U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visited NETL’s site in Morgantown, West Virginia, to tour the Lab’s cutting-edge facilities and see first-hand how the Lab’s distinguished researchers are working to unleash American energy dominance, strengthening our national security and leading the world in innovation.

Secretary Wright and his delegation visited NETL laboratories and spoke with researchers whose work is focused on leveraging the nation’s abundant hydrocarbon energy resources to meet the growing needs of the American people. The tour included an in-depth look at how NETL researchers are working to:

• Reduce energy costs for American families and strengthen the reliability of the nation’s energy systems through advanced combustion research that has shown the potential to significantly increase efficiency compared to commercially available technology.
• Bolster American manufacturing competitiveness and supply chain security by enhancing the production of essential chemicals through innovative new processes that use microwaves and plasmas to achieve unprecedented efficiencies, selectivity and yields.
• Unlock the potential of domestic resources including oil, gas, geothermal and rare earth elements by using computer tomography to better understand the dynamic processes within subsurface energy systems.
• Take full advantage of affordable, reliable and secure domestic resources such as coal and biomass by converting them into valuable products such as carbon fibers, chemicals, transportation fuels and hydrogen.

“When we think about energy, we should think about humans. We develop energy to make humans’ lives better,” Secretary Wright said. “The other thing is math. Different sources have different tradeoffs. How do you invest those resources to get the greatest human improvement? The math and the human uplift have been overwhelmingly favoring hydrocarbons. This is why the work here at NETL focused on innovating hydrocarbon technologies is so important and so critical to the department’s success.”

Secretary Wright also learned about NETL’s capabilities in advanced computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and data that are accelerating technological breakthroughs at the Lab and securing America’s global high-performance computing leadership. He also observed progress on the construction of the Lab’s new Computational Science and Engineering Center, which will be a cornerstone for NETL’s advanced scientific computing work that includes supercomputing via Joule 3.0 as well as AI and machine learning applications — crucial areas of research that will support DOE goals in leading innovation for scientific discovery and national security.

“NETL research drives innovation across the energy sector, from AI-enhanced modeling and efficient power generation systems to critical mineral recovery and advanced materials that resist corrosion, protect infrastructure and extend equipment life,” NETL Director Marianne Walck said. “Secretary Wright’s visit to our Morgantown campus provided us with an excellent opportunity to show how clearly our work is aligned with DOE’s mission and vision and how our work is providing tangible benefits to the American people.”

See a video highlighting Secretary Wright’s visit here.

NETL is a DOE national laboratory dedicated to advancing the nation’s energy future by creating innovative solutions that strengthen the security, affordability and reliability of energy systems and natural resources. With laboratories in Albany, Oregon; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, NETL creates advanced energy technologies that support DOE’s mission while fostering collaborations that will lead to a resilient and abundant energy future for the nation.