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About 70 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S. is fueled by coal, natural gas, and oil. As promising as renewable and other alternative fuels are, several decades will be required before they approach the energy contributions of our traditional fuels. On December 10, 1999, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson elevated the Federal Energy Technology Center, with campuses in Morgantown, W.V. and Pittsburgh, Pa., to national laboratory status as the DOE's 15th national laboratory. In naming the National Energy Technology Laboratory, Richardson noted that the two sites "have been at the forefront of advancements in fossil fuel and environmental technologies" for much of this century. The certificate of designation states that this move will "include it as a full-fledged member in the most comprehensive research system of its kind in the world, while at the same time retaining its unique government-owned, government-operated status." Along with the designation as a national lab, the Secretary declared NETL to be the Department's Strategic Center for Natural Gas. After citing the continuing importance of natural gas as a fuel for current and future energy markets, he explained that NETL would be the center that "looks at the big picture and devises the bold ideas that allow the full potential of natural gas to be achieved". The lab has adopted a "greener-sooner" motto-"we don't have to wait." By applying scientific advances, we can continue to improve environmental quality and reap the economic benefits of the fuels we count on most while alternative energy resources move into the market. As Energy Secretary Richardson said recently, "There is just as much opportunity for high-tech innovation in fossil fuels as there is for solar, wind, or any other energy resource". NETL is structuring its research resources around four centers of excellence in fossil energy science. NETL's Centers of Excellence are: Center for Computational Energy Science: This center will provide high performance computational modeling and simulation research into advanced energy plants. In collaboration with partners, the Center's activities will result in the eventual creation of a dynamic plant simulator for testing of advanced technologies. Center for Carbon Sequestration Science: This center will provide scientific insights leading to options for the long-term stabilization of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Center for Combustion and Gas Energy System Dynamics: This center will work to enhance the availability of clean, low-cost energy by resolving scientific issues of natural gas-based technology for electricity generation and useful heat production, provide a scientific basis to foster the development of technologies for dispersed and central power applications, transfer 'green' technologies to military and civilian applications and resolve scientific and technical challenges associated with the natural gas infrastructure. Center for Ultra-Clean Fuel Science and Technology: The center will conduct scientific research to determine the mechanisms and processes associated with fuels chemistry. For more information on NETL, check out their Web site at www.netl.doe.gov or contact Larry C. Headley, associate director of the Office of Science and Technology, 304/285-4314.
Submitted by DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory
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