NETL’s McMahan Gray will be presented with a prestigious honor from the institution where he learned critical skills to thrive as a nationally renowned research scientist. The Chemistry Department at the University of Pittsburgh recently announced it will present Gray, a physical scientist 1980 alumnus, with its 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award at a ceremony to be held next fall.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) and NETL has announced up to $4 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development (R&D) projects under the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002190, Research for Innovative Emission Reduction Technologies Related to Coal Combustion Residuals.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) and NETL have selected two projects to receive approximately $9 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development projects under Phase II of the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0001816, Advanced Components for 65% Combined Cycle Efficiency, sCO2 Power Cycles and Advanced Modular Heat Engines.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) and NETL has selected three additional projects to receive approximately $3 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development projects. These projects are supported through the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0001992, Maximizing the Coal Value Chain.  

NETL representatives hosted a booth and shared information about the Lab’s work this week at the fifth annual U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) InnovationXLab Summit on Biomanufacturing, held Jan. 28-29 in Berkeley, California. The Lab showcased its collaborations in biomanufacturing research and development at the event and shared ideas with other national laboratories and key industry representatives, which supports NETL’s mission to develop technologies to secure and enhance the nation’s energy foundation.

Fossil energy is vital to the nation’s security, with coal serving as the fuel that produces nearly 30% of U.S. electricity. To ensure the continued success of this critical energy resource, NETL is funding advanced research to modernize the grid and improve the efficiency of the existing coal-fired power plant fleet, which strengthens the reliability of all our electricity generation.

Innovations by researchers at Ohio State University have shown potential to deliver a supply of strategically and economically vital rare earth elements (REEs). REEs are used in everything from green energy applications and personal electronics to defense technology and smart car systems. Important as these elements are, China controls the lion’s share of the world market.

How do research breakthroughs and innovations create economic and workforce opportunities on the regional and national scale? This is the focus of the NETL Regional Workforce Initiative Energy 101 webinar series.

NETL’s K-12 STEM Education & Outreach team provided support services during three West Virginia Regional Science Bowl (WVSB) Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) qualifying competitions in December. The competitions determined which middle and high school teams will compete in the main WVSB event, to be held Feb. 8-9 at West Virginia University in Morgantown. The winning teams from the WVSB will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. to compete in the annual National Science Bowl in April.