NETL Director Brian Anderson, Ph.D., has been named Executive Director of the Biden Administration’s Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization. 

The IWG was established by Executive Order 14008, Sec. 218 on Jan. 27, 2021, to ensure the shift to a clean energy economy creates good-paying union jobs, spurs economic revitalization, remediates environmental degradation, and supports energy workers in coal, oil and gas and power plant communities across the country. 

Recently, the IWG prepared an initial report that includes recommendations to catalyze robust economic activity and support workers in America’s energy sector. NETL supported the drafting of the report through energy sector analysis and as Secretariat for the IWG.  

“As the country prepares to undergo one of the greatest energy evolutions, possibly in its entire history, I’m greatly honored that the Biden Administration recognizes what the talented staff of NETL can do to help energy communities,” Anderson said. “Our Lab is home to some of the world’s most outstanding scientists and works with more than 600 partners across the country to help implement the missions of DOE and other federal agencies. As Executive Director of the IWG, I will see to it that we listen to energy community members and leverage our Lab’s resources and people as the driving force for the energy evolution we want to see, bringing a whole-of-government approach to supporting these communities.”  

A longtime resident of West Virginia and a descendant of coal miners, Anderson brings extensive expertise in regional innovation and technology development for the energy sector. As Director of NETL, Anderson has worked to unify government research institutes, private industry and academia behind the goal of delivering safe and affordable energy in an environmentally sustainable manner. 

Under Anderson’s leadership, NETL researchers have advanced a range of technologies to ensure affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security. These include technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans. NETL is also developing technologies for using coal wastes to produce rare earth elements or to manufacture valuable products such as graphene. Such technologies have the potential to remediate legacy environmental impacts while also creating new jobs in the affected coal and power plant communities. 

Leading-edge research at the Lab’s three research sites in Oregon, Pennsylvania and West Virginia is driving innovation toward a decarbonized energy future through four key laboratory initiatives: Advanced Alloy Signature Center, Science-based Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Institute, Microwave Technology, and Center for Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals. NETL collaborates on more than 1,000 research and developments projects with partners across all 50 states. 

More information can be viewed here. For media inquiries, please contact Shelley Martin, Communications & Public Affairs, NETL, at 304-285-0228 or 304-212-1726.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory develops and commercializes advanced technologies that provide clean energy while safeguarding the environment. NETL’s work supports DOE’s mission to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy and environmental challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.