‘Transitioning to a net-zero future will require slashing carbon pollution across all industries – from shipping to manufacturing to construction and even the operation of our national laboratories.’
Editorial image credit: Michael Vi / Shutterstock
The US Department of Energy (DoE) is to provide $38 million in funding to four of its National Laboratories so that they can take steps to decarbonise. This move is in support of the US Administration’s plan to reach net-zero no later than 2050.
The DoE said that the so-called Net Zero Labs (NZL) Pilot Initiative will lay the foundation for one of the first-ever models for addressing hard-to-decarbonise industries. In addition, it is expected to be a foundation of net-zero solutions that can be replicated at other DoE facilities and all levels of government. By 2023, funding will be made available, on a competitive basis, to all 17 of the US’ National Laboratories.
The four laboratories participating in this initial pilot are: National Energy Technology Laboratory, which is working to advance carbon removal technologies and will incentivize carbon-free electricity production within its three geographic regions. National Renewable Energy Laboratory is working to lower the cost of and increase the scale of technologies to make, store, move and use hydrogen across multiple energy sectors. Idaho National Laboratory is conducting advanced nuclear research to develop and integrate micro-reactors and small modular reactors into micro-grids with other renewable energies to produce hydrogen, and increase energy storage. Finally, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is developing methodology, algorithms and software platforms that will boost clean energy adoption. These four laboratories are taking steps to harness and produce technology at their facilities to drive down their own carbon emissions.
US Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm commented: ‘Transitioning to a net-zero future will require slashing carbon pollution across all industries – from shipping to manufacturing to construction and even the operation of our National Laboratories.’
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