Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, applauded the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) announcement of $1.5 billion to build, upgrade and strengthen America’s national laboratories. This historic investment was provided by the Inflation Reduction Act to support energy innovation and develop advanced technologies that lower energy costs, strengthen America’s energy independence and national security and reduce emissions. 

“The United States’ system of national laboratories has led the world in scientific and technological innovation for more than 70 years and played a critical role in establishing our country as the superpower of the world. However, that vital work has been met with decades of underfunding that left facilities in need of crucial repairs and upgrades. I am proud that my Inflation Reduction Act will help pay for needed repairs as well as invest in new construction of cutting-edge facilities while creating good-paying jobs and supporting the more than 40,000 researchers who use these facilities. As Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I look forward to seeing these funds support new research, technology and innovation that can strengthen energy independence and security, produce domestic fuels in the cleanest way possible and reduce emissions,” said Chairman Manchin.

Read the full release from the U.S. Department of Energy here.

A complete list of funding for each facility can be found here.

Read a U.S. Department of Energy fact sheet on Inflation Reduction Act funding for national laboratories here.

Background:

DOE’s Office of Science is the nation’s largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences and the lead federal entity supporting fundamental research for clean energy. The Office of Science oversees the majority of DOE’s national laboratories, as well as various programs and facilities, which help achieve its mission of delivering major scientific discoveries, capabilities, and tools to transform the understanding of nature and to advance America’s energy, economic, and national security. However, decades of underfunding across DOE’s network of national laboratories have put the Office’s mission at risk and threatened America’s scientific and technological competitive edge over adversarial nations like China and Russia.

To address this funding backlog, the Office of Science received an additional $1.55 billion in FY 2022 through the Inflation Reduction Act to accelerate ongoing facility upgrade projects and national laboratory infrastructure projects. Projects include continuing construction of everything from cutting-edge electron colliders to the world’s fastest supercomputers, as well infrastructure upgrades for systems like fire alarms, electrical, and updated HVAC systems to ensure DOE’s national laboratories are modern, safe, and reliable.

The Inflation Reduction Act will provide funding for:

• Advanced scientific computing research facilities
• Basic energy sciences projects
• High energy physics construction and major items of equipment projects
• Fusion energy science construction and major items of equipment projects
• Nuclear physics construction and major items of equipment projects
• Isotope research and development facilities
• Science laboratory infrastructure projects