Alliance for Sustainable Energy Awarded NREL Contract

The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 that it had awarded the contract for management and operation of NREL to the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. The Alliance is equally owned and governed by Midwest Research Institute and Battelle.

"We are truly excited to have the opportunity to continue to manage this great Laboratory and to support DOE's critical mission of developing and deploying innovative, high impact renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies," said NREL director Dr. Dan E. Arvizu.

The Alliance's vision for NREL includes:

Strengthening NREL's scientific, technical and analytical foundations by adding leading talent and connecting the Laboratory to the nation's research engine at leading universities and laboratories.
Creating a Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis, in partnership with MIT, Stanford and the Colorado research universities, to provide credible and objective technology, market and policy insights that will inform R&D, commercialization, policy and market decisions to accelerate the impact of our portfolio on national energy goals.
Introducing new people, systems and approaches for commercialization and deployment to rapidly move revolutionary innovations from concept to customer.
Building a new "Campus of the Future" that enables the mission with signature scientific and partnering facilities and showcases sustainable energy on and near the NREL site.
Creating a safe and supportive work environment for this vibrant, innovative and entrepreneurial Laboratory that will attract and retain the "best and brightest" from around the world.

Throughout these efforts, the Alliance will make NREL the catalyst for creation of a renewable energy "Silicon Valley" initially centered on the Laboratory, the State of Colorado and the Front Range, but eventually expanding NREL's national and global presence to help bring about full-scale adoption of clean energy.

To carry out its aggressive plan for NREL, MRI and Battelle have engaged more then 20 other organizations and collaborators in the Alliance including the State of Colorado, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, University of Colorado-Boulder, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. In addition, to leverage the federal investment in NREL, the Alliance has committed to invest additional funds in the Laboratory.

MRI and Battelle have a long record of accomplishment and partnership with DOE that has seen NREL advance renewable energy and energy efficiency into the mainstream of the U.S. energy economy.

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