News Release: NREL Names Juan Torres to Lead Energy Systems Integration

May 31, 2017 | By Wayne Hicks | Contact media relations

Photo of Juan Torres, Associate Laboratory Director for Energy Systems Integration, NREL.

Juan Torres takes over June 5 as the new Associate Laboratory Director for Energy Systems Integration at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

A longtime employee of the Department’s Sandia National Laboratories, Torres steps into the role vacated by Bryan Hannegan, who will remain until June 23 to ensure a smooth transition.

Torres, an electrical engineer who joined Sandia 27 years ago, has served as deputy to the vice president for energy and climate programs for the past year. In that position, Torres has led efforts in cybersecurity, guided investments in advanced energy research, and played a key role in the DOE’s multi-lab effort to modernize the nation’s electrical grid.

“Juan’s expertise encompasses many of NREL’s core program areas,” said NREL Director Martin Keller. “He will lead research teams that include renewable energy systems integration, cybersecurity, grid modernization, and energy systems security and resilience.”

NREL’s associate laboratory directors report directly to Keller.

"I'm excited about returning to my home state of Colorado to tackle U.S. energy challenges at the nation’s premier advanced energy lab,” Torres said.

Torres joined Sandia after graduating from the University of Southern Colorado in Pueblo with a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering technology. He went on to earn his master’s in electrical engineering from the University of New Mexico and has completed additional postgraduate engineering work at Stanford University.

In his role at NREL, Torres will oversee continuing efforts at the laboratory’s Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) to strengthen the security of the nation’s electrical grid, to increase the use of renewable sources of energy, and to develop and demonstrate new technologies to modernize the power grid.

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for the Energy Department by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

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