To get the word out regarding challenges and opportunities to optimize the effects of efforts with other national labs, NETL hosted fellows of the prestigious Oppenheimer Science and Energy Leaders Program (OSELP) April 24-25 for site visits at the Lab’s Morgantown and Pittsburgh campuses.

Established in 2016, OSELP is a distinguished research fellowship program that brings together exceptional leaders to explore the complexities, challenges and opportunities facing the national lab system and the DOE. Between 40 and 50 OSELP visited the NETL sites in West Virginia and Pennsylvania from April 24 to 26. NETL Director Brian Anderson delivered the opening address to the visiting research fellows.

“The tours for our OSELP guests were the perfect opportunity to demonstrate potential for collaboration with the Lab what NETL is all about in our unique position as the DOE’s only government owned and operated laboratory,” Anderson said. “With more than 1,300 employees, our Lab’s research portfolio includes more than 1,000 research activities across all 50 states, with a total award value that exceeds $5 billion inclusive of private sector cost-sharing of $1.3 billion. It’s our hope that OSELP’s visit will help facilitate more effective teamwork with DOE’s other labs.”

The site tours presented the OSELP fellows with some of NETL’s best assets and ongoing research efforts including:

• The JOULE 2.0 Supercomputer, one of the world’s fastest, most energy-efficient supercomputers that helps energy researchers discover new materials, optimize designs, and better predict operational characteristics.
• Research planning with the DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management.
• Advanced alloy research to develop more efficient power plants and industrial facilities.
• Development of domestic sources of rare earth elements and critical materials for manufacturing modern technologies, including clean energy tech.
• Carbon dioxide (CO²) removal and converting captured CO² into useful products.
• CO² storage.
• Monitoring and mitigation of methane emissions using drones.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By leveraging its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.