ARPA-E: Reimagining the U.S. Electric Grid

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…


Behind the Scenes with Dr. Chris Atkinson, Program Director at ARPA-E

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-…


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Top Five Reasons to Attend the ARPA-E Summit

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…


ARPA-E Awardee Spotlights

  In this season of thanksgiving, ARPA-E is highlighting several awardees who are changing our nation’s energy landscape and challenging the status quo by developing entirely new ways to generate, store, and use energy. These two ARPA-E projects, highlighted below, have the potential to radically improve U.S. economic prosperity, national security, and environmental well-being. We’re thankful that these projects are creating long-term impacts in the energy space:  Smart Wires PowerLine GuardianTM  Smart Wires, formerly known as Smart Wire Grid, developed a solution for…


ARPA-E Energy Action Month: Sustainability

October 29, 2015  To wrap up ARPA-E’s spotlight on Energy Action Month, this blog highlights the Agency’s third key mission area of sustainability. ARPA-E is developing a sustainable American energy future by investing in technologies that will increase U.S. energy efficiency, decrease energy-related emissions and help maintain the U.S. technological lead in research and development (R&D).  Because ARPA-E Program Directors are constantly exploring potential topics for future program areas, the Agency’s project portfolio spans across and in between various disciplines and…


ARPA-E Energy Action Month: Affordability

As part of ARPA-E’s continued spotlight on Energy Action Month, this blog will focus on the Agency’s active role in creating a more affordable American energy future. As one of ARPA-E’s three key mission areas, the Agency is fostering affordability by supporting project teams in developing next-generation domestic energy options that are cost comparable to today's technologies. In addition to funding innovative projects, ARPA-E maintains a Technology-to-Market Program to assist project teams in developing the knowledge and skills they need to prepare for and expedite private-sector deployment…


ARPA-E and Energy Action Month: Security

In continued recognition of National Energy Action Month, our second blog in this series will focus on highlighting ARPA-E’s active role in promoting a more secure American energy future. As one of ARPA-E’s three key mission areas, the Agency promotes security by advancing technologies that will reduce U.S. dependence on imported energy sources, creating more stable and diverse domestic energy production options.  As a partner in security, the U.S. military is one of the largest energy consumers worldwide and heavily relies on energy to keep our nation safe by training, moving, and…


ARPA-E and National Energy Action Month

October is National Energy Action Month, a full month focused on underscoring how crucial energy is to our national prosperity, security, and environmental well-being. The central mission of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is to accelerate innovations that will create a secure, affordable and sustainable American energy future.  ARPA-E advances high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private-sector investment. ARPA-E awardees are unique because they are developing entirely new ways to generate, store, and use energy. ARPA-E…


ARPA-E Awardees Pursue Unconventional Solar Technologies

With approximately 173,000 terawatts of solar energy continuously striking the earth, solar energy is the most abundant energy resource available. To put this in perspective, solar energy totals more than 10,000 times the world’s total energy use. Most solar power is in the form of rooftop panels mounted on homes and businesses. Residential solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity surpassed commercial solar PV capacity in 2014 and continues to steadily grow, which can be attributed to a consistent decline in the cost of solar technology and more efficient installation time. However, the Energy…


ARPA-E Projects Seek New Ways to Fuel Your Summer Travels

August 24, 2015  Americans spend a lot of time – and energy – driving and flying. The average U.S. driver logs about 13,000 miles every year. To fuel our commutes and summer road trips, Americans last year consumed more than 136 billion gallons of gasoline, which accounts for 60% of U.S. oil demand and is responsible for a quarter of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. On the commercial side, more than 10.3 billion gallons of jet fuel were consumed in 2014 by U.S. airlines alone.  With the busiest driving and travel season in full swing, fuel efficiency becomes particularly…