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Energy Technologies Area (ETA) researchers are continually building on the strong scientific foundation we have developed over the past 50 years. We address the world’s most pressing climate challenges by bringing to market energy-efficient innovations across the buildings, transportation, and industrial sectors. ETA is at the forefront of developing better batteries for electric vehicles; improving the country's aging electrical grid and innovating distributed energy and storage solutions; developing grid-interactive, efficient buildings; and providing the most comprehensive market and data analysis worldwide for renewable technologies like wind and solar.
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The Energy Technologies Area (ETA) Strategic Plan is the guiding force for our research and development for the next ten years. It clearly charts a path toward clean-energy solutions and focuses on five detailed Strategic Initiatives. The Plan provides an in-depth look at how ETA is accelerating research to provide affordable, clean energy to all while accomplishing deep, economy-wide decarbonization, looking to avoid a rise in global average temperature while simultaneously developing solutions to increase humanity's resilience to extreme weather volatility.
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The Energy Technologies Area (ETA) is unique in translating fundamental scientific discoveries into scalable technology adoption. Our approach combines an understanding of the marketplace and the role of state and federal regulation and policies. ETA's research drives real-world, practical results that affect and improve the everyday lives of Americans and those across the globe. Saving energy and battling the Climate Crisis are key to the foundation of our research, which is driven by technoeconomic analysis and in-lab experimentation and discovery.

Secretary’s Honor Award Goes to Puerto Rico Grid Recovery and Modernization Team

February 21, 2024

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has recognized a multi-laboratory team’s work on the Puerto Rican electric grid with a 2023 Secretary’s Honor Award. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) staff Peter Cappers, Margaret Pigman, and Jeffrey Deason (pictured left to right) are among the team recipients.

DOE and six National Laboratories have been providing Puerto Rico with tools, training, and modeling to support a more resilient electric grid. The Puerto Rico grid recovery and modernization project aims to create an energy system that can better withstand strong storms and achieve a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050.

Cappers, Pigman, and Deason are researchers with Berkeley Lab’s Energy Markets and Policy Department. They contributed to the Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transitions to 100% Renewable Energy Study, a comprehensive analysis of pathways for Puerto Rico to meet its clean energy goals and strengthen its energy system. Summary results from the study were recently released in both English and Spanish, and the final report will be available in both languages in March.

The Secretary’s Honor Award is the U.S. Department of Energy’s highest form of employee recognition for achievements. The Puerto Rico team received the award from Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Deputy Secretary David Turk during a virtual ceremony held on February 20.