Dream team: Cybersecurity interns demonstrate strength of Idaho programs
Though they’d never met before the summer of 2025, interns James Dawson and Andrew Bonilla were a dream team for the Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) Cybercore Integration Center. Dawson, from Idaho State University, specialized in industrial control systems and operational technology. Bonilla, from University of Idaho, arrived with a solid grasp of information technology and […]
Modeling better biomass milling
Turning materials like wood chips, crop residues and municipal solid waste into fuels and chemicals is important for our country’s energy independence. Over the past two decades, the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office laid out ambitious goals for processing these biomass resources into useful, affordable industrial fuels and feedstocks. However, figuring out how […]
INL celebrates Legacy Project at College of Eastern Idaho
College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) President Lori Barber looked out Aug. 28 to a crowd of state legislators, the mayors of Ammon and Idaho Falls, senior Idaho National Laboratory officials and others protected from the midday sun by a large awning. It was a fitting audience for what Barber called “a once-in-a-lifetime announcement.” They were […]
Idaho researchers make fuel cell/electrolysis cell more efficient and stable
At a nondescript laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Wei Tang, Wenjuan Bian and Dong Ding make highly sophisticated advanced energy materials literally from scratch. The researchers and their colleagues at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) are manufacturing an electrochemical energy conversion device called a protonic ceramic fuel cell/protonic ceramic electrolysis cell (PCFC/PCEC). These devices could […]
The heartbeat of progress: Teamwork fuels first-of-a-kind reactor design test
When asked to describe her job within the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE), Kristy Spencer smiled. “Whenever the project needs anything, I’m there and ready to help because I’m kind of obsessed with it,” she said. Spencer is a nuclear spent fuel analyst at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). She isn’t the MCRE lead, but […]
U.S. Army taps INL’s nuclear expertise, capabilities to strengthen radiological response and readiness
It’s Tuesday morning in early June and the Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) control room is crawling with visitors. Men in fatigues thumb through logbooks, monitor radiation levels, and consult data and images on laptop computers. These visitors are members of the U.S. Army’s Nuclear Disablement Team (NDT), participating in a […]
HydroBoost: Increasing hydropower revenue with realistic forecasting
In many electricity markets, hydropower operators earn a significant portion of their revenue from the day-ahead market. In this market, utilities buy electricity based on expected demand for the next day, while power producers offer to sell electricity at prices based on forecasted production and demand. This process ensures that enough electricity is available to […]
TAIGR: Testing the limits of AI on the power grid
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming widely adopted across multiple industries, including the critical field of grid operations. The integration of AI into grid systems promises enhanced efficiency and reliability, but it also brings a host of new challenges. To address these challenges, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has launched the Testing for AI Grid Resilience […]
MARVEL milestone: Microreactor project completes coolant system testing
In the spring of 2020, a team of engineers at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) embarked on a groundbreaking project to design a microreactor test facility that could transform the world’s energy future. At the center of it all was Carlo Parisi, who vividly recalls conceiving a critical mechanism for the cooling system of the […]
INL researchers develop new technology to study catalysts
From laundry detergents and self-cleaning ovens to the manufacturing of fuels, plastics and medications, catalysts play a vital role in everyday products and industry. These substances, which make chemical reactions faster and more efficient without changing or being consumed, enable many modern-day chemical processes. Despite their importance, researchers lack effective methods to study catalysts that […]
Consequence-driven Cyber-informed engineering: The rise of a national security pillar
Consider the utility services that people use every day: light switches, water faucets and gas burners. The simple act of delivering electricity, water or gas to a home or business requires a cascade of invisible digital and physical processes, all functioning in tandem. Today, utilities must contend with a range of challenges: surges in demand, […]
Cyber escape rooms: Inside INL’s pioneering training to protect industrial control systems
As manufacturers and utilities recognize their automated systems are vulnerable to hackers, the Idaho National Laboratory’s cyber escape rooms have become a go-to training resource for cybersecurity organizations around the world. INL has taken a leading role training people to detect and respond to malicious cyberattacks against industrial control systems (ICS). These systems ensure that […]
Western states forge alliance with nation’s nuclear lab on advanced energy development
The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is the hub of collaboration among Western states to advance nuclear energy. This effort, anchored in legislative frameworks, strategic investments, collaborations and partnerships, is positioning the region as a leader in nuclear innovation. The Mountain West is particularly well-suited for advanced nuclear energy due to its growing energy needs and […]
Idaho researchers collaborate with US company to develop novel nuclear fuel to preserve, improve today’s reactors
Father and son entrepreneurs Mehul and Milan Shah have patented a new nuclear fuel design that could reduce nuclear waste, enhance safety and lower costs for today’s pressurized heavy water reactors. The Shahs — CEO and chief operating officer, respectively, of Clean Core Thorium Energy, along with chief technology officer Paul Chan — combined thorium with […]
Breaking through the noise: WSComm’s revolution in spectrum sharing
In today’s hyperconnected world, wireless communication faces a critical challenge known as the “spectrum crunch.” Spectrum crunch results from more devices vying for limited frequencies, creating an overcrowded radio frequency spectrum — a bottleneck that disrupts communication. Spectrum crunch threatens not only everyday conveniences like cellphone connectivity but also essential services, such as emergency response […]
Hardening the grid: Research team focuses on quake proofing transformer bushings
Keeping the nation’s lights on is no small job. The grid we take for granted involves large, expensive equipment, most notably power transformers. If one goes down, it can take more than a year to replace and at massive costs. In heavily populated, seismically active areas like California or the Pacific Northwest, time is not […]
Water resiliency at Camp Buehring: INL’s innovative water reclamation system
Camp Buehring, a United States military base nestled in northern Kuwait just 20 miles from the Iraqi border, faces a challenge: there are no wells, rivers or other easily accessible sources of water. In this arid region, water is a precious commodity. Soldiers rely on trucks to deliver the water they need for showers, drinking […]
Streamlining hydropower development: New tech catalog simplifies decision making for utilities
When constructing or updating a hydropower facility, operators face a daunting array of turbine technology choices. The wrong decision can lead to costly delays and reduced profits, while choosing the right technology can boost efficiency, cut costs and reduce development timelines. To help hydropower operators and developers make informed decisions, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), […]
Advanced Nuclear First Mover Initiative: Ready, set, grow
GAIN and NASEO help states fast-track nuclear energy development Eleven governors and their state energy offices are putting out ready-for-business signs to advanced nuclear energy developers under an initiative that taps into experts at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) […]
INL-Boise State partnership provides SUPER opportunities in advanced manufacturing research
While Joy Morin was an undergraduate intern at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), she discovered her interest in developing nuclear fuels and technology. Her mentor recommended she pursue a graduate degree at Boise State University in materials and engineering to continue her research. Morin is now a graduate fellow and part of an INL-Boise State […]