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August 2022
NREL's 6th Partner Forum Digs Deep on Sustainable Aviation Opportunities
On Aug. 9-10, 2022, NREL convened its sixth Partner Forum at its Golden, Colorado, campus, pulling together public and private sector leaders to collaboratively explore solutions for sustainable aviation.
En Route to Market: Alder Fuels and NREL Partner To Scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel Technology for Commercial Use
A critical pathway for producing large quantities of low- to negative-carbon sustainable aviation fuel is enroute to market following a collaborative research and development agreement between NREL and Alder Fuels.
July 2022
NREL Selected for Space-Bound Research To Solve the Plastic Waste Dilemma
Researchers at NREL will send an engineered bacteria into space as early as next year as part of ongoing research into solving the problem of plastic waste mitigation on Earth.
Not Just Bread and Beer—Microbes Can Ferment Carbon Dioxide To Make Fuel, Too
Bakers ferment dough for a well-risen loaf of bread. Brewers ferment wheat and barley for a smooth, malty glass of beer. And as nature's foremost bakers and brewers, some microbes can do even more.
NREL Addresses Energy Challenges for Sustainable Aviation
From sustainable fuels to airport infrastructure analysis to next-gen aircraft, NREL offers solutions for lowering emissions in a sector that is among the most difficult to decarbonize.
NREL Innovations Open Door to Industry Collaboration, Commercialization
NREL researchers made for an inventive bunch in fiscal year 2021, even exceeding record-breaking activity in FY '20. A patent issued in November 2021 for compressed gas energy storage, for example, which covers the idea of injecting compressed natural gas into defunct oil and gas fracking sites, accounted for just one of 36 issued patents in FY '21.
June 2022
Co-Optima Crosses the Finish Line
Just as the wheels keep turning on cars, trucks, and trains, the planet keeps spinning in its orbit. All the while, climate change is accelerating, along with the dire need to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions responsible for global warming.
SAFFiRE Sustainable Aviation Fuel Project Earns Government-Industry Boost
With fuel prices soaring, a new government-industry partnership based at NREL plans to shift the aviation market further away from oil fields and closer to the farmlands.
May 2022
Q&A With Nicholas Rorrer: Plant-Based Plastics and Plastic Plants
As part of the Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A profile series, Nic Rorrer shares why he loves polymers as well as Legos, yoga, RuPaul's drag races, and saving the world.
April 2022
News Release: NREL Calculates Lost Value of Landfilled Plastic in U.S.
Scientists at NREL calculated the energy value of landfilled plastic waste in 2019 was enough to supply 5% of the power used by the country's transportation sector, or 5.5% by the industrial sector.
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Last Updated May 5, 2025