Existing research laboratories in the metro-region are already contributing to green firms' R&D. For example, the 1 200 researchers at Argonne National Laboratory, a US Department of Energy-funded research laboratory operated by an academic consortium, undertakes a range of research useful to green firms, including research related to climate science, pollution remediation, impacts of energy production, vehicle efficiency and batteries, environmental technology, alternative fuels and carbon sequestration. There is a long history of research at Argonne being commercialised by industries around the region or as new ventures. Argonne has also recently licensed technology to a local smart grid software firm and battery technology to General Motors for use in its new Chevy Volt electric vehicle (Clean Energy Trust, 2011b).