Operated by Grant Public Utility District (PUD), Priest Rapids is the lowermost dam in a cascading hydropower system on the Columbia River in Washington. Photo from Grant PUD.
NLR Modeling Shows Coordinated Operation of Mid-Columbia Hydropower Plants Could Boost Efficiency Systemwide By Karen Petersen, NLR Collaboration is essential to any successful river expedition. Turns out, it is no different in a cascaded hydropower system—especially one where different operators run dams, each with their own goals and needs. But … [continued]
Representatives from the University of Minnesota and NRRI tour the 3D Visualization Lab at NLR, one of many research capabilities powered by NLR’s Kestrel supercomputer. Photo by Joe DelNero, National Laboratory of the Rockies.
By Lindsey McGuirk and Brooke Van Zandt The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) and the University of Minnesota’s Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) have launched a new initiative to demonstrate, at scale, the technologies that will secure supply chains for critical minerals and materials and power the next generation … [continued]
Visitors from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and the National Laboratory of the Rockies convened in November 2025 to explore opportunities for deeper technical collaboration. Photo by Bethany Frew, National Laboratory of the Rockies.
Collaboration Will Advance Research and Technical Insights Needed To Support Reliable, Resilient Energy Future for More Than 400 Million North Americans By Madeline Geocaris, NLR The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) announced a new partnership to advance the reliability of the … [continued]
At a workshop in June 2026, researchers and industry members met at the National Laboratory of the Rockies to discuss the challenges—and solutions—to computing facility cooling with cold underground thermal energy storage. Photo by Tara Wertz, National Laboratory of the Rockies.
A New National Laboratory Study Finds that Underground Thermal Energy Storage Can Keep Servers Cool Year Round To ensure equipment in computing facilities function, they need to be kept cool, which can require a lot of energy and water—as much as 40% of their total annual energy consumption. Typical cooling systems … [continued]
R&D World magazine yesterday presented the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) with four of its annual R&D 100 Awards for research innovations. Including this year’s winners, NLR has received 80 R&D 100 Awards since 1982. Given annually, the R&D 100 Awards honor the 100 … [continued]
Airports, Governments, Communities, and Aviation Sector Can Chart Their Readiness for Next-Generation Air Mobility Advanced air mobility (AAM) is rapidly moving from concept to reality. Flying taxis are no longer a figment of “Jetsons”–style science fiction—they are preparing to cross American skies, joined by planes that can take off and … [continued]
Transporting large power transformers requires specialized vehicles and trailers that can support large and heavy loads and reach isolated areas over rough terrain. Photo from Nippon Express.
New Report Identifies 9 Unique Challenges That Hydropower Facilities Face When Upgrading or Replacing Large Power Transformers The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) just released a report examining the U.S. supply chain for large power transformers, or LPTs. The latest report, titled Large Power Transformer Supply Chain Gap Analysis and … [continued]
National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) researcher Alec Schnabel tests the custom-built charge controller in the Water Power Instrumentation Laboratory on NLR's Flatirons Campus. Photo by Taylor Mankle, National Laboratory of the Rockies.
Latest HERO WEC Mission Status Update Examines How New Charge Controller Design Addresses Critical Challenge in Wave Energy Industry Since 2024, researchers at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) have been improving the overall design of NLR’s hydraulic and electric reverse osmosis wave energy converter—or HERO WEC. Their work aims … [continued]
National Laboratory of the Rockies Director Jud Virden (seated at left), Department of Energy Assistant Secretary Audrey Robertson (center), and Gov. Mike Dunleavy (seated at right) are joined by NLR leadership and staff and University of Alaska Fairbanks leadership. Photo from the Office of Governor Mike Dunleavy.
NLR Laboratory Director Jud Virden Signs Partnership Agreements at Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) signed two new memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on May 19 that aim to increase research and innovation in critical minerals, energy, and buildings in Alaska and the Arctic. … [continued]
Sarah Inskeep Talks Supply Chains for Energy Technologies—and One NLR Model That Brings Them Together When you plug in your phone or laptop, do you ever think about the wires that carry the electricity to the battery? Okay, now what about the powerlines, transformers, and substations that move the electricity … [continued]
