New U.S. Department of Energy Collegiate Competition Invites Interdisciplinary Student Teams To Develop Practical Energy Solutions for College Campuses and Districts By Karen Petersen, NLR Could your next class project help solve a real energy challenge—and give you winning work to showcase to future employers? If you answer the call … [continued]
Marking the opening of PacWave South on Aug. 27, leaders from Oregon State University, the U.S. Department of Energy, Congress, and the Oregon Legislature joined PacWave Director Dan Hellin (far right) for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the nation’s first grid-connected, pre-permitted open-ocean wave energy test facility. Photo from Darryl Lai, Oregon State University.
NLR and Partners Unveil America’s First Pre-Permitted Proving Ground for Commercial-Scale Wave Energy Converters on Oregon Coast By Karen Petersen, NLR On Aug. 27, the nation’s first grid-connected, internationally accredited open-ocean wave energy test facility made its debut on the Oregon coast. The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) marked … [continued]
The Geothermal Center of Excellence convenes leaders from industry, the U.S. Department of Energy, National Laboratory of the Rockies, and National Energy Technology Laboratory. From left: Joshua Nordquist, Ormat Technologies; Jud Virden, NLR; John Lassek, DOE; Kyle Haustveit, DOE; Tim Latimer, Fervo Energy; Amanda Kolker, NLR; Angelos Kokkinos, NETL; and Lauren Boyd, DOE. Photo by Joe DelNero, National Laboratory of the Rockies.
New Center Will Address High-Impact Technical Barriers and Serve as Geothermal Industry’s Gateway to the Expertise of the National Laboratories On Sept. 3, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) announced the establishment of a Geothermal Center of Excellence on the National Laboratory of the … [continued]
NLR and University of Hawaii Deploy Wave Energy Device, Capturing and Sharing Data for Marine Energy Industry By Samantha Cuneo, NLR Like a surfer, the Small Underwater Research Flap Wave Energy Converter, or SURF-WEC, rides the ocean’s waves—but this system converts wave motion into electricity. The WEC recently made the leap … [continued]
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]
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]
