IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v18y2025i3p611-d1579180.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Blockchain Research and Development Activities Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and Utility Sector

Author

Listed:
  • Sydni Credle

    (National Energy Technology Laboratory, Morgantown, WV 26507, USA)

  • Nor Farida Harun

    (National Energy Technology Laboratory, Morgantown, WV 26507, USA
    Leidos Research Support Team, Leidos, Inc., Morgantown, WV 26507, USA)

  • Grant Johnson

    (Ames National Laboratory, Ames, IA 50011, USA
    Former employee.)

  • Jeremy Lawrence

    (Electric Power Research Institute, Charlotte, NC 28262, USA)

  • Christina Lawson

    (Electric Power Research Institute, Charlotte, NC 28262, USA)

  • Jason Hollern

    (Electric Power Research Institute, Charlotte, NC 28262, USA)

  • Mayank Malik

    (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
    Former employee.)

  • Sri Nikhil Gupta Gourisetti

    (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
    Former employee.)

  • D. Jonathan Sebastian-Cardenas

    (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA)

  • Beverly E. Johnson

    (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
    Former employee.)

  • Tony Markel

    (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA)

  • David Tucker

    (National Energy Technology Laboratory, Morgantown, WV 26507, USA)

Abstract

This article provides an in-depth analysis of blockchain research in the energy sector, focusing on projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and comparing them with industry-funded initiatives. A total of 110 funded activities within the U.S. power industry were successfully tracked and mapped into a newly developed categorization framework. This framework is designed to help research agencies to systematically understand their funded portfolio. Such characterization is expected to help them make effective investments, identify research gaps, measure impact, and advance technological progress to meet national goals. In line with this need, the proposed framework proposes a 2-D categorization matrix to systematically classify blockchain efforts within the energy sector.Under the proposed framework, the Energy System Domain serves as the primary classification dimension, categorizing use cases into 30 distinct applications. The second dimension, Blockchain Properties , captures the specific needs and functionalities provided by Blockchain technology. The aim was to capture blockchain’s applicability and functionality: where and why blockchain? Principles behind the selection of the viewpoint dimensions were carefully defined based on consensus obtained through the Blockchain for Optimized Security and Energy Management (BLOSEM) project. The mapped results show that activities within the Grid Automation , Coordination , and Control (31.8%), Marketplaces and Trading (25.5%), Foundational Blockchain Research (19.1%), and Supply Chain Management (17.3%) domains have been actively pursued to date. The three leading specific use case applications were identified as Transactive Energy Management for Marketplaces and Trading , Asset Management for Supply Chain Management , and Fundamental Blockchain for Foundational Blockchain Research. The Marketplaces and Trading and Retail Services Enablement domains stood out as being favored by industry by a factor greater than 2 (2.3 and 2.6, respectively), yet there seemed to be little to zero investment from DOE. Approximately 76% of the total projects prioritized Immutability , Identity Management , and Decentralization and/or Disintermediation compared to Asset Digitization and/or Tokenization, Automation , and Privacy and/or Anonymity . The greatest discrepancies between DOE and industry were in Asset Digitization and/or Tokenization and Automation . The industry efforts (36% in Asset Digitization/Tokenization and 22% in Automation ) was 14 times and 2.4 times, respectively, more intensive than the DOE-sponsored efforts, indicating a significant discrepancy in industry versus government priorities. Overall, quantifying DOE-sponsored projects and industry activities through mapping provides clarity on portfolio investments and opportunities for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Sydni Credle & Nor Farida Harun & Grant Johnson & Jeremy Lawrence & Christina Lawson & Jason Hollern & Mayank Malik & Sri Nikhil Gupta Gourisetti & D. Jonathan Sebastian-Cardenas & Beverly E. Johnson , 2025. "Blockchain Research and Development Activities Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and Utility Sector," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-49, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:3:p:611-:d:1579180
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/3/611/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/3/611/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gourisetti, Sri Nikhil Gupta & Sebastian-Cardenas, D. Jonathan & Bhattarai, Bishnu & Wang, Peng & Widergren, Steve & Borkum, Mark & Randall, Alysha, 2021. "Blockchain smart contract reference framework and program logic architecture for transactive energy systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    2. Huawei Zhao & Lili Ma & Wei Zhang, 2022. "Evolutionary Game and Simulation Research of Blockchain-Based Co-Governance of Emergency Supply Allocation," Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, Hindawi, vol. 2022, pages 1-15, April.
    3. Wu, Ying & Wu, Yanpeng & Cimen, Halil & Vasquez, Juan C. & Guerrero, Josep M., 2022. "Towards collective energy Community: Potential roles of microgrid and blockchain to go beyond P2P energy trading," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    4. Oskar Juszczyk & Khuram Shahzad, 2022. "Blockchain Technology for Renewable Energy: Principles, Applications and Prospects," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-24, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chai, Shanglei & Zhang, Xichun & Abedin, Mohammad Zoynul & Chen, Huizheng & Lucey, Brian & Hajek, Petr, 2023. "An optimized GRT model with blockchain digital smart contracts for power generation enterprises," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    2. Marta Biegańska, 2022. "IoT-Based Decentralized Energy Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-20, October.
    3. Matteo Vaccargiu & Andrea Pinna & Roberto Tonelli & Luisanna Cocco, 2023. "Blockchain in the Energy Sector for SDG Achievement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-23, October.
    4. Muhammad Waseem & Muhammad Adnan Khan & Arman Goudarzi & Shah Fahad & Intisar Ali Sajjad & Pierluigi Siano, 2023. "Incorporation of Blockchain Technology for Different Smart Grid Applications: Architecture, Prospects, and Challenges," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-29, January.
    5. Sima, Catalina Alexandra & Popescu, Claudia Laurenta & Popescu, Mihai Octavian & Roscia, Mariacristina & Seritan, George & Panait, Cornel, 2022. "Techno-economic assessment of university energy communities with on/off microgrid," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 538-553.
    6. Sara Khan & Uzma Amin & Ahmed Abu-Siada, 2024. "P2P Energy Trading of EVs Using Blockchain Technology in Centralized and Decentralized Networks: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-17, April.
    7. Sirviö, Katja & Motta, Sergio & Rauma, Kalle & Evens, Corentin, 2024. "Multi-level functional analysis of developing prosumers and energy communities with value creation framework," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 368(C).
    8. Barbara Antonioli Mantegazzini & C?dric Clastres & Laura Wangen, 2022. "Energy communities in Europe: An overview of issues and regulatory and economic solutions," ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2022(2), pages 5-23.
    9. Mousa Mohammed Khubrani & Shadab Alam, 2023. "Blockchain-Based Microgrid for Safe and Reliable Power Generation and Distribution: A Case Study of Saudi Arabia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-34, August.
    10. Cezar-Petre Simion & Cătălin-Alexandru Verdeș & Alexandra-Andreea Mironescu & Florin-Gabriel Anghel, 2023. "Digitalization in Energy Production, Distribution, and Consumption: A Systematic Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-30, February.
    11. Ioanna Andreoulaki & Aikaterini Papapostolou & Vangelis Marinakis, 2024. "Evaluating the Barriers to Blockchain Adoption in the Energy Sector: A Multicriteria Approach Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process for Group Decision Making," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-27, March.
    12. Marina Bertolini & Gregorio Morosinotto, 2023. "Business Models for Energy Community in the Aggregator Perspective: State of the Art and Research Gaps," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-26, June.
    13. Mariana Losada-Agudelo & Sebastian Souyris, 2024. "Sustainable Operations Management in the Energy Sector: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature from 2000 to 2024," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-33, September.
    14. Barone, G. & Buonomano, A. & Cipolla, G. & Forzano, C. & Giuzio, G.F. & Russo, G., 2024. "Designing aggregation criteria for end-users integration in energy communities: Energy and economic optimisation based on hybrid neural networks models," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 371(C).
    15. Cesar Diaz-Londono & José Vuelvas & Giambattista Gruosso & Carlos Adrian Correa-Florez, 2022. "Remuneration Sensitivity Analysis in Prosumer and Aggregator Strategies by Controlling Electric Vehicle Chargers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-24, September.
    16. Li, Xiangyu & Luo, Fengji & Li, Chaojie, 2024. "Multi-agent deep reinforcement learning-based autonomous decision-making framework for community virtual power plants," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 360(C).
    17. Francesca Andreolli & Chiara D'Alpaos & Peter Kort, 2023. "Does P2P Trading Favor Investments in PV-Battery Systems?," Working Papers 2023.02, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    18. Barbara Marchetti & Matteo Vitali & Giovanni Biancini, 2024. "Renewable Energy Proliferation and the New Local Energy Community Paradigm: Analysis of a Case Study in Italy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-16, March.
    19. Khojasteh, Meysam & Faria, Pedro & Vale, Zita, 2025. "Adaptive robust strategy for energy and regulation Service Management in Local Energy Communities," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 377(PC).
    20. Yang Li & Mengying Jiang & Mei Yu & Shouzhi Xu & Xiaojun Liu & Shirui Zhang & Jia Zhu & Shurui Peng & Zhongming Gu, 2024. "A Non-Transferable Trade Scheme of Green Power Based on Blockchain," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-17, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:3:p:611-:d:1579180. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.