The Hanford Site is now immobilizing radioactive waste in glass: a process known as vitrification. PNNL contributed 60 years of materials science expertise—and is providing operational support—to help the nation meet this cleanup milestone.

A modeling study shows that adding batteries to a dam could decrease the wear and tear on hydropower turbines and open up new opportunities for dam operators to earn revenue.

PNNL researchers continue to deliver high-quality, high-impact research on radioactive waste and nuclear materials management, earning “Papers of Note” and “Superior Paper” awards.

PNNL researchers showcased subsurface sampling and remediation expertise at the 2025 Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable.

RemPlex and IAEA convene international leaders to tackle recruitment and retention in complex environmental cleanup efforts.

A new analysis shows how renewable energy sources like solar, wind and hydropower respond to climate patterns, and how utilities can use this data to save money and invest in energy storage.

PNNL Earth scientist Alison Delgado will serve as an author for the “Science of Response Management” chapter of the Sixth National Climate Assessment (NCA6.)

A new digital twin platform can help hydropower dam operators by providing accurate and predictive models of physical turbines that improve facilities and enhance reliability.

PNNL researchers earned five Papers of Note, 17 Superior Papers, and one poster award for their environmental remediation, radioactive waste, and nuclear energy-related presentations.

Three PNNL technologies have been named 2024 R&D 100 Award winners.

Although climate change may bring increased precipitation to many parts of the United States, some areas may face drier conditions and lower streamflow, resulting in decreased hydropower generation.

Researchers found that in a future where the Great Plains are 4 to 6 degrees Celsius (°C) warmer as projected in a high-emission scenario, these storms could bring three times more intense rainfall.

A recent study suggests a higher global mean precipitation increase and narrows the uncertainty range.

Once thought to cover too little of the Earth’s surface to affect climate at larger scales, new work finds that city sprawl does add to global warming—over land, at least.

Frederick Day-Lewis, Lab Fellow and chief geophysicist at PNNL, was named the 2024 recipient of the Geological Society of America Public Service Award.

A PNNL Deep Vadose Zone Program publication that shows ferrihydrite helps protect groundwater is featured on the cover of ACS Earth and Space Chemistry.

Data scientist at PNNL receives the Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society and Geonics Limited Early Career Award for work with geophysical modeling and subsurface inversion codes.

Beyond melting ice and higher temperatures: On Earth Day, scientists consider how climate change will affect national security.

New methodological approach demonstrates how to assess the economic value, including non-traditional value streams, of converting non-powered dams to hydroelectric facilities.

The Deep Vadose Zone program leads a treatability study for subsurface remediation of the Hanford Site’s Central Plateau.