NETL expertise and products associated with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for energy related research and results reporting will be on display at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Cybersecurity and Technology Innovation Conference May 8-11 at Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The conference is designed to explore the developments and challenges in cybersecurity, technology innovation, workforce development and critical infrastructure protection. The theme for the event is “Collaborative Innovation and Collective Cyber Defense. Registration for the conference is open.

NETL’s Chad Rowan and Kelly Rose will give a spotlight session on how NETL organizes energy research information and uses its Energy Data eXchange (EDX) platform to make that data available to researchers in the public and private sectors. EDX is an online collection of capabilities and resources developed to support a wide range of energy-related research.

Since it was created by NETL in 2011, EDX has helped preserve billions of dollars’ worth of federally funded research and connected stakeholders to vital data from government, academic and commercial industry energy research.

Rowan explained that EDX development and maintenance is driven by researchers and technical staff at NETL to support ongoing efforts and technology transfer for DOE-NETL research.

“EDX supports a variety of research needs by ensuring long-term curation of historic and current data and information from a wide variety of sources,” he said. “EDX provides reliable access to research that crosscuts a range of NETL projects and programs. It is an efficient way to discover data and information, including technical products from NETL-affiliated research. EDX also features innovative analytics to support today’s research needs, including secure collaboration and coordination between various agencies, organizations and institutions through collaborative workspaces.”

EDX and NETL are helping to ensure use of data and resources for future, yet-to-be-envisioned purposes.

The spotlight session on EDX will include dialogue from DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM)’s Darren Mollot on how they collaborate to unlock and address AI capabilities for energy research.

NETL’s Rowan and Kevin Kuhn of the EDX Dev/Ops Team, will host a demonstration table at the DOE conference to give attendees an overview walk-through of EDX.

The NETL-based Science-Based Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Institute (SAMI) will also be featured at the conference.

SAMI uses science-based models, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning methods, data analytics and high-performance computing to accelerate applied technology development for clean, efficient and affordable energy production and use.

Rose said that SAMI helps NETL “push the frontiers of AI technology and create next-generation architectures, tools and approaches to advance the development and adoption of AI and foster AI workforce development.”

SAMI combines the expertise of NETL’s energy computational scientists, data scientists and subject matter experts with strategic partners to enable AI-driven solutions and support to applied energy science, environmental and social justice, and other strategic objectives within DOE’s and NETL's missions.

At the conference, Rose will also participate on an NNSA-led panel discussion titled “Strengthening and Empowering the IT/Cyber Enterprise Workforce” The panel will address topics relevant to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, recruitment and retainment of IT/cyber professionals, and how to prepare for and train the workforce of the future.

NETL is a DOE national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By using 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.