Working with university and industry partners, NETL is finding new ways to use concrete, a widely available and inexpensive building material, to create next-generation energy-storage systems and ensure the availability of reliable, affordable electricity as the nation shifts to renewable sources such as wind and solar. Concrete thermal energy storage (CTES) systems may be significantly less expensive than other technologies and have the potential to meet longer-duration storage needs, which will be critical as more renewable intermittent energy sources come online.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) serves the United States in a critical capacity, providing innovative solutions and cutting-edge research to power your computer, keep the lights on in your home and provide businesses, industries, hospitals and schools with abundant and affordable electricity.

As computational resources continue to evolve, NETL researchers look to new and more powerful tools to bolster their ability to model complex fossil energy power systems. The Lab has decades of experience developing this kind of software — known as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code — including the award-winning Multiphase Flow with Interphase eXchanges (MFiX).

NETL-supported research to secure a domestic supply of rare earth elements (REEs) shows economic potential regarding efficiency and cost savings and progresses along the pathway to commercial viability.

A cooperative partnership with NETL is advancing the development of next-generation gas turbines to perform with greater efficiency and at higher temperatures to meet the nation’s energy needs while generating cleaner power.

The first-known complete core of the Caney Shale Formation has been obtained as part of an NETL-supported project to find more efficient methods to extract petroleum from unconventional shale deposits and further U.S. energy independence.

NETL Director Brian Anderson shared the Lab’s contributions in addressing America’s long-term energy challenges while retaining environmental integrity at a gathering of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Energy Initiative.

The K-12 STEM Education and Outreach Team at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) led several Science Bowl competitions in West Virginia and Pennsylvania and facilitated collaboration between organizations and community partners in February. Also during the month, several of the Lab’s science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) Ambassadors visited career fairs and other science-themed events to share information about a career in energy, encourage students to explore science learning and bridge the gap between students and researchers at NETL.

As a testament to his hard work and achievements, NETL’s Richard Oleksak was selected to receive the Young Leaders Professional Development Award within the Structural Materials Division of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS).

Through cooperation with its partners, NETL is working to advance the optimization and implementation of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies into the nation’s energy sector.