Energy & Environmental Research Center

What Energy & Environmental Research Center does

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) is a non-profit research entity operating within the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota, designated as the State Energy Research Center (SERC). Founded as a federal laboratory and integrated into UND in 1983, EERC employs approximately 210 scientists and engineers (pre–May 2026 reductions) focused on carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), enhanced oil recovery (EOR), rare earth element and critical mineral extraction from coal, hydrogen technology, advanced carbon materials, and applied oil-and-gas research. Its core technology portfolio is organized around major consortia — BPOP (Bakken Production Optimization Program), iPIPE (Intelligent Pipeline Integrity Program), PCOR Partnership (Plains CO2 Reduction), and Williston Basin CORE-CM — alongside proprietary tools such as the Carbon Intensity Analytical Tool, the Bakken Geologic Cluster Analysis Tool, the Well Completion and Production Dashboard, and 12 U.S.-patented technologies including mercury controls deployed nationwide.

The business model is grant- and membership-driven. Federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (including DOE/NETL regional CCUS partnership support and a $25M five-year renewed partnership) and state funding from the North Dakota Industrial Commission (~$45M to Crack the Code 2.0) provide the programmatic base, while industry partnership membership fees — notably iPIPE at $150,000 per member over two-year cycles — and direct industry cost-share (over $70M committed by four oil operators to Crack the Code 2.0) provide co-development capital. Customers are exclusively large institutional counterparties: U.S. DOE and NDIC on the public side, and majors and midstream operators on the private side (Chevron, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Hess, Marathon, Devon, Enbridge, Energy Transfer, MPLX, Oneok, TC Energy).

In May 2026, EERC implemented layoffs of 27 staff and furloughs of 13 — roughly 19% of headcount — citing multi-year delays in DOE funding disbursement, with intent to recall furloughed employees when operational funding is restored. The same period saw the launch of the $157M Crack the Code 2.0 initiative and completion of the new Materials Exploration Facility, indicating that pipeline expansion is being financed even as short-term operational capacity contracts.

Name

Energy & Environmental Research Center

Legal name

Energy & Environmental Research Center, University of North Dakota

Website

https://undeerc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

EERC is a University of North Dakota non-profit research center that develops and demonstrates CCUS, enhanced oil recovery, rare earth element extraction, and hydrogen technologies, serving the U.S. Department of Energy, the North Dakota Industrial Commission, and major oil-and-gas and midstream operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Forks

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal Research Grants: Primary revenue from U.S. Department of Energy grants and funding agreements, including multi-year cooperative agreements
2. State Government Funding: Funding from North Dakota Industrial Commission Oil and Gas Research Program (OGRP) and other state-level programs
3. Industry Partnership Programs: Private sector funding through membership programs like BPOP, iPIPE, and PCOR Partnership where industry operators contribute to research
4. Competitive Private Sector Funding: Recently secured competitive private sector funding to partially offset federal funding gaps

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) is a non-profit research center within the University of North Dakota that develops and demonstrates technologies for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS); enhanced oil recovery; rare earth elements and critical minerals extraction from coal; hydrogen production; advanced carbon materials; and pipeline safety. EERC delivers these capabilities through applied research programs, laboratory services, pilot-scale demonstration facilities, and custom fabrication, funded through government grants, state funding, and industry partnership memberships.

Product overview

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) is a research organization under the University of North Dakota offering a portfolio of specialized research programs and software tools. The core offerings include BPOP (Bakken Production Optimization Program) providing oil recovery tools like Carbon Intensity tracking, Well Completion & Production Dashboard, and the Bakken Geological Cluster Analysis Tool; iPIPE (Intelligent Pipeline Integrity Program) for pipeline safety monitoring; and PCOR Partnership for carbon capture and storage research. Supporting programs include SERC, Williston Basin CORE-CM for critical minerals, Heartland Hydrogen Hub, CarbonSAFE, and Project Tundra for carbon management. The EERC also operates research facilities including the Core Combustion Laboratory and Materials Exploration Facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PCOR Partnership: Plains CO2 Reduction Partnership - a regional carbon sequestration partnership accelerating commercial CCUS deployment, funded by DOE/NETL, NDIC, and partner organizations
• iPIPE
• BPOP
• Williston Basin CORE-CM

Quantifiable outcome

• Recovered 5% to 9% of available REEs from coal through in situ leaching testing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Marathon Petroleum CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2023Joint development of carbon capture, utilization, and storage technology at Marathon's renewable diesel facility in Dickinson, North Dakota. EERC provides research expertise for CCUS implementation at the facility producing approximately 184 million gallons of renewable diesel annually.
• TC EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2023Collaborating with EERC and Marathon Petroleum on CCUS technology development for the renewable diesel facility. TC Energy brings pipeline and infrastructure expertise to the partnership.
• University of North Dakota's Institute of Energy StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Williston Basin CORE-CM project for rare earth elements and critical minerals research from coal resources.
• North Dakota State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner in Williston Basin CORE-CM project focused on critical minerals and rare earth elements from coal.
• Pacific Northwest National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal research laboratory partner in Williston Basin CORE-CM project for critical minerals and rare earth elements extraction research.
• Montana Technological UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing to Williston Basin CORE-CM project research on critical minerals from coal resources.
• Critical Materials InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDOE-funded research institute partnering on critical minerals and rare earth elements extraction technologies from coal.
• North American CoalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCost-share partner in Williston Basin CORE-CM project, contributing industry expertise and resources.
• BNI EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCost-share partner in Williston Basin CORE-CM project for critical minerals research.
• Minnkota Power CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCost-share partner in Williston Basin CORE-CM project, representing electric utility perspective.
• Basin Electric Power CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCost-share partner in Williston Basin CORE-CM project for critical minerals research from coal.
• Orbital Sidekick (OSK)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology provider selected by iPIPE for hyperspectral sensor technology. OSK launched satellites for the GHOSt constellation to monitor pipelines from space for leak detection.
• EnbridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartneriPIPE member collaborating on pipeline safety technologies and leak detection using terrestrial, aerial, and space-based monitoring solutions.
• Energy TransfercoreStrategic or Co-development PartneriPIPE member working on intelligent pipeline integrity and leak prevention technologies.
• MPLXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartneriPIPE member contributing to pipeline safety and monitoring technology development.
• OneokcoreStrategic or Co-development PartneriPIPE member and midstream operator processing approximately half of Bakken production, involved in pipeline monitoring initiatives.
• SouthbowminorStrategic or Co-development PartneriPIPE member participating in pipeline integrity program for safety technology advancement.
• University of WyomingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner in PCOR Partnership providing expertise for regional carbon sequestration activities.
• University of Alaska FairbankscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner in PCOR Partnership contributing to carbon capture and storage research in the region.
• Denbury ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCOR Partnership collaborator on Bell Creek CO2 EOR project combining enhanced oil recovery with geologic carbon storage in Montana.
• Spectra Energy TransmissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCOR Partnership collaborator on Fort Nelson CCS project for CO2 injection into deep brine formation in British Columbia, Canada.
• Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCOR Partnership collaborator on Aquistore CO2 storage project near Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Argonne National Laboratory: DOE national lab with substantial CCUS, advanced materials, and battery/hydrogen research. Comparable scale, federal funding mix, and applied energy R&D mission.
• Gas Technology Institute (GTI Energy): Non-profit energy R&D organization focused on natural gas, hydrogen, and CCUS with industry-funded partnership model analogous to EERC's BPOP and iPIPE programs.
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL): DOE national lab and EERC's actual partner on the Williston Basin CORE-CM project. Comparable applied energy/environmental R&D mandate and federally funded operating model.
• Idaho National Laboratory: DOE national lab with growing CCUS and clean energy portfolio, often co-funding regional CCUS initiatives with EERC and NETL. Comparable federally funded applied R&D model.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): DOE's primary renewable energy and hydrogen lab, also part of the Heartland Hydrogen Hub ecosystem. Comparable federally funded R&D operating model with similar hydrogen/clean energy focus.
• Southwest Research Institute (SwRI): Independent non-profit applied R&D organization with energy and environment divisions, offering contract research, laboratory services, and pilot-scale demonstration — directly comparable to EERC's services portfolio.
• RTI International: Non-profit research institute with energy, environmental, and CCUS practice areas funded by federal agencies and private industry. Comparable contract R&D model and applied energy focus.
• National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL): DOE's primary applied R&D lab for fossil energy and CCUS, directly funding EERC's PCOR Partnership and Crack the Code 2.0. Highly comparable mission, federal funding model, and CCUS/CO2-EOR focus.

Broad incumbents

• Battelle Memorial Institute: Large non-profit R&D organization that operates multiple DOE national labs (including PNNL and ORNL). Comparable mission and operating model at meaningfully larger scale across energy, environment, and national security.

Regional players

• Clean Air Task Force / Great Plains Institute: Non-profit regional energy policy and CCUS advocacy organization in the upper Midwest, often partnering with EERC on regional carbon management initiatives and Heartland Hydrogen Hub planning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/undeerc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/undeerc
• Facebookfacebook.com/UNDEERC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/energy-&-environmental-research-center?trk=tyah
• Instagraminstagram.com/accounts/login/?next=/und_eerc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Energy & Environmental Research Center