Winberg outlines agenda for Fossil Energy Office at research coalition meeting

Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg outlined his agenda for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) at the first annual technical review meeting of the University Coalition for Fossil Energy Research (UCFER) held recently at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) site in Morgantown, West Virginia.

UCFER, a six-year $20 million initiative funded by DOE through NETL, seeks to address fundamental research challenges regarding the advancement of fossil energy-based technologies. Representatives from NETL and 16 partner schools attended the technical review meeting. Collaboration, especially with university partners, would be critical to achieving the goals of FE, Winberg said.

“We’re focused on early-stage research, and you are the beginning of that early-stage research,” Winberg said, addressing meeting attendees. “I want to take this opportunity to thank you for everything that you do. It’s clearly a high-value proposition – not only for fossil energy but for the Department of Energy and for the country at large.”

In outlining his plans for FE, Winberg said the office aims to improve the reliability of the existing fleet of coal-fired power plants and develop the advanced technologies needed for the next generation. FE hopes to, Windberg said, develop new technologies that increase efficiency and reduces carbon dioxide emissions, including improved sensors and controls and advanced materials.

Winberg also cited criteria for the next generation of coal-fired power plants. They must be small and modular, increase efficiency and be able to load follow, he said. Winberg also suggested pursuing combined heat and power plants.

The assistant secretary for fossil energy also noted that FE’s primary goal related to natural gas involves working with industry stakeholders to improve access to data and use advanced software computing and analytics to identify ways to, among other things, increase efficiency and consistency in hydraulic fracturing.

Winberg also noted that FE is still highly focused on carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), particularly carbon capture.

“That’s where I think the universities can come in and play in a very real way,” Winberg said. “I would like to get that [carbon capture] cost down by 50 percent.”