DOE funds Berkeley Lab projects on load flexibility, cooling

Berkeley Lab News Center · March 12, 2026 · ✓ verified

The U.S. Department of Energy announced a $155 million investment that includes three projects led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory among 16 selected projects.

  • Main announcement: The DOE selected 16 projects and committed $155 million to strengthen U.S. industrial innovation; three projects are led by Berkeley Lab focusing on load flexibility (REFLEX), data center cooling (Data Center Cooling Collaborative), and the FOOD Center for food & beverage process technologies.
  • Details and scope: The projects will deliver real-world demonstrations (data centers, food distribution, manufacturing, water treatment), create a data center cooling testbed network, develop testing protocols and digital twin software, and establish an R&D and demonstration platform for scalable food & beverage technologies.