The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) formalized two memorandums of understanding on May 19 aimed at expanding research and innovation initiatives in critical minerals, energy, and building sectors across Alaska and Arctic regions. NLR Director Jud Virden signed the agreements at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage, alongside U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary Audrey Robertson, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, and University of Alaska Fairbanks leadership.
NLR operates as the sole Department of Energy national laboratory maintaining a physical presence in Alaska, situated adjacent to the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. The laboratory’s work emphasizes energy and building technologies tailored to extreme climates and remote locations, with recent initiatives including power grid analysis to address declining natural gas supplies, permafrost stabilization studies at military installations, and assistance with designing secure facilities along the Alaska-Canada border.
The partnership with the university grants NLR access to specialized expertise in microgrids, engineering, and critical minerals research through entities such as the Alaska Critical Minerals Collaborative. The arrangement also enables the laboratory to host students and fellows from engineering, mining, Arctic engineering, and geosciences programs, creating workforce development opportunities in critical mineral sectors. In return, NLR offers university partners advanced analytical capabilities, including digital twin technology through its Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems platform and prototyping resources at its Energy Materials and Processing at Scale facility.
The separate agreement with Alaska’s state government establishes a framework for coordinating resources and sharing research to enhance state energy production and critical mineral development. State officials indicated the partnership would help reduce energy costs, advance Arctic-appropriate infrastructure, strengthen domestic supply chains, and generate employment opportunities in rural and remote communities.