![]() |
New Energy Systems Enhance National SecurityWashington D.C., March 14, 2002 Experts from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have identified key renewable energy technologies that can be used to strengthen U.S. energy security. "Renewable energy technologies offer the nation powerful tools for enhancing homeland security," NREL Director Richard Truly said today at the National Press Club. More broadly, Truly said, the growing energy contributions made by wind, biomass, geothermal and solar can be especially useful in helping offset our nation's reliance on foreign energy sources, thereby bolstering U.S. energy security. "Renewable energy technologies - particularly when deployed as a distributed energy resource - can play a vital role in securing our energy infrastructure," Truly said at a Press Club news conference. "The more energy efficient we are, the more energy we get from sustainable, domestic resources, the less pressure we have on our energy infrastructure and the less vulnerable we are to disruption." A complete text of Truly's remarks can be found online at www.nrel.gov/director/. NREL was one of several national labs to participate in a recent exposition in Washington, D.C., titled, "Assuring Our Energy Infrastructure: Solutions for the 21st Century." The lab's participation in the exposition showcased technologies that NREL researchers have identified as valuable to national security. Those include:
"We can safeguard our energy supply," Truly said, "but it's going to take commitment and hard work to arrive at a secure, domestic energy destination. NREL scientists and engineers started that journey 25 years ago. Today, we renew our commitment to a future of secure, reliable, never-ending sources of energy." NREL is managed for the Department of Energy by Midwest Research Institute, Battelle and Bechtel. In addition to its work on energy security, the lab is a leading center for research into hydrogen and fuel cells, distributed energy resources, bioenergy and bio-based products, zero energy buildings, wind energy, geothermal energy, solar energy and advanced transportation technologies.
For more information, please contact NREL Public Affairs at (303) 275-4090 or email Public_Affairs@nrel.gov
25 Years of Research Excellence NR-0902 |