NETL researchers are helping design better catalysts for chemical reactions that convert methane at the site of natural gas well flaring into valuable chemicals using microwave heating, according to an article in the ACS journal Energy and Fuels.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $355 million for two notices of funding opportunities issued by DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy (FE) to expand domestic production of critical materials essential for advancing U.S. energy production, manufacturing, transportation and national defense. The first funding opportunity provides up to $275 million for American industrial facilities capable of producing valuable minerals from existing industrial and coal byproducts. The second provides up to $80 million to establish Mine of the Future proving grounds for real-world testing of next-generation mining technologies.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for up to $100 million in federal funding to refurbish and modernize the nation’s existing coal power plants.

The journal Nanomaterials has recognized NETL research physical scientist Scott Crawford as a 2025 exceptional reviewer for his contributions to the publication’s peer review process during the second quarter of 2025.

NETL researchers are advancing a pioneering laser technology to provide laboratory-quality detection and analysis of rare earth elements (REEs) directly in the field, bringing the nation one step closer to securing a reliable domestic supply of these vital materials used in nearly all modern technology.

An NETL-led team secured first place in the engineering track of the Geothermal Energy from Oil and Gas Demonstrated Engineering (GEODE) Datathon for their development of the FlowDash Geothermal Energy Enhancer, a new machine learning (ML) tool that can reduce risks and costs for geothermal energy operations and enhance safety for neighboring communities.

NETL researchers have received a patent for an inexpensive sensing platform capable of long-range real-time monitoring to detect carbon dioxide (CO2) leaks at remote underground storage facilities and in pipelines.

A paper co-authored by current and former NETL researchers was the most downloaded paper of 2024 published by The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, an achievement that underscores the Lab’s prominence as a global leader in superalloy design.

An NETL-developed tool to measure the impact of energy production on water quality and model treatment options has been upgraded with data from Marcellus Shale hydraulic fracturing operations in Pennsylvania, providing communities in the Keystone State with information on a new potential revenue source.

NETL researchers are closing in on a more effective and less expensive way to combine a growing accumulation of plastic waste with coal and biomass for a steam gasification process that can produce hydrogen-rich syngas — a versatile gas that can be used as a fuel or as a building block for a range of chemicals that can help tackle critical energy challenges.