Rare earth elements (REEs) – an integral component of high-technology products from smart phones and lasers to computer hard drives, medical devices and national defense systems – are not that rare, they just appear in miniscule concentrations in a variety of sources, including water. NETL researchers have developed a way to effectively filter water from oil and natural gas well flowbacks, industrial waste streams, acid mine drainage and even municipal drinking water to recover valuable REEs.

Fossil energy transformational power technologies like ultra-supercritical steam plants and supercritical carbon-dioxide power have the potential to increase efficiencies and bolster clean coal efforts because they operate at higher temperatures and pressures. However, this leads to harsher and more corrosive conditions compared to traditional power plants. Furthermore, today’s current fleet of fossil power plants are increasingly being subjected to cycling conditions due to the penetration of renewable energy sources onto the electricity grid.

Energy experts from around the U.S., China and Europe are converging at NETL in Morgantown this week to share ideas and challenges related to innovations that will improve flexibility in hybrid power cycles as part of the Low Emission Advanced Power (LEAP 4) Workshop on Flexibility in Power Systems.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) – a waste byproduct that must be treated – is an inevitable trade-off for the affordable, abundant and reliable power derived from coal mining operations. But AMD now offers potential economic opportunities, thanks to emerging technology being developed in collaboration with NETL to extract rare earth elements (REEs).

With expected shortfalls of 1-2 million unfilled jobs in science-, technology-, engineering- and math- (STEM-) related industries over the next decade, it will be imperative to attract and retain more people – including underrepresented populations – to join the STEM workforce.

NETL’s work to assist the City of Pittsburgh in its “Clean Energy City of the Future” initiatives will be recognized by the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) Mid-Atlantic Region with a state and local economic development award for 2018 during the organization’s regional meeting set for Wednesday, Nov. 14 at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, Maryland.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) has issued a Notice of Intent for a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) expected to fund cost-shared research and development (R&D) projects that reduce technical risks associated with enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and expand application of EOR methods.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy has issued a Notice of Intent for an upcoming Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). This FOA is expected to provide funding for cost-shared research and development projects that increase recovery from unconventional oil and natural gas (UOG) plays and characterize fundamental attributes of emerging shale plays.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is announcing up to $30 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development (R&D) under the second closing of the Office of Fossil Energy’s (FE’s) Novel and Enabling Carbon Capture Transformational Technologies funding opportunity announcement.