Four NETL teams recently received Secretary’s Honor Awards for demonstrating exceptional creativity, drive, and commitment that has a lasting impact on the mission of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). These honors represent the highest internal, nonmonetary recognition that DOE employees and contractors can receive for their service and contributions to the Department’s mission and to the nation.

NETL researchers are exploring shovel-less mining technologies to recover critical minerals and materials (CMMs) from the subsurface and provide U.S. manufacturers with a reliable domestic supply chain of CMMs needed to produce computers, electronics, components for energy and defense systems, and much more.

NETL received a 2026 R&D 100 Award for its contributions that led to the development of Real-time Embedded Feedback and Layered Excitation (REFLEX) — technology that addresses fundamental challenges limiting the efficient use of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs).

Ruishu Wright, an NETL researcher who has demonstrated technical leadership and made exceptional contributions in the development of novel sensor technologies to protect the nation’s critical energy infrastructure, has been named a recipient of an Arthur S. Flemming Award. The awards are presented annually to honor outstanding federal employees who go above and beyond to make a difference in society.

NETL joins the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) and the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) in announcing the Geothermal Center of Excellence (CoE), a unique effort that will position the U.S. as a global leader in the production of geothermal energy.

Experts from the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) are collaborating with the Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL) on a community science campaign to identify, characterize, and process domestic sources of critical minerals (CMs), including rare earth elements (REEs), needed to ensure American energy dominance and national security.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) today announced up to $10.75 million in federal funding to support novel, early-stage research and development (R&D) projects at eligible U.S. colleges and universities. The funding opportunity is offered through HGEO’s University Training and Research (UTR) Program, which aims to train the next generation of engineers and scientists for careers in energy-related research to help ensure affordable, reliable, and secure energy for all Americans.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $65.5 million in federal funding for cost-shared research, development, and deployment projects to strengthen domestic oil and natural gas production, improve the efficiency and reliability of critical energy infrastructure, and convert underutilized resources into valuable products. The funding opportunity supports technologies that maximize the productivity of existing infrastructure, expand the capacity and performance of energy delivery systems, and strengthen the resilience of America’s oil and natural gas supply chain. 

New technology developed by NETL researchers provides a revolutionary approach to pinpoint early signs of corrosion in natural gas pipelines before catastrophic failures can occur, significantly enhancing the safety, reliability, and resilience of crucial energy infrastructure.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) announced up to $150 million in federal funding for cost-shared projects aimed at advancing three critical priorities for the U.S. oil and natural gas industry—dramatically improving recovery efficiency from unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, advancing hydraulic fracture characterization technologies, and developing innovative solutions for produced water management. This initiative advances resident Trump’s Executive Order , “Unleashing American Energy,” and the Secretarial Order “Unleashing the Golden Era of Energy Dominance,” to provide affordable, reliable, and secure energy to all Americans through the responsible development of our nation’s abundant domestic oil and natural gas supplies.