NREL News Release:

NREL Fills Key Leadership Role for Energy Systems Integration

Monday, June 17, 2013

Bryan J. Hannegan will join the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory on June 24 as associate laboratory director for Energy Systems Integration, a critical area of research and development that addresses challenges of integrating clean energy sources into the national energy infrastructure.

Hannegan joins NREL from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) where he held several high-level positions since 2006. Most recently, he was vice president for environment and renewable energy, leading a $45 million environmental research program and establishing a new renewable energy division with revenues of $20 million. EPRI is a 1,000-member non-profit organization that conducts research, development and demonstration relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public.

"Bryan's unique background as a scientist, engineer and manager will provide NREL with leadership in this important field of energy integration," said NREL Director Dan Arvizu. "He has a proven record of collaboration with the utility industry, governmental organizations and academia. That collaboration is key to NREL's success in helping the nation developing sustainable, reliable and efficient energy systems."

Also at EPRI, Hannegan served as vice president for environment and generation from 2008-2010, managing the execution and delivery of research projects, leading financial and membership activities, and new business development, and coordinating a 115-person staff and a $130 million budget. He was director, then vice president for environment research and development from 2006-2008.

Hannegan worked for the White House in several capacities during the Bush administration. From 2005 to 2006, he served as chief of staff for the Council on Environmental Quality and as acting special assistant to the president for economic policy. He was associate director for energy and transportation at the council from 2003-2005.

Hannegan attained a doctorate in Earth system science and a master of science degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University of California, Irvine. He holds a bachelor of science degree in meteorology from University of Oklahoma.

He was an assistant professorial lecturer in the geography department at the George Washington University from 2004 to 2006 and worked for the U.S. Senate as a staff scientist for the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources from 1999 to 2003. Many of his scientific publications address geophysical atmospheric chemistry as it relates to climate issues and solutions. He has also authored congressional testimony and served on many national study committees on energy issues.

In his new position, Hannegan will lead NREL's energy integration research programs, which address issues across the entire energy system -- including generation, transmission, distribution and end-use. Much of that research will be conducted at the Energy Department's new utility-scale Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) on NREL's campus in Golden, Colo.

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

###