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The Energy Technologies Area (ETA) is unique in translating fundamental scientific discoveries into scalable technology adoption. Our approach combines an understanding of the marketplace and the role of state and federal regulation and policies. ETA's research drives real-world, practical results that affect and improve the everyday lives of Americans and those across the globe. Saving energy and increasing reliability are key to the foundation of our research, which is driven by techno-economic analysis and in-lab experimentation and discovery.

Remembering Stephen Wiel, 1939–2026

June 9, 2026

Stephen Wiel, who led the Energy Analysis Department in Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s (LBNL’s) previously named Energy and Environmental Technology Division for thirteen years, passed away on Earth Day, April 22, 2026. He was 87 years old.

Wiel joined the Division in 1992 during a time of major expansion for the Lab into materials science and energy research. He brought with him an unusually strong background in both science and policy, with a Master’s in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University and a doctorate in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

Before joining LBNL, he had designed heat protection systems for rockets and space vehicles, led an architectural engineering firm specializing in international airports, taught mechanical engineering at the University of Nevada in Reno, and served eight years as a Nevada Public Service Commissioner, developing deep expertise in integrated resource planning and demand-side management.

At LBNL, Wiel served as a senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Energy on utility sector planning. His most far-reaching contribution was an initiative he launched at LBNL in 1996 that grew into CLASP, now one of the leading global organizations advancing energy efficiency for appliances, lighting, and equipment. He served as founder and chairman of CLASP's board for most of his career.

Wiel described his own career as a "patchwork," but the thread running through it — practital problem-solving in service of a better world — was evident to everyone who worked with him. After retiring from the Lab in 2005, he remained active in conservation as a co-founder of the Mamoní Valley Preserve, protecting a critical rainforest watershed in Panama.

A Celebration of Life will be held on September 13 at 2pm at the Log Cabin in the Presidio. In lieu of flowers, his family invites you to look for opportunities to show compassion and support others.

Stephen Wiel and colleagues in 1993 — 1993 grand opening of the Washington, DC, project office, which is in the Portals Building near U.S. Department of Energy headquarters in the Forrestal Building. Pictured, from left to right: Jeff Harris, Elton Cairns, Angela Trice, Moira Howard, Steve Wiel, Mark Levine, Matt Lecar, Karen Wiel. (Source: ETA History 1990s)