Biofuels have huge potential as a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels for transportation. But farming crops for biofuel takes land, fresh water and other resources that are increasingly scarce as the world’s population rises -- so finding ways to grow them faster and more efficiently is key. That’s where the Department of Energy comes in. The Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) brings together experts on plant genetics, information technology and robotics in the search for bioenergy crops that are sustainable, affordable and yield abundant feedstocks for…

Rapid growth in domestic oil and gas production, driven by technological advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, has allowed the U.S. to tap vast natural gas reserves. Over its lifecycle, natural gas emits nearly half the level of greenhouse gases as coal when burned. However, methane – the main component of natural gas – is a potent greenhouse gas. Methane emissions only make up one-tenth of US emissions, but methane released into the atmosphere has 25 times more global warming potential than carbon dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas.  Methane can be emitted into…

This week ARPA-E is celebrating its seventh anniversary! Back in 2009, ARPA-E was a handful of innovative technology leaders and staffers with ambitious ideas about creating an agile government agency that could transform the U.S. energy landscape. Today, ARPA-E is changing the game in energy innovation with a diverse portfolio of more than 475 early-stage energy technology projects -- many of which are showing signs of technical and commercial success. Modeled after the Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), ARPA-E’s mission is to catalyze and…

Tell us a little about your background. How does your previous experience provide insight into your work at ARPA-E and what encouraged you to pursue a role in this field? I had the privilege of being trained in one of the world’s best control systems programs, and I have been a research scientist for more than twenty years in world-class research organizations working on a broad range of control system application areas.  Before coming to ARPA-E I was a Control Systems Group Leader at United Technologies Research Center (UTRC), where I led a team of very talented control scientists…

March 10, 2016 Celebrating the Energy Entrepreneur at the 2016 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit Last week, over 2,000 energy innovators, investors, and policymakers gathered at the seventh annual ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit to discuss cutting-edge energy technologies and commercialization strategies and how to move them out of the lab and into the market. During the three-day program, attendees from across the U.S. and 25 countries heard from industry and government leaders, networked at focused seminars and panel discussions and had a first-hand look at more than 280 technologies…

Now in our seventh year, ARPA-E continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible by investing in high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that have the capability to radically improve our economic prosperity, environmental well-being and national security. Take a look at several transformational energy projects that highlight how our Agency is changing what’s possible: The Role of Start-Ups Many ARPA-E-funded universities and research institutions have created start-up companies to further accelerate their next-generation technologies. Learn more about two ARPA-E projects…

Ways to Get the Most Out of the 2016 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit With more than 2,000 attendees, 270+ cutting-edge technologies exhibiting, and a wide variety of educational sessions available, navigating a large conference can be difficult. Keep reading for tips on how to maximize your time at the 2016 ARPA-E Innovation Summit and get the most out of this event based on your energy interests.  Panel Sessions: How to Select the Right Ones This year’s Summit will feature a multitude of breakout sessions with distinguished panelists discussing a wide variety of energy topics.…

January 15, 2016 ARPA-E: Reimagining the U.S. Electric Grid  The aging U.S. electric grid is comprised of more than 300,000 miles of electric transmission lines that take electricity from power plants to transformers and finally, into homes and businesses. More than 30% of the electric grid's transmission lines, transformers and other hardware are approaching or past the end of their life cycle. About 10% of electricity produced in U.S. power plants never reaches potential users because it’s lost during transmission, and power outages and blackouts. This loss of energy costs…

January 6, 2016 Behind the Scenes with Dr. Chris Atkinson, Program Director at ARPA-E  Dr. Chris Atkinson discusses his background, why he came to ARPA-E, and the possibility of an interdisciplinary solution to creating energy-efficient, automated vehicles.    1. Tell us a little about your background. How does your previous experience provide insight into your work at ARPA-E? Dr. Chris Atkinson: I have always been fascinated by the field of energy; it is ever present yet largely ignored in day to day life. I believe strongly that the most effective energy-…

December 9, 2015     ARPA-E’s Annual Energy Innovation Summit is the preeminent energy event of the year, bringing together the best minds in business, academia, and government to advance transformational technologies that could fundamentally change the way we generate, use, and store energy. This year’s Summit will be held February 29-March 2, 2016 at the Gaylord Convention Center just outside of Washington, DC.  Here are the top five things to look forward to at the 2016 Energy Innovation Summit: 1. Technology Showcase. The Technology Showcase provides ARPA-E…