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Program Domain

Resilient Energy, Water and Infrastructure

Gas sampling from a warm soda spring in Long Valley caldera (east moat), Mammoth Mountain, CA. (At left, D. Shuster, at right, B.M. Kennedy.)

Researchers in the Resilient Energy, Water and Infrastructure Program Domain are developing and applying scientific approaches to solving existing and emerging challenges of sustainability 'and resiliency' of subsurface energy utilization and important linkages to water, environment, energy infrastructure, and society.

Programs

Initiative

Water-Energy

Develop approaches for sustainable groundwater management and identification of new water resources including groundwater storage opportunities while reducing associated cost and energy demands and insuring water quality. Anticipate, assess, manage, and mitigate potential impacts of emerging energy technologies on water systems and quality.

Peter S. Nico psnico@lbl.gov 510-486-7118

Program

Lithium Resource Research and Innovation Center (LiRRIC)

Berkeley Lab has established the Lithium Resource Research and Innovation Center (LiRRIC) to power lithium innovation. Through the new center, the national laboratory’s resource experts in environmental science are guiding research and development into lithium extraction technologies so that science breakthroughs lead to the greatest economic and environmental benefits.

Michael Whittaker mwhittaker@lbl.gov 510-486-6596

Critical Infrastructure Composite
Initiative

Critical Infrastructure

Develop recognized multidisciplinary science and engineering capabilities to address the Nation’s massive infrastructure challenges (energy facilities, industrial complexes, pipelines, levees, bridges, buildings). Contribute to the next generation of sustainable and resilient infrastructure with respect to natural phenomena and hazards such as earthquakes or climate change.

David McCallen dbmccallen@lbl.gov 510-486-7661

Initiative

Environmental Resilience

Develop and apply science-based methodologies for analyzing and calculating hazards and risks across different subsurface energy applications while ensuring that related uncertainties are adequately quantified, and applying science based solutions to the mitigation of hazardous events when they do occur.

Haruko Murakami Wainwright hmwainwright@lbl.gov 510-495-2038

Initiative

Grid-Scale Subsurface Energy Storage

Understand and develop effective and affordable grid-scale energy storage in the deep subsurface, such as porous media compressed air energy storage, thermal energy storage, or hydrogen storage. Carry out research on capacity assessment, design of systems, performance analysis, assessment of risks, and specialized analysis of site-specific issues.

Curtis M. Oldenburg cmoldenburg@lbl.gov

Background

Energy supply and use, including subsurface energy, are closely linked to water availability and quality, spanning multiple dimensions related to environment, infrastructure, society, and policy. In collaboration with other programs within the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area (EESA), the Resilient Energy, Water and Infrastructure Program Domain explores these links in several initiatives that bring together geoscientists, environmental scientists, hydrologists, ecologists, and climate scientists.

There is a growing recognition today of the importance of the nexus between energy and water, and the need for this to be actively managed across the nation and particularly in California with its historic water distribution challenges. Resilient Energy, Water and Infrastructure scientists are leveraging unique subsurface characterization and monitoring expertise with advanced modeling capabilities to promote sustainable groundwater management and identification of new water resources and storage opportunities while reducing associated costs and energy demand and ensuring water quality. Research areas include

  1. improved groundwater recharge for enhanced storage
  2. beneficial re-use of waters that otherwise would be treated as waste
  3. environmentally sustainable subsurface utilization and its potential impacts on water

Assessment and reduction of environmental risk from subsurface energy applications are central elements of the current research portfolio (e.g., CO2 leakage to groundwater, impacts from (unconventional) oil and gas production, etc.). Capabilities include multi-scale modeling, monitoring and detection, cleanup and mitigation planning, as well as system-level risk and performance assessment tools.

Another important geoscience linkage between energy and water is the desire to develop effective and affordable grid-scale energy storage in the deep subsurface. Grid-scale energy storage is needed to accommodate increasing contributions of intermittent renewable (solar and wind) electricity. Currently, the U.S. can store about 2.3% of its total electricity production, and 95% of this is by pumped hydro. Furthermore, in October 2013, California mandated 1.3 GW of statewide energy storage by 2020, which implies a mandate to increase grid-scale energy storage in California by a factor of 37 (!) by 2020. Grid-scale storage in the deep subsurface is an intriguing option that requires further research. Current approaches include porous media compressed air energy storage, thermal energy storage, or subsurface hydrogen storage.

Our nation’s energy infrastructure is threatened by existing and emerging natural phenomena, such as earthquakes and climate change. For example, damage to power plants, the electrical grid, or natural gas storage infrastructure from natural and perhaps induced seismic events can disrupt our energy supply. In addition, the evolution of environmental conditions driven by climate change can create previously unanticipated conditions and challenges. Credible estimates of sea-level rise associated with global warming can create major challenges for critical facilities and infrastructure located in low-lying areas. Researchers work on designing and creating more resilient systems with respect to environmental conditions and upsets, for example by developing verified and validated high-performance simulation models for infrastructure systems, leveraging advanced sensor and monitoring and solutions for critical infrastructure, and using science-base capabilities for engineered systems analysis and design.

This program domain is part of EESA’s Energy Geosciences Division.

Program Domain Leads

Peter S. Nico
Energy Geosciences Division Director (Acting);
Resilient Energy, Water and Infrastructure Program Domain Lead;
UC Berkeley Associate Adjunct Professor;
Senior Scientist

Helen G. Prieto
Program Operations Analyst

News & Events

EESA Research Scientist Selected for NAE 2022 U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium

May 23, 2022

Mengsu Hu, an EESA research scientist, was selected to participate in the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) U.S. Frontiers of Engineering symposium in September. For more than 25 years, the NAE has identified the best and brightest early-career engineers from large and small companies, research universities, and government laboratories to discuss their leading-edge research and…

EESA Experts Participate in National Energy Storage Summit

March 29, 2022

To support the nation’s transition to renewable energy and the growing demand for battery production, there is an accelerating urgency for new ideas and innovative solutions. From March 8-9, Berkeley Lab hosted a National Energy Storage Summit to connect national and regional leaders across industries, government, and communities to encourage collaboration on tackling the challenges…

Carol Chien Makes Impact as Co-Founder of Asian Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group

February 24, 2022

As Programs Operational Analyst in the Energy Geosciences Division and co-founder of the Asian Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group (API ERG), Carol Chien’s efforts have been impactful in both EESA and Berkeley Lab’s employee community.  The API ERG is a group dedicated to help API employees reach their full potential by establishing a support system,…

Remote Autonomous Monitoring Developed at the GMF Makes the Difference in Carbon Storage Investigations

Back in November 2020 when field research worldwide had more or less grounded to a halt due to COVID related travel restrictions, one team of EESA geoscientists was able to carry through with a key field investigation–and a complicated one at that. Conducted in underground rock laboratories, their work involves activating a geological fault to…

Quantifying California’s Lithium Valley: Can It Power Our EV Revolution?

February 22, 2022

This article appeared first at newscenter.lbl.gov The Salton Sea geothermal field in California potentially holds enough lithium to meet all of America’s domestic battery needs, with even enough left over to export some of it. But how much of that lithium can be extracted in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way? And how long will the…

National Labs Support Safe Nuclear Waste Disposal by Studying Safety Material for Underground Sites

January 19, 2022

When it comes to nuclear power, the uranium at the heart of fuel rods is also this power source’s Achilles’ heel.  When power plants shut down or the fuel rods in nuclear reactors become inefficient, the high-level nuclear waste resulting from the spent fuel created from running these plants could stay radioactive for thousands of years.…

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