Jud Virden — Laboratory Director and Alliance President

Jud Virden is director of NREL and president of the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, the company that operates NREL for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Virden joined NREL in September 2025, after more than 30 years at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where he most recently served as associate laboratory director for the Energy and Environment directorate. In that role, he led approximately 1,700 scientists, engineers, and staff in support of DOE's applied energy priorities, including modernizing the nation's power grid; improving the reliability, resilience, security, and affordability of the energy system; and addressing complex issues in nuclear science and environmental management.

Virden's career is marked by a strong record of forging public-private partnerships. He is eager to build on NREL's scientific excellence and drive meaningful, lasting transformation, growing collaborations within DOE, industry, academia, and the national labs to accelerate energy innovation and impact.

Virden received his bachelor's degree and doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Washington.