North Allegheny’s Marshall Middle School Team 1 captured first place at the 32nd Western Pennsylvania Science Bowl (WPASB) middle school competition, which was held Saturday, March 4. Twenty-five teams from the region competed in the event, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and NETL.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) and the DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) today announced $4.5 million in funding for Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) to study ways to improve turbine performance and efficiency. This research supports our Nation’s efforts to ramp up the use of low-carbon fuels—including sustainable aviation fuels and hydrogen for power production—to help achieve the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.  

NETL researchers have reported the successful use of microwaves to accelerate sorbent regeneration – results that can lead to substantial reduction of expensive water and energy requirements of some promising direct air capture (DAC) technologies.

Reduction and removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere are key objectives in the climate change challenge. NETL has been at the forefront of carbon capture and storage research for decades. Now, its carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technology research is helping set the pace for additional innovations in direct air capture (DAC) and other technological approaches that are focused on attaining the Biden Administration’s goal of a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions economy by 2050 through just and sustainable decarbonization pathways.

Conducting projects on reducing air pollutants, understanding the dynamics of extreme materials and finding ways to use waste products, NETL research associates Hang Zhou, Shun-Li Shang and Samuel Flett, guided by their Lab mentors, strive to address some of the nation’s greatest energy challenges.

North Allegheny Senior High School – Team 1 claimed victory at the 2023 Western Pennsylvania Science Bowl (WPASB) Regional High School Competition, held Saturday, Feb. 25, in a virtual format. Forty-one teams from 26 high schools participated in the contest, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and NETL. The WPASB tested students’ knowledge of math and science in a fast-paced, quiz-style tournament. The same format will be used during the middle school portion of the competition this Saturday, March 4.

Join NETL Thursday, March 9, from 10-11 a.m. (ET) for a discussion with a point source carbon capture expert and learn about the regional economic and workforce development opportunities this technology is expected to generate. The webinar will begin with comments from Anthony Armaly, coordinator of NETL’s Regional Workforce Initiative (RWFI), followed by a presentation by Ron Munson, technology manager, Point Source Carbon Capture, and an economic and workforce development roundtable discussion.

NETL researchers will detail how the lab is helping to mitigate a contributor to climate change during the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Orphan, Idle and Leaking Wells workshop, to be held Feb. 21-22, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A new facility will be established at NETL’s Pittsburgh campus with the goal of jumpstarting the development of direct air capture (DAC) technologies that can provide new economic opportunities while lowering the quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the planet’s atmosphere.

Some use their expertise to ask complex science- or math-based questions. Others carefully monitor the clock to ensure answers are provided within the prescribed time limit, accurately tally scores during each fast-paced round or complete other important tasks.