Section 1001 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 mandates for increased investment and attention for Technology Transfer. Secretary Bodman's Policy Statement encourages the National Laboratories to conduct Technology Transfer "to ensure the fullest use of the results of the nation's Federal investment in research and development efforts in support of DOE's mission of powering and securing America's future. The Department's technology transfer activities are undertaken with a special emphasis on enhancing the nation's energy security, scientific discovery, economic competitiveness, and quality of life through innovations in science and technology."

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Visit the DOE Technology Transfer page.

OE provides Technology Transfer through a variety of channels such as cooperative research and development agreements, cost shared contracts, licensing agreements, R&D consortia, and "work for others" at the National Laboratories. The Office also directly supports small businesses through DOE's SBIR program. OE achievements in developing new technologies in partnership with industry have received international recognition through R&D 100 Awards.

Examples of Cooperative Work

We are developing with our partners, American Superconductor Corp. and SuperPower Inc., high performance second-generation (2G) high temperature superconducting (HTS) wires that will be used in high-efficiency HTS power cable systems and equipment. Discoveries at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory created the 2G HTS wire industry, which redirected the worldwide focus away from the inherently expensive first-generation HTS wire. These 2G technologies have been licensed by AMSC and SuperPower, and HTS wires are being manufactured in U.S. pilot-plants. Read more about our work in HTS.

We support the Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions (CERTS) which was formed to research, develop, and disseminate new methods, tools, and technologies to protect and enhance the reliability of the U.S. electric power system. Participants include members from industry, academia, and the National Laboratories. One of its key accomplishments is the microgrid concept, an advanced approach for enabling the integration of distributed energy resources into the electricity grid helping to mitigate grid disturbances.

We maintain Memoranda of Understanding with State Energy Organizations and utilities. In particular, MOUs with the California Energy Commission and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority have facilitated OE's involvement in a number of pioneering demonstrations and field tests of energy storage systems. Frequency regulation, microgrid stabilization, substation upgrade deferral, and peak power management are among the applications. These projects are highly cost shared with the States, technology vendors, and customers.

SBIR Awards

Through involvement with Small Business Innovation Research, OE encourages small businesses to develop research intended for commercialization and to further the national interest. Such awards also facilitate the incorporation of small businesses into the Office's research strategies and provide the researchers with contacts to National Laboratories and other projects funded by OE. Read more about SBIR.

R&D 100 Awards

OE has funded research for numerous projects that have received R&D 100 Awards. These awards, for the most promising technologies, products, or processes developed throughout the world, are specifically focused on technologies with practical applications in industry. Read more about the R&D 100 Awards.