Developing technologies for a secure energy future
Brookhaven aims to lead the Nation toward an energy-secure economy by leveraging the Lab’s world-leading materials science and chemistry research facilities to develop energy solutions using an “all of the above” approach. The Lab’s complementary climate research investigates the atmosphere at unprecedented scales, gathering data that will improve climate models and advance scientists’ understanding of complex environmental systems.
Environmental scientists at Brookhaven Lab are investigating factors that affect Earth’s climate by probing the fundamental building blocks of the climate system. These include aerosols and the plant physiological processes that sustain ecosystems from the Arctic to the tropics. Our data will improve the models used to predict long-term global climate change and the daily atmospheric conditions that impact renewable energy efficiency and demand.
Brookhaven scientists are exploring a range of energy strategies to move toward an affordable, energy-secure future. Examples include rewiring plants’ biochemical pathways to produce biobased fuels; developing catalysts that mimic plants’ ability to capture sunlight and transform carbon dioxide and water into fuel; and developing catalysts that transform waste carbon dioxide, waste methane, and other raw materials into useful products and fuels.
Developing new types of energy storage provides a path to electrification of transportation and grid resilience. Brookhaven Lab is advancing this vision by developing new materials, new electrochemical storage systems, understanding the mechanisms of function and degradation, and by studying their integration into real-world, grid-scale energy distribution systems.
From improving the efficiency of home heating systems to studying the dispersal of pollutants in urban areas, Brookhaven scientists are conducting research that has the potential to save money, keep carbon out of the atmosphere, and improve human health.
Recognizing the important role nuclear energy plays in providing reliable, carbon-free electricity, Brookhaven Lab scientists are committed to research that will continue to advance the field.
