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$20M Will Fund New Cement and Concrete Center of Excellence
Did you know concrete is the second-most-used resource on Earth and is critical to U.S. infrastructure and our economy? That’s why the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) recently announced $20M in funding to create a Cement and Concrete Center of Excellence to accelerate industry innovation and bring affordable, market-ready solutions to the American cement and concrete industry.
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Assistant Secretary Tours National Energy Technology Laboratory
This week, the National Energy Technology Laboratory – Pittsburgh welcomed Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson for a tour of the facilities and a panel discussion. They shared valuable insight into the lab’s current research and development on carbon materials manufacturing, produced water management, and sensors and modeling. In turn, she shared CMEI’s new strategic vision and discussed the efforts our National Labs and their industry partners are undertaking to strengthen global supply chains and scale up innovative technologies.
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 National Lab Webinar To Discuss Critical Mineral Recovery Technologies
Join Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers on May 21, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET to learn about a portfolio of critical mineral recovery and separation technologies designed to extract high-value materials from waste streams and underutilized resources. Hear how these technologies support more reliable, domestic sources of critical minerals, along with opportunities for companies to evaluate and pursue licensing and partnership pathways.
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Energy I-Corps Welcomes National Lab Cohort 22 to Industry Workshop
Since 2015, the Energy I-Corps program, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Technology Commercialization, has provided a framework for industry engagement to guide future research at our National Labs with a two-month entrepreneurial training program with entrepreneurs, executives, small business owners, and other industry mentors. During this year’s opening week, 18 research teams from 11 National Labs dove into the program curriculum that will culminate in Washington, D.C.
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4-H Students Meet the Assistant Secretary
On April 13, 2026, youth delegates from across the nation took part in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National 4-H Conference in Washington, D.C., to present to federal government agencies their perspectives on technologies and energy innovation that could be employed by the future energy workforce. After a government-wide career fair, the student delegates shared their viewpoints with DOE leaders, including Assistant Secretary Robertson and Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office Director Valerie Sarisky-Reed, on how to improve educational opportunities and encourage the next generation.
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Alaska Joins Clean Cities and Communities Partnership
For the first time in the program's 30-year history, a coalition from Alaska has joined the Clean Cities and Communities partnership. The coalition aims to address the region's unique energy and transportation challenges—from extreme climates and limited road connectivity to a heavy reliance on aviation and marine transport—while aligning closely with the program’s mission to advance local adoption of affordable and reliable transportation fuels and mobility systems.
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