Following an international search, Robert Kostecki has been appointed director of the Energy Storage and Distributed Resources (ESDR) Division in the Energy Technologies Area (ETA) at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).
Kostecki has extensive leadership experience and is a renowned scientist known for his pioneering research in electrochemical systems engineering. His research focuses on performance fundamentals of electrochemical energy storage, conversion systems, and water treatment technologies, and his efforts have helped bridge the gap between fundamental and applied science, leading to the advancement of these technologies.
He was instrumental in the initial visioning of the water-energy nexus concept at Berkeley Lab, as well as in the development of the National Alliance for Water Innovation, which was recently awarded a five-year, $100m Energy-Water Desalination Hubby DOE to provide secure and affordable water in the United States.
Previously, Kostecki was ESDR Division Deputy for more than four years, and was responsible for scientific, programmatic, and strategic leadership. He made significant contributions by expanding existing research programs, providing assistance with development and maintenance of sponsor and partner relationships, and creating new research initiatives. He also served five years as the Division Deputy for Research for the Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD), the forerunner of ETA.
Berkeley Lab’s Energy Storage and Distributed Resources Division conducts research and develops technologies that provide the electricity grid with significant storage capability for energy generated from renewable sources, monitoring and response technologies for the ‘smart grid’, and technologies for improved electricity distribution reliability.
