AMO Welcomes Interim Acting Director Steven McKnight
Advanced Manufacturing & Industrial Decarbonization
October 6, 2022
minute read time
- AMO Welcomes Interim Acting Director Steven McKnight
- DOE Issues Notice of Intent for Funding of Lithium Extraction and Conversion to Strengthen Domestic Supply Chains for Clean Energy Transition
- Notice of Intent for DOE’s High-Performance Computing for Energy Innovation Fall Solicitation
- DOE Announces Pledges from 21 Organizations to Increase the Energy Efficiency of Semiconductors and Bolster American Manufacturing
- DOE Launches New Energy Earthshot to Cut Industrial Heating Emissions By 85 Percent
- Better Plants Partners Save $10.6 Billion in Energy Costs
- DOE Recognizes 3M Company for Leadership in Energy Management
- Reducing Waste in the Manufacturing Mastermind Series
- Join Our Team: Learn about Open Positions and Spread the Word!
- Join the High-Performance Computing for Energy Innovation Team for a Manufacturing Day Webinar
Recent News and Funding Opportunities
AMO Welcomes Interim Acting Director Steven McKnight
This month, AMO welcomed our new interim Acting Director, Dr. Steven McKnight. Over the coming year, McKnight will lead the AMO team, helping advance DOE and Administration priorities to bolster domestic manufacturing, decarbonize the U.S. industrial sector, and drive innovation in clean energy technologies and manufacturing processes. Prior to joining AMO, he served as the Vice President for Strategic Alliances at Virginia Tech where he managed strategic partnerships and oversaw executive-level engagement with federal agencies, research sponsors, and labs. He has also maintained an active research portfolio in composite materials, engineering polymers, and adhesion science. Previously, McKnight was the division director for civil, mechanical, and manufacturing innovation within the Directorate for Engineering at the National Science Foundation. He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Delaware and a B.S. in Materials Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Read more.
DOE Issues Notice of Intent for Funding of Lithium Extraction and Conversion to Strengthen Domestic Supply Chains for Clean Energy Transition
On October 3, DOE announced its intent to issue a funding opportunity that will support research on the extraction and conversion of lithium from geothermal brines for use of lithium batteries in electric vehicles and clean energy storage. This investment will help advance and diversify the domestic supply of lithium hydroxide that our nation needs to meet the Biden Administration goals of a net-zero clean energy economy by 2050 and 50% electric vehicle adoption by 2030. Learn more.
Notice of Intent for DOE’s High-Performance Computing for Energy Innovation Fall Solicitation
DOE’s High Performance Computing for Energy Innovation (HPC4EI) initiative recently announced a notice of intent (NOI) to issue a new solicitation in November 2022. HPC4EI programs help researchers and manufacturers leverage the expertise and computing capabilities of U.S. National Laboratories to address some of the most complex challenges in manufacturing and accelerate our transition to a clean energy future. The fall solicitation will include the AMO-funded High Performance Computing for Manufacturing (HPC4Mfg) program and the High-Performance Computing for Materials (HPC4Mtls) program, which is supported by the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. Selected projects will be awarded up to $300,000 to support computing cycles and work performed by DOE National Laboratories, universities, and non-profit partners. View the NOI.
DOE Announces Pledges from 21 Organizations to Increase the Energy Efficiency of Semiconductors and Bolster American Manufacturing
On September 21, DOE announced a commitment from more than 20 companies and organizations to increase the energy efficiency of semiconductors by a factor of 1,000 over the next two decades. The Energy Efficiency Scaling for 2 Decades (EES2) national initiative aims to get the semiconductor industry back on the path of doubling energy efficiency every two years to increase the economic competitiveness of American semiconductor manufacturers and strengthen domestic clean energy supply chains.
Inaugural signing partners of the EES2 initiative pledge include Intel, Microsoft, Micron, Synopsys, and AMD, in addition to the Semiconductor Research Corporation, Argonne National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories. The EES2 pledge includes support for a 20-year effort to create a Semiconductor EES2 Roadmap that will provide concrete metrics and recommendations to guide RDD&D of the U.S. semiconductor industry to increase energy efficiency and position the United States as a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing and innovation. Learn more about the EES2 initiative.
DOE Launches New Energy Earthshot to Cut Industrial Heating Emissions By 85 Percent
On September 21, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm announced the launch of the Industrial Heat Shot at the Global Clean Energy Action forum in Pittsburgh. This new DOE-wide effort will help us make big strides on the road to a decarbonized industrial sector. The Energy Earthshot™ is aimed at dramatically reducing the cost, energy use, and carbon emissions associated with the heat used to make everything from food to cement and steel. If achieved, the American industrial sector will be on track to reduce its carbon equivalent emissions by 575 million metric tons by 2050, roughly equal to the annual emissions generated by all passenger cars currently on the road. Learn more.
Better Plants Partners Save $10.6 Billion in Energy Costs
On September 19, DOE released the 2022 Better Plants Progress Update. The report highlights the leadership of more than 270 manufacturers and water utilities who partner with DOE to increase energy and water efficiency. Collectively, these partners have saved $10.6 billion in energy costs, 2.2 quadrillion British thermal units (Btus) of energy, and more than 130 million metric tons of CO2. Learn more about the 2022 Progress Update.
DOE Recognizes 3M Company for Leadership in Energy Management
On September 23, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognized 3M Company as a leader in energy management. This honor took place at the Global Clean Energy Action Forum (GCEAF), an international event hosted by the United States in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. To qualify for this national award, 3M established an energy management system certified to ISO 50001, the global energy management standard, and wrote a structured case study to share insights about the process and benefits of setting up the system. Learn more.
Highlights
Reducing Waste in the Manufacturing Mastermind Series
At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Avantika Singh is an expert in market analysis and sustainable materials. She works with research teams to design new cost-effective ways to manufacturing and recycle plastics. Singh is also part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLETM) consortium. In the latest Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A, Singh talks about her twisty path to plastics, how her mother’s green thumb inspired her commitment to sustainable living, and how much she hates waste. Read more.
Join Our Team: Learn about Open Positions and Spread the Word!
The Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is rapidly expanding our team and looking for individuals to lead our work in advanced materials and manufacturing technologies and industrial efficiency and decarbonization. We welcome your interest and help in sharing these roles with your networks. Our open positions include two critical senior-level positions: The Director of the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Program and the Director of the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technology Program. Several open program manager positions are also recruiting new staff as well. Learn more about each opportunity on our Careers Page.
Events
Join the High-Performance Computing for Energy Innovation Team for a Manufacturing Day Webinar
It’s not too late to register for the High-Performance Computing for Energy Innovation (HPC4EI) webinar on October 7th. HPC4EI pairs industry partners with scientists at DOE national laboratories to work on projects that increase energy efficiency and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. HPC4EI is hosting a special Manufacturing Day webinar to discuss current DOE priorities and initiatives that industry and the national laboratories can address to tackle the climate crisis. Webinar discussion topics include: decarbonization of industrial processes; research needs in the areas of carbon utilization and concentrated solar energy; and the issues around high hydrogen fuel mixtures for gas turbines or internal combustion engines. View the event agenda and register.
Events
Join the High-Performance Computing for Energy Innovation Team for a Manufacturing Day Webinar
It’s not too late to register for the High-Performance Computing for Energy Innovation (HPC4EI) webinar on October 7th. HPC4EI pairs industry partners with scientists at DOE national laboratories to work on projects that increase energy efficiency and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. HPC4EI is hosting a special Manufacturing Day webinar to discuss current DOE priorities and initiatives that industry and the national laboratories can address to tackle the climate crisis. Webinar discussion topics include: decarbonization of industrial processes; research needs in the areas of carbon utilization and concentrated solar energy; and the issues around high hydrogen fuel mixtures for gas turbines or internal combustion engines. View the event agenda and register.