News from April 2023


DOE-Funded SolSmart Program Expands to Advance Equitable Solar Energy Adoption

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced an expansion of its SolSmart program to support and recognize local governments across the country who are taking steps to reduce barriers to solar energy access.


Department of Energy’s Newest Energy Research-Dedicated Supercomputer Arrives at NREL

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced this week that installation of the new high-performance computing (HPC) system, Kestrel, has begun.


DOE Releases Strategy to Accelerate and Expand Domestic Offshore Wind Deployment

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the release of its Offshore Wind Energy Strategy, a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive summary of the Department’s efforts to meet President Biden’s goal to deploy 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy by 2030 and set the nation on a pathway to 110 GW or more by 2050.


DOE Announces Winners in First Phase of Prize to Develop Floating Offshore Wind Supply Chains

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the Phase One winners of the FLoating Offshore Wind ReadINess (FLOWIN) Prize, a first-of-its-kind competition to tackle the floating offshore wind energy industry’s biggest supply chains challenges.


DOE Launches Second Round of Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship Program

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched the second round of the Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship, a unique workforce development program that matches recent graduates and new energy professionals to key energy organizations to support efforts to advance clean energy solutions.


Energy Department discusses Agency Information Collection Extension; Correction on March 31

The US Energy Department published a one page notice on March 31, according to the U.S. Government Publishing Office.


5 Women Who Changed History in Nuclear Science

The nuclear energy sector is a male-dominated field and a recent international report by the Nuclear Energy Agency is calling for more diversity in the industry as we strive to meet the world’s net-zero goals.


Commercializing Advanced Nuclear Reactors Explained in Five Charts

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently released three reports on how to commercialize key clean energy technologies, including pathways for deploying advanced nuclear reactor systems.


DOE Transfers Spent Nuclear Fuel to Dry Storage as Part of Idaho Settlement Agreement

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has successfully transferred all Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) spent nuclear fuel from wet to dry storage.


Chairs Rodgers, Guthrie, and Griffith Demand Answers on NIH Planned Experiments Using More Lethal Group of Monkeypox Virus

News Release: Washington, D.C. - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today sent a letter to Lawrence Tabak, the senior official performing the duties of director at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), regarding details about a supercharged monkeypox experiment planned by an NIH researcher.


Dinner Guest Wish List: LM Contractor Janice Maruniak Shares Her Female Role Models

March is Women’s History Month, and this year’s theme — “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories” — recognizes “women, past and present, who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling, including print, radio, TV, stage, screen, blogs, podcasts, news, and social media.”


Savannah River National Lab Receives Aviation Safety Award for Second Year

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program has received a government-wide aviation safety award from the U.S. General Services Administration and Interagency Committee for Aviation Policy for the second consecutive year.


Hanford Offers Innovative Respiratory Training Curriculum

EM Richland Operations Office contractor Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) recently revised a respiratory protection course at the Hanford Site’s Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) Federal Training Center.



Cell by Cell, West Valley Workers Steadily Deconstruct Main Plant

EM and prime contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) recently removed the concrete floor of a cell within the Main Plant Process Building as part of work to demolish the facility at the West Valley Demonstration Project.


Savannah River Site Integrates Salt Waste Processing Facility’s IT Systems

With EM’s liquid waste operations at Savannah River Site (SRS) relying heavily on the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF), a team successfully transitioned the facility’s computers, software and security systems into the SRS network earlier this month, without interrupting production.


Oak Ridge Team Makes Headway on Mercury Treatment Facility

An Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) team recently hit two milestones in a construction project that’s pivotal to future cleanup at the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12).


EM Set to Tackle 2023 Priority: Demolition of Four Buildings at NNSS

The EM Nevada Program is preparing for the next phase of work after successfully completing its top 2022 priority to begin demolition of the Engine Maintenance, Assembly, and Disassembly (EMAD) and Test Cell C (TCC) facilities at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS).


Savannah River Site Preps to Provide Fuel for Advanced Nuclear Reactors

The H Canyon chemical separations facility at Savannah River Site (SRS) is preparing to recycle used highly enriched uranium (HEU) and downblend it to provide much-needed fuel for U.S. advanced nuclear reactors.


Biden-Harris Administration Announces $50 Million to Incentivize Smart Manufacturing at Small- and Medium-Sized Facilities

Release: Funding From President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Designates States and Territories to Spur Growth in Domestic Manufacturing