faster construction, lower capital cost, fewer safety hazards for workers and the public, reduced surface disruption, and improved long-term performance of underground MV distribution networks.
From an applicant and administrative standpoint, the opportunity is run through ARPA-E and uses ARPA-E's standard mechanisms and expectations for transformational technology development under its statutory authority. The FOA is open to a wide range of applicant types (listed as "Unrestricted," subject to any clarifications in the FOA), reflecting ARPA-E's typical interest in assembling teams that may include utilities, engineering and construction technology companies, equipment manufacturers, universities, national labs, and other organizations capable of building and validating prototypes. The funding instrument types include cooperative agreements, grants, and other assistance instruments. The listing indicates an award ceiling of $10,000,000 per award and an expectation of around 14 awards, suggesting ARPA-E intends to build a portfolio of diverse technical approaches rather than back a single solution.
Key dates in the provided listing show a creation date of March 30, 2023 and an original closing date of May 9, 2023. Applications are submitted through the ARPA-E eXCHANGE system only, with applicants required to register and follow the eXCHANGE submission process. The FOA notes that ARPA-E will not review or consider concept papers submitted through other means, and it provides points of contact for technical help with the portal (ExchangeHelp@hq.doe.gov) and for FOA questions (ARPA-E-CO@hq.doe.gov), along with a reference to ARPA-E's FAQ page.
In practical terms, GOPHURRS is a grid modernization and resilience funding call focused on making undergrounding of MV distribution lines cheaper, faster, safer, and less disruptive, primarily by enabling automated trenchless installation and improved obstacle detection, while also improving long-term system reliability through better cable jointing and installation practices. The broader goal is to make undergrounding a viable, scalable investment option for utilities and communities that need better reliability and resilience without the high cost and disruption that usually come with burying power lines today.Apply for DE FOA 0003047
- The Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "GRID OVERHAUL WITH PROACTIVE, HIGH-SPEED UNDERGROUNDING FOR RELIABILITY, RESILIENCE, AND SECURITY (GOPHURRS)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.135.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 30, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 09, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 14 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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FAQs: ARPA-E GOPHURRS (DE-FOA-0003047)
What is the GOPHURRS funding opportunity?
GOPHURRS stands for "Grid Overhaul with Proactive, High-Speed Undergrounding for Reliability, Resilience, and Security." It is an ARPA-E funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0003047) focused on dramatically improving how medium-voltage (MV) electricity distribution lines are placed underground in urban and suburban environments.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
What problem is ARPA-E trying to solve with GOPHURRS?
ARPA-E is targeting the real-world barriers that prevent underground distribution lines from becoming a default option: traditional undergrounding is often too expensive, too slow to install, and too disruptive to communities. Current practices can also involve safety hazards and risks of damaging other buried utilities.
What grid infrastructure is the program focused on?
The focus is on medium-voltage distribution systems, roughly in the 5 to 46 kV range, including primary feeders and laterals. This portion of the grid is closely tied to customer-facing reliability issues and is a common source of outages from storms, vegetation, and other hazards affecting overhead lines.
Is this program about transmission lines or distribution lines?
Based on the information provided, GOPHURRS is aimed at medium-voltage distribution infrastructure (not high-voltage transmission). The program emphasizes feeders and laterals in the distribution network.
What are the main technical goals and performance targets?
The FOA describes clear targets: technologies should cut the cost of undergrounding distribution grids by at least 50%, and reduce the time and cost of underground installation by a factor of two compared with traditional trenching-based approaches.
Is ARPA-E looking for incremental improvements to trenching?
No. The FOA emphasizes high-risk, high-reward applied R&D that could create a step-change in undergrounding methods and costs, rather than incremental improvements to conventional trenching.
What does ARPA-E mean by shifting from "digging to drilling"?
The program is explicitly interested in trenchless or near-trenchless approaches that keep the surface largely intact while enabling fast, accurate installation of conduits and cables. The vision includes autonomous or highly automated subsurface drilling that can follow intended routes, install conduit concurrently, and operate at high speed.
Why is undergrounding important for reliability and resilience?
Undergrounding can reduce outages caused by hazards that commonly affect overhead lines, such as storms, vegetation contact, and vehicle impacts. The FOA positions undergrounding as a way to improve reliability and reduce outage impacts for customers.
What reliability metrics are referenced in the opportunity description?
The opportunity references common U.S. reliability metrics: SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) cited as on the order of 5 to 8 hours, and SAIFI (System Average Interruption Frequency Index) cited as about 1.5 interruptions per customer.
What economic impact of outages is cited?
The description cites an estimated economic cost of around $79 billion per year to electricity consumers.
What is the biggest barrier to widespread undergrounding today?
The FOA emphasizes cost as the main barrier. Distribution undergrounding is described as costing roughly five to ten times more than overhead construction in many cases.
What community and safety drawbacks of current undergrounding does the FOA highlight?
The FOA highlights multiple drawbacks of conventional undergrounding practices: the risk of striking other buried utilities, worker hazards tied to manhole and confined-space operations, and major surface disruption that can trigger traffic detours and broader community safety impacts.
What kinds of sensing and guidance capabilities are of interest?
A key enabling theme is real-time detection and avoidance of hidden underground obstacles (such as existing buried infrastructure and geologic anomalies). The FOA describes interest in advanced look-ahead sensing and guidance systems to reduce surprises, prevent damage, and cut delays and cost overruns common in urban underground construction.
Does the FOA care about long-term performance after installation?
Yes. The FOA calls out life-cycle reliability, not just construction speed. It notes that cable joints are frequent failure points in underground systems and seeks improved cable joint designs and installation systems to reduce early failures and lower long-term maintenance and replacement costs.
What types of projects or approaches does ARPA-E appear to be encouraging?
Based on the description, ARPA-E is encouraging integrated approaches that combine faster construction, lower capital cost, fewer worker/public safety hazards, reduced surface disruption, and improved long-term reliability of underground MV distribution networks. The FOA particularly emphasizes automated trenchless installation, obstacle detection/avoidance, and improved cable jointing and installation practices.
Who is eligible to apply?
The listing indicates eligibility is "Unrestricted" (subject to any clarifications in the FOA). The description suggests ARPA-E expects teams that may include utilities, engineering and construction technology companies, equipment manufacturers, universities, national labs, and other organizations capable of building and validating prototypes.
What funding instrument types are mentioned?
The funding instruments include cooperative agreements, grants, and other assistance instruments.
What is the maximum award size mentioned in the listing?
The listing indicates an award ceiling of $10,000,000 per award.
How many awards does ARPA-E expect to make?
The listing indicates an expectation of around 14 awards, suggesting ARPA-E intends to fund a portfolio of different technical approaches.
When was this opportunity created and when did it close (based on the listing provided)?
The listing shows a creation date of March 30, 2023 and an original closing date of May 9, 2023.
How do applicants submit an application?
Applications must be submitted through the ARPA-E eXCHANGE system. Applicants are required to register and follow the eXCHANGE submission process.
Can concept papers or materials be submitted by email or other methods?
No. The FOA notes that ARPA-E will not review or consider concept papers submitted through other means outside of the ARPA-E eXCHANGE system.
Where can applicants get technical help with the submission portal?
For eXCHANGE system help, the contact provided is ExchangeHelp@hq.doe.gov.
Where can applicants send questions about the FOA itself?
The point of contact for FOA questions provided is ARPA-E-CO@hq.doe.gov.
Is there a general ARPA-E FAQ resource referenced?
Yes. The opportunity description references ARPA-E's FAQ page (without providing a specific URL in the information given).
What is the broader intended outcome of GOPHURRS?
The broader goal is to make undergrounding a viable, scalable option for utilities and communities seeking better reliability and resilience without the high cost, slow timelines, and disruption typically associated with burying power lines today.
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