Energy Department Modernizes National Laboratory Operations to Strengthen America’s Scientific, Energy, and National Security Missions

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced updated operating directives for its National Laboratories, plants, and sites as part of a broader effort to modernize operations across DOE’s laboratory complex. 

To advance President Trump’s commitment to Restoring Gold Standard Science, DOE is updating outdated and duplicative operating requirements to give its world-class scientific workforce more time to focus on critical science, energy, and national security missions. These reforms will improve efficiency, strengthen stewardship of taxpayer resources, and help DOE’s National Laboratories, plants, and sites operate with the speed, discipline, and agility their missions demand, while maintaining rigorous safety and security standards. 

“America’s National Laboratories are among our nation’s greatest scientific assets and have powered generations of American discovery and innovation,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “President Trump has called on DOE to build on that legacy by restoring Gold Standard Science and unleashing the full potential of American ingenuity. By removing unnecessary barriers, we are giving our scientists, engineers, and technicians, more freedom to focus on the critical missions that matter most."

Working with laboratory leaders and subject matter experts, DOE reviewed a targeted set of directives governing day-to-day field operations. Its reforms build on more than three decades of recommendations from Congress, the Government Accountability Office, the National Academies, and other independent reviews that have identified unnecessary complexity in DOE’s directives framework. 

DOE is acting on these longstanding recommendations while preserving strong oversight, accountability, and operational excellence—including strong protections for DOE workers, the public, the environment, and the Nation’s nuclear security enterprise.  

DOE’s National Laboratories, plants, and sites carry out some of the nation’s most consequential scientific, engineering, and national security missions. Today’s action better aligns their operations with the pace and complexity of today’s missions, giving its scientific workforce more time to develop technologies, strengthen American energy security, drive American innovation, and sustain U.S. leadership in science and technology.

The updated operating directives are available here.