Blog | Aliya Tskhay | Sep 2025
The Centre for Energy Policy was honoured to host Dr Bill Tumas, Associate Laboratory Director for Materials, Chemical and Computational Science at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as part of our Energy Conversations series of events and podcasts.
NREL’s mission and Dr Tumas’ leadership
In his seminar, Dr Tumas gave an overview of NREL’s mission, activities and strategic direction as part of the wide network of National Laboratories in the United States. NREL was originally founded in 1977 as a solar research institution and has since expanded to cover wind, biofuels and hydrogen - operating with a ‘systems-focused, analysis-driven’ approach. Currently, NREL operates state-of-the-art facilities to develop and test new materials. On top of that, the lab produces energy modelling and technoeconomic analysis for policy-makers and industry partners.
Dr Tumas brings over 35 years of leadership in collaborative research across national laboratories and industry. At NREL, he oversees wide-ranging R&D programmes in solar, hydrogen, fuel cells, basic energy sciences, energy storage, ARPA-E, and advanced computing. He has also been instrumental in major international partnerships such as the Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States (SERIIUS), and the Mission Innovation ‘Sunlight to X’ global innovation community. His expertise spans materials discovery, catalysis, solar fuels, green chemistry, and energy system integration.
Collaboration and emerging challenges
During his presentation, Dr Tumas emphasised the importance of close cooperation with industry partners, universities and international institutions. For example, both the University of Strathclyde (as a member of the UK Energy Research Centre - UKERC) and NREL are key collaborators in the Japanese government’s global RD20 initiative for the development of clean energy technologies. In 2027, the University of Strathclyde is set to host the annual RD20 summer school for young researchers.
NREL’s work comes at a pivotal moment: for the first time in 20 years, U.S. electricity demand is growing. Dr Tumas stressed that this underscores the need for innovative research and deeper analysis of energy system resilience. He emphasised the necessity of a whole-systems approach; from innovation to cost reduction, from capital expenditure of plants to supply chain, and from reliability to system/grid integration.
Discussion and reflections
Dr Tumas demonstrated various uses of hydrogen and how it presents an opportunity to merge the electric and chemical worlds. There is still significant opportunity for innovation and cost reduction, as well as the creation for end-user demand, be it in greenhouse gas emissions reduction, sustainable aviation fuel, or energy storage.
The seminar concluded with several questions from the audience. Lively discussion covered the structure of the National Laboratories, the viability of Direct Air Capture (DAC), how to decarbonise hard to abate industries, and how analysis of supply chains can help tackle geo-political challenges.
Overall, the seminar offered valuable insights into NREL’s ecosystem of innovation and inspired discussion on how international collaboration, system-level thinking, and cutting-edge research can accelerate the global energy transition.