Ralph joined the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in 1990 to provide technical leadership in biomass, including field management to DOE's Biomass Power program. He has worked extensively in the development of long-range plans and strategies for biomass power and biofuels. Over the years he has made contributions in thermochemical conversion and biomass pretreatment. He has been involved from bench scale to large-scale biomass gasification systems, such as the Vermont Gasification project, a 60 MW thermal indirect gasification system attached to the McNeil station in Burlington, Vermont.