The U.S. Dept. of Energy has renamed the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) the National Laboratory of the Rockies. The renaming is effective immediately and will be reflected in all public communications and official correspondence.
“The energy crisis we face today is unlike the crisis that gave rise to NREL,” said Assistant Secretary of Energy (EERE) Audrey Robertson. “We are no longer picking and choosing energy sources. Our highest priority is to invest in the scientific capabilities that will restore American manufacturing, drive down costs and help this country meet its soaring energy demand. The National Laboratory of the Rockies will play a vital role in those efforts.”
Trump’s DOE also recently eliminated several offices that were vital to renewable energy research and deployment for decades, including the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
“For decades, this laboratory and its scientific capabilities have pushed the boundaries of what’s possible and delivered impact to the nation,” said Jud Virden, Laboratory Director of the National Laboratory of the Rockies. “This new name embraces a broader applied energy mission entrusted to us by the Department of Energy to deliver a more affordable and secure energy future for all.”
Founded in response to the 1973 oil crisis, NREL spearheaded the development and integration of a broad array of technologies for every facet of the energy system, from generation to distribution to end use. The new name reflects the Trump Administration’s broader vision for the lab’s applied energy research, which historically emphasized alternative and renewable sources of generation, and honors the natural splendor of the lab’s surroundings in Golden, Colorado.
News item from the Dept. of Energy
