National Security Partnerships
NREL and its U.S. national security sector partners work to understand and inform research about novel and emerging threats to U.S. and international energy security.
Our work also:
- Enhances resilience of regional and installation energy infrastructure
- Incorporates core research into unique operational energy and mission requirements.
Since 2006, NREL has provided energy, resilience, and sustainability support to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Chief Readiness Support Officer. NREL's DHS partnership includes training, policy and guidance, and technical assistance for energy, water, facilities, transportation, and resilience.
NREL has also supported DHS' unique operational energy needs by conducting research into remote power systems for border monitoring and planning the application of renewable energy resources to enhance national security missions.
Partnership Areas
National security sector partners include DHS, the Department of Justice, the National Security Council, and other agencies. NREL provides expertise and support in the following areas.
Energy Security
- National security implications of global energy transformations, including geopolitics, global economics, supply chain, cybersecurity, grid defense, and resource planning
- Impacts of climate change on global energy infrastructure
- Security and defense of energy systems while achieving carbon-neutral goals, nationally and internationally
Installations and Facilities
- Resilience against acute and chronic environmental drivers
- Enhanced energy efficiency for mission assurance
- Integration of electric vehicles in fleets
Operational Energy
Application of research across renewable energy technology areas to operational energy requirements
Disaster Relief
Since 2012, NREL has provided disaster recovery support funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist communities, including recovery efforts for:
- Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey
- Flooding on the Yukon in Galena, Alaska, and in West Virginia
- Extreme storms in South Dakota
- Hurricanes Irma and Maria in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Leverage NREL's National Security Research Capabilities
NREL's Energy Security and Resilience Research portfolio advances clean energy technologies and systems by addressing disruptive risks with national security implications such as natural hazards and human-caused threats. See how researchers conduct resilience planning and decision support to help our national security partners.
Access tools and data to leverage our work and engage with us.
Buildings Data and Tools – Explore this set of tools for constructing energy-efficient, resilient, and cost-effective buildings—including the ResStock and ComStock analysis tools for federal buildings.
Distributed Energy Resource Cybersecurity Framework – Assess the cybersecurity posture—or health—of U.S. federal government sites' distributed energy resource systems.
Fleet DNA: Commercial Fleet Vehicle Operating Data – Access this tool for federal fleet managers to choose advanced technologies for their fleets.
Fleet Sustainability Dashboard (FleetDASH) – Measure compliance with the federal mandate for using alternative fuel within dual-fueled vehicles and track participating federal agencies' fleet fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and vehicle inventories.
Federal Laws and Requirements Search – Browse information about energy-management laws and requirements for federal agencies.
REopt: Renewable Energy Integration and Optimization – Identify the most cost-effective ways to meet energy goals, estimate the cost of achieving them, and help organizations identify the most economically and technically viable opportunities.
Resilience Roadmap – Find comprehensive guidance for federal, state, and local entities to effectively convene at the regional level for adaptable and holistic planning.
Resilient Energy Platform – Access expertly curated resources, training materials, data, tools, and direct technical assistance in planning resilient, sustainable, and secure power systems.
Smart Labs Toolkit – Learn about a systematic process that helps laboratory owners and operators plan and cost effectively achieve safe, efficient, and sustainable laboratories.
Technical Resilience Navigator – Learn how to be proactive in identifying and addressing vulnerabilities to organizations’ critical energy and water systems to reduce outage impacts and support continuous mission operations.
TEMPO: Transportation Energy and Mobility Pathway Options – Better understand the potential for radical transformations of transportation demand and its impact on energy use.
Energy Resilience Assessment Methodology, NREL Technical Report (2019) – Learn how NREL developed a replicable energy resilience assessment methodology for sites, military bases, and campuses to assess energy risks and develop prioritized solutions to increase site resilience.
Implementing Instructions: Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability, The White House Council on Environmental Quality (2022) – View guidance for how to implement President Joe Biden's executive order for all federal agency to set and measure targets to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
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