Global Partner Programs

NREL leads global initiatives and partnerships designed to advance economic development, energy resilience, and security.

NREL conducts its international programs in support of many U.S. agencies, companies, and international sponsors.

The Global Power System Transformation Consortium

NREL manages the secretariat responsibilities for the Global Power System Transformation Consortium. The Consortium brings together key power system operators, research and educational institutions, governments, businesses, and stakeholders from around the world to accelerate adoption of advanced energy technologies by providing coordinated and holistic end-to-end support and knowledge infusion to power system operators across five pillars of focus: system operator research and peer learning, system operator technical support, workforce development, localized technology adoption support, and open-source data and tools.

Global Alliance for People and Planet Battery Energy Storage System Consortium

The Global Alliance for People and Planet, through the Battery Energy Storage System Consortium, is working with partner governments worldwide to advance Battery Energy Storage System pilot projects and develop enabling environments for investment. NREL is providing technical, analytical, and advisory support, with a focus on Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Uruguay, and Honduras. The initial technical assistance supports Battery Energy Storage System procurement, regulatory and policy enhancements, and production cost modeling in NREL's Sienna platform to assess the techno-economic value of energy storage investments.

Clean Energy Ministerial Programs

NREL supports the Clean Energy Ministerial, a high-level global forum focused on advancing policies and programs that that drive economic growth through the development and deployment of advanced energy technologies. The forum facilitates knowledge sharing, highlights best practices, and fosters international collaboration to strengthen energy security and innovation.

Nuclear Innovation: Clean Energy Future

Nuclear Innovation: Clean Energy (NICE) Future is a Clean Energy Ministerial initiative focused on addressing nuclear energy holistically within the context of advanced energy systems to support partners in exploring diverse solutions, including nuclear technologies, for the development of advanced and integrated systems.

Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage have the potential to mitigate emissions from industrial processes and power production. As part of a Clean Energy Ministerial initiative, NREL supports analysis and communication of enabling policies, financing, feasibility, and economies of scale of carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies and their integration as part of a portfolio of advanced energy solutions. Learn about the Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Initiative.

Super Charging Battery Storage

Supercharging Battery Storage is a Clean Energy Ministerial initiative that supports the development and deployment of stationary battery storage through international cooperation, with a focus on policy and regulation, supply chains, and financing. NREL serves as the operating agent, coordinating efforts, leading communication, and contributing to technical analysis. In November 2024, NREL published the initiative’s first report, which examines battery storage trends through case studies on enabling environments, financing structures, and market opportunities to address key deployment challenges.

Clean Energy Solutions Center

The Clean Energy Solutions Center helps governments design and adopt policies and programs that support the deployment of renewable and other advanced energy technologies. The Solutions Center offers no-cost expert policy and finance technical assistance; web-based trainings; and energy policy and finance reports, data, and tools to countries in all regions. The Solutions Center is co-led and co-funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through support from the U.S. Department of State, and NREL serves as the operating agent.

21st Century Power Partnership

NREL coordinates the 21st Century Power Partnership, which aims to enable power system transformation through peer learning and collaboration across regulators, grid operators, and others on policies and programs that advance use of smart grid solutions and advanced energy technologies. A multilateral effort of Clean Energy Ministerial, 21st Century Power Partnership provides a platform for public-private collaboration to advance integrated policy, regulatory, financial, and technical solutions for the large-scale deployment of renewable energy in combination with deep energy efficiency and smart grid solutions.

Hydrogen Initiative

In partnership with other coalitions, such as the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy and Mission Innovation, the Hydrogen Initiative focuses on how hydrogen can contribute to advanced energy systems while promoting resilience and energy security. NREL works with participating governments to bring together cities and regions under the H2 Twin Cities Initiative, which pairs communities around the world to collaborate, share ideas, and learn from each other.

Mission Innovation Programs

Shipping

NREL supports the Mission Innovation Shipping initiative to support the deployment of commercially viable ocean-going vessels in the global fleet by 2030.

Hydrogen

Through the Clean Hydrogen mission, NREL is providing technical support to increase the cost-competitiveness of clean hydrogen by reducing end-to-end costs.

Industries

NREL is providing technical support to the Mission Innovation Industries initiative to catalyze the development and demonstration of cost-competitive solutions for innovation of hard-to-abate energy intensive industries.

U.S. Government-Led Programs

Multi-Laboratory Collaborations for Advanced Global Energy Systems

NREL is part of a multi-national laboratory team that supports countries in achieving their energy goals. This work involves deep technical collaboration to accelerate country-specific objectives while ensuring energy security and resilience. Much of this work takes the form of developing energy roadmaps, implementing specific measures, and piloting new projects. Learn more about Multi-Laboratory Collaborations for Advanced Global Energy Systems.

U.S. Department of Energy Programs

NREL partners with various DOE programs and the Office of International Affairs to support cooperation with international partners to accelerate progress toward DOE science and technology and energy market goals through the above programs and on a bilateral basis with countries.

USAID-NREL Partnership

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) work together to offer tailored technical assistance for enabling advanced energy systems and addressing country-specific energy challenges. Through the USAID-NREL Partnership, USAID Missions and their host country counterparts can access the best-in-class research, resources, and expertise housed within the DOE national laboratory network to tackle critical energy sector challenges experienced in the developing world.

The Partnership delivers tailored assistance framed around four interrelated strategic pillars: advanced and frontier power systems, innovation and grid interaction in buildings, electric mobility and advanced transport, and integrated energy solutions. Rigorous data analytics is considered in the design and implementation of all Partnership interventions. Learn more about the USAID-NREL Partnership.

Collaboration With State Department and Other U.S. Agencies

Work with the Department of State includes partnering with several offices in the State Department to scale up energy analysis and deployment to support economic and energy security goals with countries in all regions of the world including cooperation on many of the programs described above. Additional U.S. partners include the Departments of Agriculture, Treasury, and Commerce; Environmental Protection Agency; Trade and Development Agency; Millennium Challenge Corp.; the Development Finance Corporation, and Export-Import Bank, among others.

Other International Energy Collaborative Programs

International partners include government agencies and research institutes around the world, along with United Nations agencies, the World Bank and regional development banks, various foundations,  the International Renewable Energy Agency, International Energy Agency, and many others.

Science and Technology Cooperation

NREL engages in collaboration with research institutions in all regions and international agencies and networks on joint technology assessment and testing, standards development, incubation programs, and other research and demonstration activities for advanced energy technology and system innovations.

International Energy Agency

NREL provides technical support for International Energy Agency Technology Collaboration Programs in the areas of biomass, buildings, solar, wind, hydrogen, geothermal, vehicles, and smart grids and provides cross-cutting analysis and policy support for International Energy Agency assessment and country programs. We have also collaborated with the International Energy Agency Gas and Oil Technology Collaboration Programme to organize events on the nexus of renewable energy and oil and gas industries.

International Renewable Energy Agency

NREL collaborates with the International Renewable Energy Agency on several tasks, including studies of renewable energy costs, technology innovation, solar and wind analysis, support for country renewable energy strategies for Pacific Islands, and renewable energy training and policy advice.