The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is recognizing outstanding entrepreneurs and small businesses during National Small Businesses Week, April 28 – May 4. The SBA’s Office of Advocacy reports that over 99% of all firms in the United States are small businesses. Small businesses are the lifeblood that keeps the American economy functioning. Small businesses drive innovation, create jobs, and play an important role in supporting their local communities.

NETL’s research in how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies can be used in the changing energy landscape to address climate change while powering the modern economy was featured in a recent podcast episode.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) today announced up to $60 million in funding to create regional teams to support the development of critical mineral and materials supply chains and novel high-value, nonfuel carbon-based products from unconventional and secondary feedstocks, such as coal and coal by-products, effluent waters from oil and natural gas development and production, and acid mine drainage. Realizing the critical mineral and materials potential in these feedstocks would enable the United States to rebuild a domestic supply chain for rare earth elements and other critical minerals and materials—which support high-tech manufacturing and the production of components for clean energy technologies—and reduce our dependence on international supply chains.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) today announced two projects selected to receive a total of $23.2 million to evaluate the potential of oil and gas production and geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) from unconventional reservoirs through a combined process that uses captured CO2 emissions to recover residual oil—called CO2 enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR). The projects will help evaluate the feasibility for permanent storage of CO2 in depleted unconventional shale oil and gas reservoirs, repurposing existing infrastructure in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic decarbonization goals.

NETL Director Marianne Walck, Ph.D., and researchers from the Lab will be presenting during the 2024 Digital Engineering Conference (DICE), a three-day event held at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) April 29. The focus of the event is fostering collaborations that will support the digital future of energy technology and projects. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $17.5 million for four projects that will help lower the costs and reduce the environmental impacts of the onshore production of rare earths and other critical minerals and materials from coal, coal wastes, and coal by-products. The projects, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help meet the growing demand for critical minerals and materials in the United States, while reducing our reliance on foreign supply chains. Rare earths and other critical minerals and materials are key to our nation’s defense and to U.S. manufacturing of clean energy technologies—such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells to advance President Biden’s historic climate agenda.

Since joining the Lab in 2018, NETL Associate Counsel Kari Skovira has established herself as a leader in the implementation of U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) responsibilities under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Interagency Agreement under the Clean Air Act between NETL and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Her work is a vital component in the Lab’s mission to build a sustainable energy future.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $11 million for four selected projects that will help fight climate change by bolstering the nation’s carbon management industry. The projects, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will support the transport of carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from industrial and power generation facilities, as well as from legacy carbon dioxide emissions captured directly from the atmosphere, to locations for permanent geologic storage. This effort supports the development of a large-scale carbon management industry, key to achieving the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic climate and clean energy agenda.

Earth Day is an annual event that has been celebrated since 1970 and closely aligns with NETL’s vision to develop sustainable energy solutions and protect the environment for future generations. In celebration of Earth Day, observed tomorrow, April 22, NETL proudly announces the winners of its annual Earth Day Poster Contest.

NETL’s Andy Jones, technology manager for the Lab’s Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Program, shared details of how the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) intends to kick-start a nationwide network of large-scale carbon removal sites using direct air capture (DAC) technology to address legacy carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution and complement rapid emissions reductions.