Series 4, Issue 9
The week of June 1, 2020
The week of June 1, 2020
Most Americans probably don’t know that the 17 national laboratories under the US Department of Energy were behind some of history’s cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, such as decoding DNA and confirming the Big Bang theory. Today, they’ve even joined the race to combat the global COVID-19 pandemic, speeding up research with their supercomputers. Born of the Big Science movement after World War II, when the government funded large-scale projects to advance scientific progress, the national labs today are working quietly behind the scenes on our biggest energy challenges.
If the national labs are a well-kept secret, then so is RD&D in the armed services, like the Office of Naval Research, and those of other public agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture, where cutting-edge energy research also takes place. Indeed, as you’ll see in the lead article below, government funding of energy is as old as the country itself.
In this issue of Energy Today, we highlight some of the latest research underway at the often-unsung national labs, where some of the brightest minds are working on scientific discoveries that will impact our energy future. If you’re curious about how your tax dollars are being spent, you can see that they’re helping to advance research to address the problem of recycling batteries, develop nanoscale sensing and photochemical technologies, convert coal to rare earth metals, develop hydrogen fuel, and promote resilience in our electrical utilities and weapons systems. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
If the national labs are a well-kept secret, then so is RD&D in the armed services, like the Office of Naval Research, and those of other public agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture, where cutting-edge energy research also takes place. Indeed, as you’ll see in the lead article below, government funding of energy is as old as the country itself.
In this issue of Energy Today, we highlight some of the latest research underway at the often-unsung national labs, where some of the brightest minds are working on scientific discoveries that will impact our energy future. If you’re curious about how your tax dollars are being spent, you can see that they’re helping to advance research to address the problem of recycling batteries, develop nanoscale sensing and photochemical technologies, convert coal to rare earth metals, develop hydrogen fuel, and promote resilience in our electrical utilities and weapons systems. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
ARTICLES
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What Would Jefferson Do?
The Historical Role of Federal Subsidies In Shaping America's Energy Future by Nancy Pfund and Ben Healey How long has the federal government been funding energy projects in the US? The answer might surprise you. |
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The Battery Recycling Challenge
by Argonne National Laboratory Recycling a lithium-ion battery is not as simple as recycling a cardboard box or an aluminum can, but the Argonne lab is on it. |
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Ultrathin Quantum "Wave" Materials
by Theresa Duque Lawrence Berkeley Lab says wavelike plasmons could power up a new class of sensing and photochemical technologies at the nanoscale. |
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Coal-to-REE Extraction Project Exceeds Expectations
by National Energy Technology Laboratory Could coal create a domestic supply of rare earth metals that meets America’s needs? |
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Fueling Big Rigs With Hydrogen
by Wayne Hicke NREL research teams are testing hydrogen as a fuel for long-haul trucking. |
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Protecting the US Energy Grid and Nuclear Weapons Systems
by Sandia National Laboratories Resilience in the nation’s electrical utilities and strong defense systems are essential to keep us safe. |
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For more on the work of the labs, watch this video, featuring former Secretary of Energy Rick Perry.
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