Peter Nico, an accomplished soil and environmental biogeochemist who joined Berkeley Lab in 2005, has been selected to lead the laboratory’s Energy Geosciences Division as its next director. 

“We are excited to announce that Peter will lead the Energy Geosciences Division, which is well-positioned to ‘have its moment’ as the nation embraces new energy technologies, including those that expand access to geothermal energy and critical minerals,” said Bill Collins, associate laboratory director for the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area. “His deep experience with the division will be invaluable as the laboratory builds on 50 years of expertise in energy geosciences to address some of today’s most pressing energy and water challenges.”

The Energy Geosciences Division develops tools and capabilities to better manage Earth’s energy resources, with a focus on energy infrastructure, water resource management, and innovations that can expand emerging energy sources. The division was established in 1977, when it became among the first to advance simulations of geothermal system behavior. 

Nico studies how metals change form in the environment and how those changes influence the movement of contaminants. He also examines how carbon is stored and released in soils, with a focus on mineral surfaces and metals that shift between chemical states. He holds an MS in Organic Chemistry from UCLA and a PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry from UC Davis. His work often uses synchrotron-based X-ray techniques, which employ powerful X-rays to probe materials at the micron and nanometer scale.

Since joining the lab, Nico has contributed to projects spanning biogeochemistry, watersheds, nuclear energy, geothermal, and carbon storage. He has served as Geochemistry Department Head and Deputy Division Director, becoming Interim Division Director in June 2024 following Jens Birkholzer’s retirement. Peter is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in UC Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management.