(Somerville, NJ) Today, Representative Tom Malinowski joined Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, Senator Bob Menendez, and local leaders to announce a $2.1 million federal award to Nokia Bell Labs in Murray Hill, NJ. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) award will support Bell Labs’ development of highly-efficient thermal energy technology that will significantly reduce the amount of power required to cool data servers, while diverting excess energy to heat and cool other buildings. The group toured the facility to see the research in action. Watch Rep. Malinowski’s remarks after the tour here.

This funding is part of $175 million awarded to 68 research projects through ARPA-E’s OPEN 2021 program. The program prioritizes funding high-impact, high-risk technologies that support unique approaches to clean energy innovation. These investments support President Biden’s climate goals to increase production of domestic clean energy technology, strengthen the nation’s energy security, and uplift the economy by creating good-paying jobs. 

“It’s great that we brought the economy back from COVID-19 and saved so many jobs in the last two years. But having put out a fire, we now have to fix the foundations of the house by fixing our supply chains and bringing advanced manufacturing back to America,” said Representative Malinowski. “Through the infrastructure bill and the COMPETES Act now making its way to Congress, we’ll be providing even more of the support we delivered today to companies that are building the technology of the future right here in New Jersey.”

“Universities, companies, and our national labs are doubling down on advancing clean energy technology innovation and manufacturing in America to deliver critical energy solutions from renewables to fusion energy to tackle the climate crisis,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “DOE’s investments show our commitment to empowering innovators to develop bold plans to help America achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, create clean energy, good-paying jobs, and strengthen our energy independence.”

“As Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I can tell you the global economy is more competitive and interconnected than ever. Global demand for clean energy is on the rise as nations and the private sector together act to combat the climate crisis. If we hope to preserve our competitive edge over China, and want more companies to invest in America, and want the 21st century to be another American century then we must build the infrastructure our businesses and our workers need to win,” said Senator Menendez. “And we must do it by investing in projects like the ones being announced today – projects that support clean energy initiatives, create jobs and move our nation forward.”

“We were honored to host Secretary Granholm, Senator Menendez, and Representative Malinowski at Nokia Bell Labs for the announcement of the funding awards for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy OPEN program. Their leadership and continued prioritization of innovation and technology will ensure that the United States maintains a technological lead in developing new ways to generate, store, and use energy. The grant Nokia Bell Labs received from the Department of Energy will enable us to develop next-generation clean energy technologies that will increase the energy efficiency of data centers, allowing us to play a positive role in tackling climate change in the U.S.,” said Peter Vetter, President of Bell Labs Core Research.