Since its inception as a modeling tool to understand Arctic landscapes, the Advanced Terrestrial Simulator has become a flexible platform used to analyze the nation’s range of interconnected land and water systems, from the energy asset-rich U.S. Southeast to Great Lakes-adjacent farmlands. Scientists at ORNL are refining and expanding the tool to provide actionable information for infrastructure planning and operation.
ORNL has been selected for six Phase II awards under the DOE’s Genesis Mission. The six multi-year projects will advance AI-enabled research in materials science, microelectronics, quantum computing, accelerator operations, HPC software development and fusion energy, building on work initiated during Genesis Mission Phase I.
High school students will work alongside researchers at Oak Ridge, Idaho and Pacific Northwest national laboratories, applying artificial intelligence to science and engineering problems, through the Battelle-Genesis Mission High School Fellowship.
DOE has selected four national laboratory-led projects to drive breakthroughs in advanced robotics and automation for scientific infrastructure. The ORNL-led project, Testbed for Robotics and Autonomy in Connected Experiments, will build on Oak Ridge’s in-house INTERSECT automated laboratories ecosystem to connect robots, scientific instruments, SI agents, digital twins, data systems, and computing resources through standardized interfaces.
With support from DOE national laboratories, including ORNL, Texas-based company Element3 has launched the first domestic lithium mining project in 50 years. This achievement is likely to have a big impact, turning the United States from a net importer of lithium to a country well on the path to greater energy independence, national security and economic strength.
ORNL researchers are developing intelligent automation systems that help manufacturers operate efficiently with smaller workforces. Work at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility integrates robotics, sensing and advanced controls to increase flexibility and reduce production time. These technologies are strengthening U.S. manufacturing competitiveness by supporting faster deployment and securing domestic supply chains.
ORNL has released the 2026 edition of the U.S. Hydropower Market Report, providing updated statistics and analysis of trends in conventional hydropower and pumped storage hydropower. The report primarily examines developments through the end of 2025, with selected updates from 2026, in areas including fleet capacity, investment, ownership, licensing, project development, plant performance, electricity markets and the supply chain.
Dolly Parton’s paternal ancestors, George and Cassie Rayfield, lived in the Park City community and are buried at New Bethel Baptist Church cemetery on what is now the Oak Ridge Reservation. Their family’s connection to the area continues through ORNL Fire Chief Daron Long, Parton’s third cousin, who works on the same land where the Rayfields once lived.
Two transportation researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Josh Pihl and Derek Splitter, have been named SAE International Fellows, an honor recognizing individuals of exceptional distinction for outstanding and sustained accomplishments in mobility or related engineering.
More than 200 experts from industry, government, academia and national laboratories gathered at the Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in October 2024 to identify opportunities for and challenges to adoption of the technology. Their conclusions, available in a new report, point to a rapidly growing field with the potential to transform advanced manufacturing.
ORNL researchers are improving methods to recover tiny amounts of rare radioisotopes produced during californium-252 production. The more efficient processes increase purity and recovery while reducing workers’ radiation exposure, providing materials for research on the heaviest elements.
