The Korea Institute of Energy Research held workshops from March 23 to 30 with leading U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the National Laboratory of the Rockies to strengthen Korea-U.S. energy technology cooperation, thereby reinforcing the foundation for international research collaboration.
National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR): A world-class energy research that conducts research on distributed energy generation technologies, energy system integration, power grids, and energy storage technologies.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: A research institution in the fields of energy, materials, and the environment that conducts research on basic science and advanced energy technologies
This workshop was organized to establish mid- to long-term energy research cooperation strategies between the two countries—including collaboration plans linked to the AI Innovation Genesis Mission (Genesis Mission) announced by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in November 2025—and to identify specific international joint research projects.
Genesis Mission: An AI and high-performance computing-based scientific innovation program led by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which aims to conduct research for innovation in energy and materials through collaboration between national laboratories and industry.
On March 23–24 and March 26–27, visits were made to LLNL (MOU signed in January 2026) and NLR (MOU signed in January 2025), respectively, to review the progress of currently ongoing joint research projects. In addition, they held in-depth discussions on mid- to long-term cooperation plans, including proposals for new joint research spanning AI-based energy systems, critical minerals, hydrogen production and utilization technologies, secondary batteries, solar energy, and carbon capture technologies, as well as personnel exchanges and the shared use of research facilities.
Following the signing of the MOUs, the two institutions identified AI-energy cooperation projects aligned with the U.S. “Genesis Mission” and Korea’s “K-Moonshot” initiatives, and prepared a plan to establish an advisory committee for bilateral and multilateral joint research with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Furthermore, with the decision to hold a follow-up visit workshop at KIER in April in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain National Laboratory, it is expected that the achievement of international joint research outcomes in the AI-energy sector between Korea and the U.S. will be further accelerated.
KIER President Yi Chang-Keun stated,
“LLNL and NLR in the U.S. are research institutions possessing world-class large-scale research infrastructure and scientific and technological capabilities,” adding, “Through this workshop, we will further strengthen cooperation between research institutions in Korea and the U.S. and expand international joint research in future energy fields such as hydrogen, secondary batteries, carbon capture, and AI-based energy technologies to lead global energy technology innovation.”
Meanwhile, KIER plans to attend the policy workshop titled “Korea-U.S. Energy Cooperation Strategies for Energy Transition and AI-Energy Activation,” to be held in Washington, D.C., on March 30, to review the future direction of global energy technology cooperation.
