April 05, 2023

Manchin Announces $40 Million for Morgantown National Energy Technology Laboratory

Charleston, WV — Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced approximately $40,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) for the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) research site in Morgantown, West Virginia. The funding was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act and is part of a larger $150,000,000 investment to support site-wide infrastructure and laboratory modernization upgrades at all three national NETL sites.

“The Inflation Reduction Act continues to deliver for West Virginia and the entire country. Today’s announcement of $150 million for DOE’s three NETL sites, including approximately $40 million for the Morgantown location, will support cutting-edge technology projects and boost our energy economy,” said Chairman Manchin. “Investments like this help ensure the Mountain State continues to be a leader in American energy innovation and create good-paying, long term energy jobs for West Virginians. I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of this funding for decades to come.”

Today’s investment will be used to enhance core strengths at NETL’s three complexes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Morgantown, West Virginia, and Albany, Oregon, including:

  • Computation, Data, and Visualization — Investments will be used across all three NETL sites for improvements to ESNet, DOE’s high-performance, unclassified network built to support scientific research. The funds will provide resources for the Geological, Environmental and Materials Computational and Visualization Laboratory to apply artificial intelligence and machine learning to visualize and monitor the movement of carbon dioxide stored underground to address potential challenges for carbon capture and storage. Investments also will support building a new facility in Morgantown, which will include innovative collaboration space for the next level of high-performance computing to accelerate breakthroughs in more abundant, affordable, and reliable clean energy solutions.
  • Process Development — Investments in NETL’s Carbon Conversion R&D and Critical Materials R&D programs will support modernization of laboratory facilities in Morgantown and Pittsburgh to build in flexibility for these emerging and mission-critical areas of research and development.
  • Alloy Development — Investments in Albany’s Advanced Alloy Development Center will be used to formulate even more cost-effective, durable metal alloys to develop cutting-edge energy-producing processes and facilities that can generate affordable clean energy and support growth in emerging U.S. industries, such as hydrogen transport and use.