Global Partner Programs

NREL leads global initiatives and partnerships designed to advance the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency in ways that increase economic and sustainable development and energy resilience and security.

NREL conducts its international programs in support of many U.S. agencies, companies, and international sponsors.

Global Climate Action Partnership

The Global Climate Action Partnership (formerly the Low Emission Development Strategies Global Partnership) is a worldwide network that accelerates ambitious climate goals and advances implementation in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. This member-driven network harnesses the collective knowledge of 120 countries and more than 450 institutions to drive collaboration and peer learning focused on country-driven implementation actions to achieve resilient, just, and inclusive low-emission and net-zero economies.

The Global Power System Transformation Consortium

NREL manages the secretariat responsibilities for the Global Power System Transformation Consortium. The Consortium brings together key power system operators, research and educational institutions, governments, businesses, and stakeholders from around the world to accelerate clean energy transitions by providing coordinated and holistic end-to-end support and knowledge infusion to power system operators across five pillars of focus: system operator research and peer learning, system operator technical support, workforce development, localized technology adoption support, and open-source data and tools.

Clean Energy Ministerial Programs

NREL supports the Clean Energy Ministerial, a high-level global forum to promote policies and programs that advance clean energy technology, to share lessons learned and best practices, and to encourage the transition to a global clean energy economy.

Clean Energy Solutions Center

The Clean Energy Solutions Center helps governments design and adopt policies and programs that support the deployment of clean energy technologies. The Solutions Center offers no-cost expert policy and finance technical assistance; web-based trainings; and clean energy policy and finance reports, data, and tools to countries in all regions. The Solutions Center is co-led and co-funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through support from the U.S. Department of State, and NREL serves as the operating agent.

21st Century Power Partnership

NREL coordinates the 21st Century Power Partnership, which aims to enable power system transformation through peer learning and collaboration across regulators, grid operators, and others on policies and programs that advance use of smart grid solutions and clean energy technologies. A multilateral effort of Clean Energy Ministerial, 21st Century Power Partnership provides a platform for public-private collaboration to advance integrated policy, regulatory, financial, and technical solutions for the large-scale deployment of renewable energy in combination with deep energy efficiency and smart grid solutions. 21st Century Power Partnership is engaged in deep technical collaboration with Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa to support power system transformation.

Electric Vehicles Initiative

The Electric Vehicles Initiative is one of the Clean Energy Ministerial’s founding initiatives. Electric Vehicles Initiative is a multigovernment policy forum dedicated to accelerating the introduction and adoption of electric vehicles worldwide. NREL provides technical support to the Electric Vehicles Initiative and partners to produce the Global EV Outlook report and support the Global Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero Campaign.

Hydrogen Initiative

In partnership with other coalitions, such as the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy and Mission Innovation, the Hydrogen Initiative focuses on how hydrogen can contribute to cleaner energy systems while promoting sustainability, resilience, and energy security. NREL works with participating governments to bring together cities and regions under the H2 Twin Cities Initiative, which pairs communities around the world to collaborate, share ideas, and learn from each other.

Nuclear Innovation: Clean Energy Future

Nuclear Innovation: Clean Energy (NICE) Future is a Clean Energy Ministerial initiative focused on addressing nuclear energy holistically within the context of clean energy systems to support partners in exploring diverse solutions, including nuclear technologies, for the development of clean and integrated systems. NICE Future, operated by NREL, also coordinates the Research the Impacts on Social Equity and Economic Empowerment (RISE³) campaign to accelerate the replacement of unabated coal plants with new, advanced nuclear technologies and bring about breakthrough nuclear innovations.

Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage have the potential to mitigate emissions from industrial processes and power production. As part of a Clean Energy Ministerial initiative, NREL supports analysis and communication of enabling policies, financing, feasibility, and economies of scale of carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies and their integration as part of a portfolio of clean energy solutions. Learn about the Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Initiative. 

Mission Innovation Programs

Zero-Emission Shipping

International shipping transports most of the world’s goods and is responsible for 3% of global emissions, potentially increasing by half by 2050 on its current trajectory. To set international shipping on an ambitious zero-emission trajectory, NREL supports the Zero-Emission Shipping mission to support the deployment of commercially viable, zero-emission ocean-going vessels in the global fleet by 2030.

Clean Hydrogen

It is currently three times more expensive to produce clean hydrogen than hydrogen produced directly from fossil fuels. Clean hydrogen has the potential to decarbonize hard to abate sectors, such as industry and heat, which are responsible for two-thirds of global emissions. Through the Clean Hydrogen mission, NREL is providing technical support to increase the cost-competitiveness of clean hydrogen by reducing end-to-end costs.

Net-Zero Industries

Heavy industries—such as steel, cement, and chemicals—require extremely high temperatures and use massive amounts of energy. NREL is providing technical support to the Net-Zero Industries mission to catalyze the development and demonstration of cost-competitive solutions for the efficient decarbonization of hard-to-abate energy intensive industries.

U.S. Government-Led Programs

Net Zero World Initiative

NREL is part of a unique team that includes nine U.S. government agencies and 10 DOE national laboratories, in partnership with other governments, philanthropies, and international institutions to support partner countries in meeting their clean energy targets and achieving just transitions to net-zero emission energy systems. Assistance is provided through tailored energy modeling and analysis to inform country-driven net-zero pathways and technical and investment plans. Learn more about the Net Zero World Initiative.

U.S. Department of Energy Programs

NREL partners with various DOE programs and the Office of International Affairs to support cooperation with international partners to accelerate progress toward DOE science and technology and energy market goals.

USAID-NREL Partnership

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) work together to accelerate the global clean energy transition, mitigate climate change, and promote resilient and equitable energy system development within emerging economies. Through the USAID-NREL Partnership, USAID Missions and their host country counterparts can access the best-in-class research, resources, and expertise housed within the DOE national laboratory network to tackle critical energy sector challenges experienced in the developing world.

The Partnership delivers tailored technical assistance packages framed around four interrelated strategic pillars: advanced and frontier power systems, innovation and grid interaction in buildings, electric mobility and sustainable transport, and integrated energy solutions. Just energy transitions and rigorous data analytics are foundational themes considered in the design and implementation of all Partnership interventions. Learn more about the USAID-NREL Partnership.

Collaboration With State Department and Other U.S. Agencies

Work with the Department of State includes partnering with several offices in the State Department to scale up clean energy analysis and deployment to support economic, environmental, and energy security goals with countries in all regions of the world. Additional U.S. partners include the Departments of Agriculture, Treasury, and Commerce; Environmental Protection Agency; Trade and Development Agency; Millennium Challenge Corp.; the Development Finance Corporation, and Export-Import Bank, among others.

Other International Energy Collaborative Programs

International partners include government agencies and research institutes around the world, along with United Nations agencies, the World Bank and regional development banks, various foundations,  the International Renewable Energy Agency, International Energy Agency, Sustainable Energy for All, Renewable Energy Network for the 21st Century, World Resources Institute, and many others.

Science and Technology Cooperation

NREL engages in collaboration with research institutions in all regions and international agencies and networks on joint technology assessment and testing, standards development, incubation programs, and other research and demonstration activities for clean energy technology and system innovations.  

Caribbean and Pacific Islands

With support from the State Department, NREL is providing technical assistance to island nations in strengthening their electricity grids and scaling up renewable energy deployment. This includes helping Barbuda, Dominica, and other Caribbean islands with rebuilding their electricity grids and renewable energy generation.

International Energy Agency

NREL provides technical support for International Energy Agency Technology Collaboration Programs in the areas of biomass, buildings, solar, wind, hydrogen, geothermal, vehicles, and smart grids and provides cross-cutting analysis and policy support for International Energy Agency assessment and country programs. We have also collaborated with the International Energy Agency Gas and Oil Technology Collaboration Programme to organize events on the nexus of renewable energy and oil and gas industries.

International Renewable Energy Agency

NREL collaborates with the International Renewable Energy Agency on several tasks, including studies of renewable energy costs, technology innovation, solar and wind analysis, support for country renewable energy strategies for Pacific Islands, and renewable energy training and policy advice.

Lithuania 100% Clean Energy Study

NREL is partnering with the Lithuanian Energy Agency and other organizations in Lithuania on in-depth modeling and analysis of pathways and options for Lithuania to transition to a 100% clean energy power system.

United Nations Climate Technology Centre and Network

NREL partners with the Climate Technology Center and Network, which is the implementation arm of the Technology Mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to assist countries in evaluation of energy technology options and regulatory frameworks in support of low carbon and climate resilient development at the request of developing countries.