National Energy USA, a ClimateTech engineering firm headquartered in Pensacola, Florida, has been awarded a $350,000 grant through the University of West Florida’s (UWF) Industry Resilience and Diversification Fund (IRDF). The grant, facilitated by FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance and UWF, will support the company’s expansion and the creation of 15 high-wage jobs over the next three years.
Based at FloridaWest’s business incubator, CO:LAB, National Energy USA specializes in AI-powered robotic sorting technology that extracts valuable resources from waste and converts organic material into renewable energy.
“We’re honored to have been selected for the UWF IRDF grant and excited about growing our business,” said Dave Robau, founder and CEO of National Energy USA. “We plan on hiring 15 people as we build out our technical team with additional engineers, scientists, and fabricators to meet customer demand.”
Robau, a UWF alumnus and former Air Force scientist, explained the company’s technology.
“National Energy USA uses robotic sorting systems with AI that scans garbage as it comes across a conveyor belt,” said Robau. “All the organic waste is turned into an engineered fuel and converted to energy to displace fossil fuels. Our technology partner has been doing this for larger customers with 300,000-plus populations, and our mission is to bring this technology to smaller customers by making it modular. We own and operate the system, and the customer benefits from the cost savings and the increased recycling and landfill diversion.”
A key market for National Energy USA is the Department of Defense, which operates more than 500 military installations worldwide. The company recently secured a Navy SBIR contract for its Waste-Powered Energy Microgrid solution to help Navy installations reduce landfill use and generate baseload power.
“Winning the SBIR contract was validation that our technology can help solve real challenges for the Navy,” said John Switzer, National Energy’s CFO and a UWF alumnus. “This further demonstrates our approach is both innovative and mission-ready.”
UWF Provost Dr. Jaromy Kuhl said the IRDF grant was strategically designed to help National Energy expand its business operations in Escambia County.
“The grant is strategically aligned with UWF’s mission to support economic development in our region,” said Kuhl. “This incentive will help National Energy USA expand its operations in Escambia County and create high-skill, high-wage jobs in Pensacola.”
Danita Andrews, Senior Director of Business Retention and Expansion at FloridaWest, said Pensacola is fortunate to be home to a business that addresses environmental challenges through innovation.
“National Energy USA’s waste-to-energy technology is a game-changer for communities that deal with solid waste. Their growth here reflects the advanced innovation happening in Pensacola and Escambia County,” said Danita Andrews, “FloridaWest is proud to collaborate with UWF on this grant supporting National Energy’s next phase in CO:LAB and beyond.”
