Episode Details

Disclaimer: This episode was produced when the laboratory operated as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The laboratory is now the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR).

Hosts Kerrin Jeromin and Taylor Mankle cover four recent new stories from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) –  

• 2030 National Charging Network Study: NREL, in collaboration with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation and the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office, developed the 2030 National Charging Network study, which estimated the number, type, and location of chargers needed to create a comprehensive network of EV charging infrastructure, one that can support an anticipated 30–42 million EVs on the road by 2030.  
• H2Rescue: In the wake of a disaster, communities are displaced, and critical infrastructure is down. H2Rescue is a hydrogen fuel cell-powered truck designed to provide power for disaster relief operations. Unlike conventional fuel-based vehicles, H2Rescue runs with little to no noise and only emits water vapor.  
• Real-Time Hydropower Emulation Platform: With the new platform researchers can recreate hydropower plants in a virtual, lab setting. With the platform, users can study how various hydropower plant designs are likely to operate in the real world and in real time—providing a low-cost, low-risk way to test out new hydropower technologies and grid configurations.  
• Non-Technical Barriers to Geothermal Development: Geothermal resources represent a vast domestic energy supply that can provide a flexible and reliable source of renewable electricity. But, like any development, geothermal projects are subject to numerous permits, authorizations, and other regulatory requirements at the federal, state, and local levels. A new NREL study reveals the barriers to geothermal development.  

This podcast is hosted by Jackson Fletcher, Kerrin Jeromin, Taylor Mankle, and Nataleah Small and written and produced by Hannah Halusker, Allison Montroy, and Kaitlyn Stottler. Editors are Joe DelNero, Brittany Falch, and Taylor Mankle. Graphics by Brittnee Gayet. Music by Ted Vaca and Chuck Kurnik, Jim Riley, and Mark Sanseverino of Drift BC. Peaks to Power is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado. Email us at podcast@nlr.gov. Follow NLR on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.