Leadership Team
Learn more about the expertise and technical skills of the wind power research team and staff at NREL.
Center Director
Daniel Laird is director of the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC). Laird also serves as an executive committee member of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Atmosphere to Electrons Wind Plant Optimization Initiative and provides leadership in the focus areas of high-fidelity modeling, wind power plant controls, and rotor dynamics. Prior to joining NREL in 2015, he spent 19 years at Sandia National Laboratories leading wind energy and water power research efforts in structural analysis and simulation, computational design tools, advanced manufacturing, composite materials, and blade reliability.
Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory Program Manager
As the laboratory program manager for Advanced Manufacturing, Matt Ringer oversees NREL's portfolio of science and engineering research completed on behalf of DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Decarbonization Offices. He ensures NREL researchers and engineers working on Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Decarbonization projects provide high-quality, groundbreaking results to our clients. NREL's almost $15 million annual research budget from the Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Decarbonization Offices is focused on advanced composites manufacturing, power electronics, supply chain and circular economy analysis, polymer upcycling, and water.
Wind Research Staff
See a complete list of our researchers on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Research Hub.
Meet the Staff Behind the Blades
The research and advances in wind energy at NREL is only possible thanks to the hard work of the staff behind the blades. Read the profiles in our Behind the Blades interview series.
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Last Updated Feb. 18, 2025