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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 55 records · Page 3

Report on the Creation and Progress of the Hydrogen Regulatory Research Review Group

The current U.S. nuclear generation fleet is increasingly recognized by governmental, scientific, public policy, and industrial communities as having a strategic role in support of the ongoing national transition to a clean energy future. Federal incentives and actions are aligning to expand the role of nuclear power as a viable and more flexible contributor to the evolving national clean energy mix through programs and initiatives such as nuclear power loan guarantees; the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) clean nuclear electrical, steam, and hydrogen incentives; the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, also referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act or BIL); and near term Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunities related to nuclear based hydrogen hubs and nuclear integrated hydrogen demonstration projects. . Additionally, leveraging clean nuclear electricity and steam is being explored by industries desiring to transition away from carbon-intensive energy sources. Even with all these emerging enablers, notable barriers remain for the widespread adoption of these opportunities within the U.S. nuclear fleet, including the following: • Assurance of the markets for alternate products needed to support decision-making for large capital modification investments • Electric utility mindset and business history centered solely on producing electricity • Design change complexity and regulatory uncertainty associated with plant modifications needed to support alternate product streams The DOE Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Flexible Plant Operations and Generation (FPOG) Pathway is developing options to help U.S. nuclear power plants (NPP) in all these areas to enable NPPs designed for steady baseload operation to integrate with intermittent wind and solar capacity to assure reliable clean energy for the nation. Current and near-term laboratory research is focusing on the technical, regulatory, safety, demonstration, and economic elements in support of improving nuclear plant flexibility through hybrid production of electricity and other non-electric products such as hydrogen and energy arbitrage.

42 ENGINEERING↗

U.S. DOE Southeast Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership

During the five-year period from September 2018 to December 2023, the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization office (IEDO) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded the Southeast Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership (Southeast CHP TAP), managed the NC Clean Energy Technology Center located at NC State University (NCSU). The Southeast CHP TAP was one of ten regional CHP TAPs established to promote and assist in transforming the market for combined heat and power (CHP) and related technologies, including district energy (DE) and waste heat to power (WHP) throughout the United States. CHP, also known as cogeneration, is an efficient and clean approach to generating on-site electric power and useful thermal energy from a single fuel source.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Clean Cities and Communities Small Project Funding

The presentation will address the varied and diverse ways that NLR provides DOE funding to support Clean Cities and Communities coalition projects. This includes three project approaches: Jumpstart funding, Coalition Building, and Energy to Communities (E2C).

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

From Silos to Synergy: Identifying a Roadmap for Cross-Sector Research to Accelerate the Clean Energy Transition

The U.S. Department of Energy's blueprints for the transportation, buildings, and electricity sectors call for substantial reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. These plans focus on zero-emission vehicles, investments in transit, energy-efficient buildings, and the widespread adoption and deployment of renewable energy technologies like solar photovoltaics (PV), energy storage and energy-efficient appliances. However, these sectors are often studied and modeled in isolation, overlooking how household decisions to adopt clean technologies in one sector influence others. This study, led by an interdisciplinary team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), explores opportunities for cross-sector collaboration to drive more effective and equitable decarbonization. Through discussions with 22 NREL researchers across transportation, building, solar, and grid sectors, the study highlights the need for integrated tools and models that capture interactions between these sectors. Key insights include the need for data standardization and interoperability to enable cross-sector analysis and decision-making. Strengthening utility partnerships is also critical to align energy policies with decarbonization goals and manage the increased demand for renewable energy. The study also emphasizes the importance of equity in the clean energy transition, calling for targeted incentives and support to ensure that low-income and underserved communities benefit from clean technologies like electric vehicles and energy-efficient appliances. To support these efforts, innovative funding mechanisms must be expanded to facilitate interdisciplinary research, such as city-specific decarbonization plans and federal projects like DOE"s Standard Scenarios. By encouraging collaboration and integrating cross-sector insights, this study aims to provide a roadmap to accelerate the clean energy transition and ensure it is both sustainable and inclusive.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Is Clean Hydrogen Production a Good Fit for Questa? (Final Economic Impact Results) [Slides]

The Village of Questa, New Mexico is aiming to become a regional clean energy hub with robust and diverse employment opportunities for the local community supported by the energy sector and by other businesses inspired or attracted by abundant clean energy, outdoor recreation, and cultural opportunities. A coalition of stakeholders in the Village of Questa, comprising the Village, Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC), Questa Economic Development Fund, and Chevron, is exploring options to develop hydrogen production facilities as an opportunity to create jobs, provide reliable clean energy, and utilize former mine resources. Questa is home to a molybdenum mine owned by Chevron that closed in 2014. Several residents in Questa and surrounding communities lost their jobs when the mine closed and transitioned from active operations into environmental remediation. Although remediation efforts have been ongoing since 2014 and are expected to continue for at least 16 more years, the number of jobs with Chevron is much smaller now than it was before the closure. Between available workforce, brownfield land, and water rights formerly supporting mine operations but now in a transition period, there are considerable local resources that could be directed toward clean energy generation. Questa's electricity supply is already 100% solar during daylight hours thanks to Kit Carson Electric Cooperative's (KCEC's) strategic decision-making and partnering over the last decade. Now, Questa, KCEC, and Chevron are exploring the potential costs and benefits of siting an electrolytic hydrogen production facility and additional solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in Questa to further advance the region's clean energy economy. In this report, we estimated the potential economic impacts (i.e., jobs, value added, gross output, tax revenue) of constructing and operating a combined hydrogen (32 MW polymer electrolyte membrane electrolizer + 7.5 MW fuel cell) and solar facility (22.5 MW) in the Village of Questa, as well as the resulting economic spillovers to Taos County and the state of New Mexico. We employ an input-output model that leverages IMPLAN's economic data for the region complemented by construction and operating expenses estimated by NREL and feedback from the local coalition to evaluate the direct, indirect and induced effects of the project construction (transient impacts) and operation (more permanent impacts). Based on the area's average trade profile, feedback from the coalition and current market conditions, these projects are expected to support 487 full-time equivalent jobs during construction, generating $\$24$ million in income for those workers and $\$82$ million in local economic activity in the state. Of those jobs, 106 are expected to be construction sector jobs. These investments are also estimated to add $\$36.5$ million to New Mexico's gross state product (GSP). In the Village of Questa, we estimate 16 jobs will be supported in construction and transportation industries, generating $\$0.9$ million in earnings. In Taos County, the construction phase is expected to support 285 jobs primarily in construction and professional services, while manufacturing jobs dominate the results for the Rest of New Mexico. The Village is also estimated to receive $\$0.9$ million in tax revenue from the construction phase alone. Once in operation, the project continues to impact the state and Questa. Around 20 jobs (full-time equivalent for each year of operation) are supported across New Mexico, with approximately 11 directly employed in Questa by both facilities. The total annual local economic activity supported by ongoing operations is just over $\$1.3$ million/yr, generating $\$1.6$ million/yr in additional income in the state. Annual operations are estimated to add $\$2.1$ million to the state's GSP. The Village is expected to receive around $\$43,000$/yr in tax revenue. Impacts vary significantly depending on which businesses are supplying materials, equipment and services, and where construction workers reside. Choosing local suppliers will most benefit Questa and the New Mexico economy, adding up to 500 jobs during construction and 13 long-term jobs. Local and state governments may consider ways to incentivize local businesses in order to maximize economic benefits.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Is Clean Hydrogen Production a Good Fit for Questa? Final Economic Impact Results

The Village of Questa, New Mexico is aiming to become a regional clean energy hub with robust and diverse employment opportunities for the local community supported by the energy sector and by other businesses inspired or attracted by abundant clean energy, outdoor recreation, and cultural opportunities. A coalition of stakeholders in the Village of Questa, comprising the Village, Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC), Questa Economic Development Fund, and Chevron, is exploring options to develop hydrogen production facilities as an opportunity to create jobs, provide reliable clean energy, and utilize former mine resources. Questa is home to a molybdenum mine owned by Chevron that closed in 2014. Several residents in Questa and surrounding communities lost their jobs when the mine closed and transitioned from active operations into environmental remediation. Although remediation efforts have been ongoing since 2014 and are expected to continue for at least 16 more years, the number of jobs with Chevron is much smaller now than it was before the closure. Between available workforce, brownfield land, and water rights formerly supporting mine operations but now in a transition period, there are considerable local resources that could be directed toward clean energy generation. Questa's electricity supply is already 100% solar during daylight hours thanks to Kit Carson Electric Cooperative's (KCEC's) strategic decision-making and partnering over the last decade. Now, Questa, KCEC, and Chevron are exploring the potential costs and benefits of siting an electrolytic hydrogen production facility and additional solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in Questa to further advance the region's clean energy economy. In this report, we estimated the potential economic impacts (i.e., jobs, value added, gross output, tax revenue) of constructing and operating a combined hydrogen (32 MW polymer electrolyte membrane electrolizer + 7.5 MW fuel cell) and solar facility (22.5 MW) in the Village of Questa, as well as the resulting economic spillovers to Taos County and the state of New Mexico. We employ an input-output model that leverages IMPLAN's economic data for the region complemented by construction and operating expenses estimated by NREL and feedback from the local coalition to evaluate the direct, indirect and induced effects of the project construction (transient impacts) and operation (more permanent impacts). Based on the area's average trade profile, feedback from the coalition and current market conditions, these projects are expected to support 487 full-time equivalent jobs during construction, generating $\$24$ million in income for those workers and $\$82$ million in local economic activity in the state. Of those jobs, 106 are expected to be construction sector jobs. These investments are also estimated to add $\$36.5$ million to New Mexico's gross state product (GSP). In the Village of Questa, we estimate 16 jobs will be supported in construction and transportation industries, generating $\$0.9$ million in earnings. In Taos County, the construction phase is expected to support 285 jobs primarily in construction and professional services, while manufacturing jobs dominate the results for the Rest of New Mexico. The Village is also estimated to receive $\$0.9$ million in tax revenue from the construction phase alone. Once in operation, the project continues to impact the state and Questa. Around 20 jobs (full-time equivalent for each year of operation) are supported across New Mexico, with approximately 11 directly employed in Questa by both facilities. The total annual local economic activity supported by ongoing operations is just over $\$1.3$ million/yr, generating $\$1.6$ million/yr in additional income in the state. Annual operations are estimated to add $\$2.1$ million to the state's GSP. The Village is expected to receive around $\$43,000$/yr in tax revenue. Impacts vary significantly depending on which businesses are supplying materials, equipment and services, and where construction workers reside. Choosing local suppliers will most benefit Questa and the New Mexico economy, adding up to 500 jobs during construction and 13 long-term jobs. Local and state governments may consider ways to incentivize local businesses in order to maximize economic benefits.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Fusion Ignition and the Path to Inertial Fusion Energy

The achievement of fusion ignition at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) National Ignition Facility (NIF) in December 2022 was the culmination of more than 60 years of research and development in laser-driven inertial confinement fusion at LLNL. That historic scientific, engineering, and technological accomplishment, a prime example of the value of ingenuity and commitment in the face of a grand scientific challenge, marked a significant advance in LLNL's support of the National Nuclear Security Administration's science-based Stockpile Stewardship Program to maintain the reliability and security of the nation's nuclear deterrent without underground testing. It also furthered Livermore's research in high energy density science and established the fundamental scientific basis for inertial fusion energy (IFE), emboldening further public and private research into the development of IFE as a potential source of abundance clean, safe, and reliable energy. Finally, the U.S. government has funded a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional program that LLNL is now leading to make inertial fusion energy a reality.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Strengthening Connections Between Research and Deployment [Slides]

This slide deck provides a high-level review of Clean Cities, Clean Energy to Communities, and Technologists in Communities and the ways these DOE-funded efforts work to translate research into deployment opportunities across the United States through community engagement, industry partnerships, and collaborative project teams.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Deep Dive on Energy Finance Options for Local Governments [Slides]

This NREL training provides a basic introduction to the options for financing a clean energy project as well as for recovering the investment and generating revenue from the project. Two common clean energy project types will be used as case studies to walk through the process and details of obtaining project funding and recovering the investment.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Analysis of Benefits Associated With Projects and Technologies Supported by the Clean Transportation Program: 2023 Executive Summary [Slides]

In 2007, California Assembly Bills (AB) 118 and 109 created the Clean Transportation Program (CTP), which authorized the California Energy Commission (CEC) to fund projects concerning alternative fuels and advanced transportation technologies to help attain the state's climate change policies. AB 109 also required CEC to prepare a report summarizing the benefits resulting from the program. Since then, CEC has collaborated with National Renewable Energy Laboratory to prepare and publish biannual reports summarizing CTP's benefits related to petroleum displacement, greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, air pollution, and more. This report updates the input data, calculation methodologies, and resulting outputs from CEC's 2021 report.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Need Help Planning for the Future of Electric Vehicles?

This brochure helps states find tools to make informed decisions about implementing electric vehicles (EVs) and their charging infrastructure. To do so, many states will use funds from the Environmental Mitigation Trust Agreements from the Volkswagen Clean Air Act Settlement. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its national laboratories provide extensive information on EVs including both community planning and charging infrastructure. This information can help states implement EV and charging infrastructure projects using settlement funds. The tools in this brochure represent a sampling of key DOE resources available to states and other jurisdictions.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLIC↗

Electrifying New York’s Affordable Housing

Enterprise Community Partners (Enterprise) joined forces with the Association for Energy Affordability (AEA), with support from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR). Through this 3-year pilot project, the project partners collaborated to develop tools and processes that efficiently utilize New York State Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) funding to both improve energy efficiency through weatherization and to convert to clean heating systems through electrification. We developed and piloted this approach on five multifamily dwelling buildings, totaling 154 units in New York City, using the energy audit protocol that was developed as part of this project. Our goal was to develop a basis of knowledge for pursuing similar retrofits nationwide.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Solar Potential Analysis for the MISO Region

As part of the Minnesota Solar Pathways project, funded in part by the Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, Clean Power Research completed a scenario-based analysis that estimates and optimizes the levelized cost of capacity for high renewables penetrations across the entirety of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) region. The analysis concludes that it can be cheaper to overbuild solar + wind and curtail surplus than to store all generation. The analysis described in this report was preceded by an analysis completed in 2018 that used the same modeling framework to optimize generation resources located only in Minnesota.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

MN Solar Pathways: Solar Deployment Strategies-Modeling and Case Studies

As part of the Minnesota Solar Pathways project, funded in part by the Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, Clean Power Research (CPR) developed a Solar Deployment Strategies modeling tool to calculate the economic impacts and market incentives created by different solar portfolios and rate structures. CPR developed the tool using Minnesota-specific data and assumptions. The case studies described in this report provide insight into possible pathways toward the state goal of 10% solar, but the emphasis of the report is the demonstration of the tool in use cases that can be expanded and modified in future years as needs change.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Delivering Clean Air in Denver: Propane Trucks and Infrastructure in Mail Delivery Application

In 2021, Drive Clean Colorado, a Denver-based Clean Cities coalition, initiated the deployment of five Class 6 medium-duty propane autogas delivery trucks into a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail delivery contractor fleet with the goal of providing a proof-of-concept demonstration for mail delivery fleets nationwide. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, the project, titled "Delivering Clean Air in Denver: Propane Trucks and Infrastructure in Mail Delivery Application," enabled the purchase and deployment of the propane-powered trucks, refueling infrastructure, and supporting analysis by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Key objectives of the analysis included calculating the propane vehicles' emissions reductions, analyzing the costs and operational performance of the propane fleet compared to conventional diesel-powered vehicles, and evaluating the viability of propane as a clean and cost-effective alternative to conventional diesel trucks (AFDC 2023b, 2023c). The primary goal of the project was to demonstrate alternative fuel vehicles in a mail transport application and evaluate the viability of propane as a clean and cost-effective alternative to conventional diesel trucks. This proof-of-concept demonstration is expected to lead to improved understanding of the performance attributes, costs, and operational issues to inform technology adoption decisions, helping to spur market transformation toward lower-emission truck fleets. By reducing the risk of first adoption, potential exists to transform the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail delivery system into a lower-carbon national fleet. This technical report details the vehicle duty cycle characterization and fleet cost and performance comparison performed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in addition to estimated emissions reductions for delivery operations.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Advanced Manufacturing of Alpha Double Prime Iron Nitride (ADPIN): An Innovative Rare Earth Element (REE) Free Ultra-High Performance Permanent Magnet for Clean Energy Applications

Iron nitride magnets offer the potential for large magnetic remanence magnets absent any rare earth materials [1]. This project was submitted in response to the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) from the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) of the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) of the Department of Energy (DOE): DE-FOA-0001465: Advanced Manufacturing Projects for Emerging Research Exploration; Topic Area 1: Advanced Materials; Subtopic 1.1: Innovative Advanced Materials Manufacturing for Clean Energy to explore nitriding iron powder using a fluidized bed technique which if successful would accomplish nitriding the iron powder with reduce industrial energy intensity. Of particular concern when using metal powders at high temperatures in a fluidized bed reactor is the defluidization temperature of the bed, also known as the ‘bed collapse’ temperature. Above the defluidization temperature the metal powders can no longer fluidize and instead become an undesirable packed powder bed. Using the published results from the Institute of Process Engineering at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China, FeNix Magnetics was able to develop a spreadsheet calculation that allowed predictive guidelines for the defluidization temperature of iron powder based on the type of carrier gas, flow rate of the carrier gas, and the iron powder diameter. FeNix Magnetics was not able to conclude whether the temperatures to avoid bed defluidization that were achievable in a fluidized bed reactor actually resulted in nitriding the iron powder to the required level. In order to measure the amount of nitrogen in the iron powder, FeNix Magnetics contracted with the DOE sponsored Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory to conduct X-Ray diffraction measurements. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the DOE sponsored APS was closed and unable to provide X-Ray Diffraction measurements during this program.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Building a Clean Energy Workforce: An Evaluation Framework for State Energy Office Workforce Programs

This fact sheet is a summary of the workforce evaluation framework that was first proposed in the white paper, An Evaluation Framework for State Energy Offices' Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Workforce Program. This evaluation framework was developed to guide State Energy Offices (SEOs) in assessing and enhancing the workforce development programs the manage, fund, or partner on. By following this step-by-step framework, SEOs can evaluate program components, identify areas for improvement, and optimize program outcomes for greater impact.

clean energy↗