Smarter Grids, Brain-Like Materials, and an Award-Winning Pitch for Battery Recycling

From The NREL Podcast by National Laboratory of the Rockies

June 17, 2026 · 9 min · Season 1 · Episode 57

About this episode

The episode discusses advancements in grid management, materials science, and battery recycling at NLR.

This week, we’re highlighting NLR advancements in grid management, materials science, and critical materials recovery. You'll hear about: A new open-source tool helping utilities use smart energy management to meet growing electricity demand while reducing the need for grid upgrades Brain-inspired materials that can "remember" light, opening the door to more efficient machine vision and neuromorphic computing An NLR postdoc’s award-winning pitch at the recent National Lab Rese...

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