As Energy Landscape Changes, NREL Finds Synergy with New Partners
By Martin Keller, Director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The energy landscape in the United States — and across the globe — is undergoing a monumental transformation.
Utilities are evolving in the way they respond to customers, automobile manufacturers are looking to the emergence of electric and hybrid vehicles, and oil and gas companies are engaging more intensively with renewable energy sources. The next 10 years will bring profound changes to the traditional energy pillars.
At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), we are aware of these seismic shifts. NREL is committed to making sure our basic research gets to market — where it can improve everyday life and strengthen our economy.
To do that, we believe we must find the best partners. So, along with the National Energy Technology Laboratory, we recently signed an agreement with ExxonMobil to pursue joint scientific and technological research.
For us as researchers, teaming up with ExxonMobil provides opportunities to see what’s really needed by industry. We can learn first-hand from people in the field and use that knowledge to guide our energy research. And ExxonMobil is interested in partnering with us because its staff can benefit directly from our cutting-edge research.
The agreement promises to provide a powerful new synergy between NREL’s early-stage researchers and ExxonMobil’s market-oriented investigations. This partnership will unleash creativity in both of our institutions, although from very different perspectives.
I like to think of the national laboratories as treasure boxes — repositories of world-class scientists and facilities. Combining the capabilities of national laboratories with those of leading U.S. companies makes both more competitive in the global market.
Public-private partnerships are gaining momentum. NREL already has some 850 active partnership agreements with more than 500 partners in industry, government, and academia. These associations accelerate fresh ideas, new ways of thinking, and novel research in the energy space. This growth will be key for oil and gas companies that are reinventing themselves as traditional energy business models are disrupted.
There are many advantages to going this route. For example, we may be able to “de-risk” some early-stage research. After all, when you have multiple voices, it helps you find stronger visions concerning what research to engage in. And when you do fail in a new pursuit, you have the ability to fail quickly and keep moving forward. Collaboratively, we might agree that an idea is cool, but that it doesn’t help industry. If that’s the case, we’d say: “Let’s move in another direction — and let’s move quickly.”
The pace of innovation is accelerating everywhere. We must keep up.
So, where will we head?
It’s hard to say now, but the biofuels space is a strong candidate. NREL has a long history in this area, as does ExxonMobil. We’ve had a lot of exciting discussions. What if we make hydrocarbons synthetically? Or take cheap electricity from renewable energy sources and transform those electrons into another material? Our combined efforts could expand the U.S. energy portfolio and strategy.
Let’s face it: The problem we are working on is bigger than what one or two organizations can tackle alone. Why not tap the best talent across the United States and work together?
We plan to do just that. This NREL-ExxonMobil partnership could become a replicable model for defining urgent research needs, finding the best people, and then exploring how to scale up a possible energy solution.
This fits with NREL’s mission. By expanding to include new partners, we spark unique ideas. Something that today might seem like pie in the sky (such as a house powering an electric car and vice versa) could be possible tomorrow. In 20 years, we might look back and say: “We had these crazy ideas, but we figured out a way to modify buildings to contribute to the electric grid and how to change transportation patterns.”
These unknown possibilities make me most excited.
To this end, we are bringing two different cultures together. Our shared space becomes a breeding ground for breakthroughs. As the electric grid changes and as old ways fade, we are making a difference by accelerating the development of new energy technologies. We are beginning a joint exploration, and I am eager to see where we go.
One thing I’m certain of: We will accomplish more by combining our strengths than we would have achieved separately. Stay tuned for the next chapter.
