Sponsors

Energy & Environmental Research Center
The EERC is a research, development, demonstration, and commercialization facility recognized s one of the world’s leading developers of cleaner, more efficient energy technologies as well as environmental technologies to protect and clean our air, water, and soil. Operating like a business, the EERC is a high-tech, nonprofit branch of the University of North Dakota. The EERC currently employs more than 330 people and is aggressively expanding its staff. The Center was founded in 1951 as the Robertson Lignite Research Laboratory, a federal facility under the U.S. Bureau of Mines. It became a federal energy technology center under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 1977 and was defederalized in 1983. Today, the EERC leverages and enhances government research dollars by developing working partnerships with industry, government, and the research community. Since 1983, the EERC has had nearly 1100 clients in all 50 states and 51 countries. In FY2008, 94% of its contracts were funded by nonfederal entities.

National Center for Hydrogen Technology (NCHT)
The EERC was designated the National Center for Hydrogen Technology (NCHT) in 2004 in recognition of over 50 years of researching, testing, and integrating technologies for a wide variety of energy systems, including producing hydrogen from fossil and renewable fuels, gas separation and purification, and hydrogen utilization. The EERC has the experience, expertise, and facilities to take a lead role in developing, in concert with its industry and government partners, all aspects of the hydrogen economy. Current and pending contracts in the NCHT include more than $60 million in funding for producing clean hydrogen from fossil fuels; developing innovative hydrogen on-demand production systems; producing hydrogen from renewable sources; creating technologies for hydrogen separation, purification, and storage; developing hydrogen-dispensing systems; and integrating new technologies for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and other end uses.

U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory Through the EERC’s FY08 Fossil Energy Base Cooperative Agreement
The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), part of DOE’s national laboratory system, is owned and operated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). NETL supports DOE’s mission to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States. NETL implements a broad spectrum of energy and environmental research and development (R&D) programs that will return benefits for generations to come: Enabling domestic coal, natural gas, and oil to economically power our Nation’s homes, industries, businesses, and transportation … while protecting our environment and enhancing our energy independence. NETL has expertise in coal, natural gas, and oil technologies, contract and project management, analysis of energy systems, and international energy issues. In addition to research conducted onsite, NETL’s project portfolio includes R&D conducted through partnerships, cooperative research and development agreements, financial assistance, and contractual arrangements with universities and the private sector. Together, these efforts focus a wealth of scientific and engineering talent on creating commercially viable solutions to national energy and environmental problems.