This is FANTASTIC NEWS and something we can get a little fired up about.
ok sure still a ways to go - the engine coming along good - I think this news might spike some additional reservations.
"During the due diligence phase, DOE performs a detailed examination of the project's technical, financial, legal, and other qualifications and negotiates the terms of the loan with the applicant."
So stage 1 is basically just having it filled out and completed; they are now in "Due Diligence Phase" which is listed above.
Having done due diligence on corp. mergers, it is not as daunting as it sounds. It is just proving the things that were said in the application are true and accurate. Of course the Gov't will have to be sure that their list of requirements are fulfilled.
I still think phase 1 is mainly just if all the sections of the loan are completed; aka uploading all the documents requested. Phase 2 is when the files are actually opened