Peter Green is the Chief Research Officer and the Deputy Laboratory Director for Science and Technology for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He began his career at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he spent just over a decade. Subsequently, he spent 20 years on the faculties of the University of Michigan (UM), Ann Arbor, and the University of Texas (UT), at Austin. He was Professor of chemical engineering and the BF Goodrich Professor of materials engineering at UT-Austin. At UM, he was the Vincent T. and Gloria M. Gorguze endowed professor of engineering, professor and Chair of the department of materials science and engineering (MSE), professor of chemical engineering, and of macromolecular science and engineering.

Green is a former president of the Materials Research Society (MRS), a professional organization of materials researchers with members from over 90 countries. He was recognized by his peers for his scientific contributions with election to the status of fellow of the following professional societies: the American Physical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), the American Ceramics Society, the American Association of Arts and Science, and the MRS. He was recognized with U.S. Department of Energy Secretary of Energy Achievement Awards in 2020 and 2023.  Green, moreover, was recognized with a distinguished Alumnus award in 2022 by the MSE department of Cornell University, where he earned M.S. and PhD degrees. He earned B.A. and M.A. degrees, together, in Physics in 1981, from Hunter College. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2023.