New Mexico

With growing strain on New Mexico’s water supplies, Berkeley Lab is advancing efforts to better understand future water availability and expand usable supplies. Researchers are using machine learning to learn from past observations and make more accurate predictions about river hydrology at new locations, enabling jurisdictions to better manage dwindling freshwater resources as demand rises. The Berkeley Lab-led National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) also supports research led by New Mexico State University to advance reverse osmosis technologies and increase fresh water yield. NAWI also partners with the New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium to study the use of electromagnetic fields for reducing buildup in desalination systems.

Zanskar uses AI, big data, and advanced sensing to discover and unleash domestic geothermal energy resources. The startup graduated from Berkeley Lab’s science entrepreneur fellowship program, Cyclotron Road, in 2022. Now, its New Mexico-based Lightning Dock power plant houses the world’s most productive pumped geothermal well in the U.S., providing baseload power for people around the state. The company’s technology could help make geothermal energy a cheaper and more abundant source of electricity for all Americans. 

Devastating wildfires have become increasingly routine in the American West. Consumer-priced air monitors have become popular in recent years for checking the level of wildfire smoke exposure. Berkeley Lab scientists compared four such monitors against a research-grade instrument as a reference, and found that these accessible monitors can provide actionable information to help Americans understand how to protect themselves and their families from wildfire smoke.