As new technologies and processes are created to achieve the administration’s goal of a net-zero greenhouse gas emission energy economy by 2050, a skilled NETL team takes precise steps to understand the innovations’ environmental impacts through rigorous life cycle analysis (LCA) processes. The results help people make better decisions to improve and protect the environment.

High school and middle school teams that won NETL’s annual regional Science Bowl competitions for West Virginia and western Pennsylvania made strong showings at the national contest held April 27-May 1 in Washington, D.C. Suncrest Middle School Team 1 and Morgantown High School Team 1 earned trips to compete in the National Science Bowl after winning the 2023 West Virginia Regional Science Bowl.

NETL Director Brian Anderson highlighted the expertise of the Lab’s researchers to advance innovations and scientific discoveries that support the development of regional clean hydrogen hubs across America, including a project planned through a partnership with the State of West Virginia, EQT Corp., the nation’s largest natural gas producer, and others.

NETL expertise and products associated with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for energy related research and results reporting will be on display at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Cybersecurity and Technology Innovation Conference May 8-11 at Minneapolis, Minnesota.

An advanced material that demonstrated unparalleled durability in a groundbreaking NETL test was recently selected by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and their industry collaborator Hatch for use in a novel chemical looping combustion (CLC) reactor.

The United States currently imports nearly all its supply of rare earth elements (REEs), which are a group of critical minerals that are vital for decarbonizing the energy system.

An NETL specialist whose work significantly reduced the complexity of transferring the Lab’s technologies to the private sector and increased the number of agreements executed by 27% is being recognized as the “Best in Region” for the Mid-Atlantic region by the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC).

NETL will host an extended residency for a Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) doctoral candidate in chemical engineering under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program. CMU’s William Strahl is one of 87 awardees from 58 different universities who will conduct research at 16 DOE national laboratories. Strahl earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Brigham Young University with a minor in computer science before arriving in Pittsburgh to study at CMU for his doctorate.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is recognizing outstanding entrepreneurs and small businesses during National Small Businesses Week, April 30 – May 6. To mark the occasion, NETL’s Small Business Program and the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization will host Opportunity Day at the Lab’s Morgantown campus May 3.

NETL Director Brian Anderson will serve on a panel to discuss the use of Appalachia’s abundant, low-cost energy resources to enable and sustain a regional clean hydrogen hub Tuesday, May 2, during the West Virginia Manufacturing Energy Growth (MEG) Summit at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling.