Report on NREL Leadership Transition and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Executive Summary

The Alliance for Sustainable Energy has appointed Jud Virden, Ph.D., as the new Laboratory Director for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and President of the Alliance, effective October 1, 2025. This strategic leadership change is poised to enhance NREL’s contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Virden’s extensive experience in applied energy research and public-private partnerships will guide NREL in accelerating the global transition to sustainable energy systems.

2.0 Appointment and Strategic Vision

Jud Virden will succeed Martin Keller, who has led NREL since 2015. Virden’s appointment follows a comprehensive national search, identifying him as an ideal leader to advance NREL’s mission.

2.1 Leadership Profile

• Current Role: Associate Laboratory Director for the Energy and Environment Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).
• Experience: Over three decades at PNNL, leading a large team focused on applied energy priorities for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
• Expertise: Grid modernization, renewable energy technologies, nuclear and environmental management, and building strategic partnerships.
• Education: Bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Washington.

2.2 Stated Priorities and SDG Alignment

Virden expressed his commitment to building on NREL’s reputation for scientific excellence to drive “meaningful, lasting transformation.” His focus on collaboration aligns directly with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), aiming to strengthen ties between DOE, industry, academia, and the national lab system to accelerate innovation.

3.0 NREL’s Role in Advancing Key Sustainable Development Goals

NREL’s work is fundamental to achieving a sustainable energy future. The new leadership is expected to amplify the laboratory’s impact across several critical SDGs.

3.1 SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

As the DOE’s primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency, NREL’s core mission is the embodiment of SDG 7. The laboratory’s activities include:

1. Research and development of clean energy technologies.
2. Integration of renewable energy sources into national power systems.
3. Advancement of marine energy technologies, demonstrated by its support for projects with CalWave, iProTech, and Littoral Power Systems under the TEAMER program.

3.2 SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Virden’s background in grid modernization and resilience directly supports SDG 9 by focusing on building resilient and sustainable infrastructure. NREL’s work contributes by:

• Developing innovative technologies for a modernized energy grid.
• Providing techno-economic modeling and design optimization to energy technology companies.
• Fostering innovation that underpins industrial and economic development.

3.3 SDG 13: Climate Action & SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The transition to renewable energy is a primary strategy for global climate action (SDG 13). NREL’s success is built on a foundation of collaboration (SDG 17), as evidenced by:

• Its management structure, an alliance between MRIGlobal and Battelle.
• Its role as a central hub for public-private partnerships in the energy sector.
• Virden’s strategic vision to expand these collaborations to maximize impact on global energy challenges.

4.0 Leadership Transition Details

• Incoming Director: Jud Virden, effective October 1, 2025.
• Outgoing Director: Martin Keller, who will serve as a strategic advisor through early November 2025.
• Continuity: The transition is designed to ensure seamless continuation of NREL’s critical research and development programs aimed at achieving a sustainable and equitable energy future.

Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

• The article is centered on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which is described as the U.S. Department of Energy’s primary lab for “research, development, and integration of energy systems.” Its management by the “Alliance for Sustainable Energy” and its work in “advancing marine energy technologies” directly connect to the goal of ensuring access to clean and sustainable energy.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• The article highlights NREL’s focus on “innovation,” “technology development,” “grid modernization,” and “grid resilience.” The new director, Jud Virden, is praised for his “scientific rigor” and “strategic vision” to “accelerate energy innovation.” This focus on research, development, and upgrading energy infrastructure aligns with SDG 9.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The article emphasizes collaboration as a key strategy. It mentions NREL is operated by a partnership (MRIGlobal and Battelle), the new director’s experience in “building public–private partnerships,” and his goal of “growing collaborations within DOE, industry, academia, and the national labs.” NREL’s specific collaborations with companies like “CalWave, iProTech, and Littoral Power Systems” further underscore this connection.

What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

1. Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
   • The article discusses NREL’s role as the primary national lab for renewable energy and its specific involvement in “advancing marine energy technologies.” This work directly contributes to increasing the availability and use of renewable energy sources, which is the core of this target.
2. Target 7.a: By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology… and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology.
   • The article mentions the new director’s intent to grow “collaborations within DOE, industry, academia, and the national labs” to “accelerate energy innovation.” This focus on partnership to advance clean energy technology directly reflects the aim of Target 7.a.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

1. Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies…
   • The article references Jud Virden’s work on “grid modernization” and “grid resilience.” These activities are fundamental to upgrading national energy infrastructure to be more sustainable and capable of integrating modern, clean energy technologies.
2. Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors… encouraging innovation…
   • NREL’s entire mission as a “primary national lab for research, development, and integration of energy systems” is an embodiment of this target. The article highlights its role in providing “techno-economic modeling to performance testing and design optimization” for new technologies, which is a direct form of enhancing scientific research and upgrading technological capabilities.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…
   • The article provides clear examples of such partnerships. It states that NREL is operated by a partnership (MRIGlobal and Battelle), the new director has a background in “building public–private partnerships,” and the lab is actively collaborating with private companies like “CalWave, iProTech, and Littoral Power Systems.”

Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

1. Implied Indicator for Target 7.2: Advancement and development of renewable energy technologies.
   • While the article does not provide a quantitative figure for the share of renewable energy, it implies progress through NREL’s activities. The “advancing marine energy technologies” and support for specific projects serve as a qualitative indicator of efforts to increase the contribution of renewables.
2. Implied Indicator for Target 7.a: Number and scope of collaborations in clean energy research.
   • The article explicitly mentions collaborations with “DOE, industry, academia, and the national labs” as a key strategy. The existence of these partnerships is an indicator of enhanced cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

1. Implied Indicator for Target 9.4: Implementation of infrastructure modernization projects.
   • The mention of “grid modernization” and “grid resilience” as priorities for the new leadership implies that the implementation and success of such projects are key metrics for progress in upgrading national infrastructure.
2. Implied Indicator for Target 9.5: Support for research and development activities.
   • NREL’s function as a “primary national lab for research, development, and integration” and its specific support activities, such as “techno-economic modeling to performance testing and design optimization,” are direct indicators of investment in and encouragement of innovation.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Implied Indicator for Target 17.17: Number and type of public-private partnerships formed.
   • The article provides concrete examples of these partnerships, including the one operating NREL (MRIGlobal and Battelle) and its project-based collaborations with private firms (“CalWave, iProTech, and Littoral Power Systems”). The formation and success of these partnerships are direct measures of progress.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: offshore-energy.biz