Washington, D.C. – The Department of Energy announced today that Grace Bochenek has been named the director of the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

Bochenek will manage the day-to-day operations of NETL, the national laboratory for the Office of Fossil Energy's research and development program. With more than 1,000 federal and contractor employees at five sites across the nation, NETL’s primary mission is to develop new technologies and approaches to ensure the safe, clean, and affordable use of fossil energy recourses, including carbon capture and storage; advanced generation technology for new and existing coal-based power plants, and advanced research on novel concepts.

“In her new role at NETL, Dr. Bochenek will oversee DOE’s lead laboratory for fossil energy and a portfolio of research critical to the Department’s work addressing our nation’s energy and environmental challenges,” said Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. “She will lead NETL as it seeks transformative scientific and technological solutions in support of our nation’s all-of-the-above energy strategy.”

Bochenek has more than 25 years of technical and management experience in the federal government with the Department of Defense. She was most recently the first Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. Army Materiel Command where she served as the principal technical advisor on all engineering and scientific activities within the command. She also provided management oversight to the command’s six regional centers, the Army Research Laboratory and the Army Materiel Systems Analysis Agency with a budget of more than $2.5 billion. Prior to this position, Bochenek led research, development and engineering strategies as Director of the U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Research division.

Bochenek has a B.S. in electrical engineering from Wayne State University, an M.S. in engineering from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. from the University of Central Florida.