Director’s Corner

by Brian Anderson, Ph.D.

Experts across NETL are applying their world-class talents to drive innovation and deliver solutions for our nation’s decarbonized energy future and some of these efforts are highlighted in our recently released issue of NETL Edge.

Our leading-edge work includes delivering solutions to the global climate crisis and meeting the Biden Administration’s decarbonization goals calling for a net-zero carbon emission electricity sector by 2035 and economy-wide net-zero emissions by 2050 — aggressive targets that present tremendous opportunities to reimagine tomorrow’s energy landscape.

In this issue of NETL Edge, we feature a few of the ways we at NETL are approaching the pathway to decarbonization, including:

• A proposed test center for direct air capture that will enable research, development, demonstration and deployment projects to advance and commercialize technologies to remove CO₂ directly from the air on a significant scale.
• Workforce training programs in partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission that are addressing regional worker shortages while helping to decarbonize our economy. 
• Efficient and cost-effective technologies to convert CO₂ emitted by power and industrial sources into chemical building blocks. 

At NETL, we’re working hard to ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, as we develop technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle and enable environmental sustainability for all Americans. 

Our vision is to be the nation’s premier technology laboratory, delivering integrated solutions to enable transformation to a sustainable energy future. After reading this issue of NETL Edge, I think you’ll agree we’re well on our way.