Explore our collection of new stories for this topic.
Search or filter for a specific story using the options below.
January 2018
News Release: 2016 Data Book Shows Continued Growth of Renewable Electricity
The 2016 Renewable Energy Data Book shows that U.S. renewable electricity grew to 18.3 percent of total installed capacity and 15.6 percent of total electricity generation in 2016.
December 2017
NREL Co-Leading New Consortium for R&D of Biomass Supply and Conversion Technologies, Announces Funding Opportunity
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), as co-leader of the new Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium (FCIC), is pleased to announce the release of a Directed Funding Opportunity (DFO) to accelerate innovation and adoption of new practices and technologies to determine the root cause of biomass handling failures and to design solutions.
Maria Ghirardi: Medical Studies Planted the Seed for Her Bioenergy Research
Maria Ghirardi was initially drawn to medicine, but switched to bioenergy, a field where she’s been a pioneer for decades.
News Release: NREL Research Finds a Sweet Spot for Engineering Better Cellulose-Degrading Enzymes
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have gained new insights into how glycosylation--the natural attachment of sugars to proteins--affects a key cellulase enzyme.
News Release: NREL Develops Novel Method to Produce Renewable Acrylonitrile
A new study from the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) establishes a novel catalytic method to produce renewable acrylonitrile using 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP), which can be biologically produced from sugars. This hybrid biological-catalytic process offers an alternative to the conventional petrochemical production method and achieves unprecedented acrylonitrile yields.
October 2017
Undersea Microbes Provide Path to Energy Storage
NREL establishes first demonstration project in United States.
September 2017
NREL Selected to Spearhead $3.5 Million DOE Project to Advance Algal Biofuels and Bioproducts
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the selection of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to lead a new project, for up to $3.5 million, with the goal of reducing the production costs of algae-based biofuels and bioproducts through improvements in algal biomass yields.
News Release: Enzyme's Worth to Biofuels Shown in Latest NREL Research
An enzyme discovered at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) proves adept at breaking down cellulose fibers regardless of whether their crystalline structure is simple or highly complex. No other enzyme has shown that ability.
July 2017
NREL Scientists Upend Century-Old Ammonia Production Method
Paul King and Katherine Brown wanted answers. To produce ammonia from nitrogen, could they use a biomolecular reaction similar to one that boosts the production of hydrogen from water?
June 2017
NREL Co-Leading New Consortium to Overcome Catalysis Challenges for Biomass Applications
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is co-leading the Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium (ChemCatBio), a new research and development consortium dedicated to identifying and overcoming catalysis challenges for biomass conversion processes.
Share
Last Updated May 5, 2025