“To direct the Secretary of Energy to fund projects to restore and modernize National Laboratories, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section authorizes $5 billion annually for FY2026 through FY2030 for restoration and modernization projects at National Laboratories (i.e., Department of Energy-owned research facilities such as Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory), including deferred maintenance on facilities, utilities, and critical infrastructure as well as upgrades to support scientific user facilities, computing capabilities, and safe operations; requires the Secretary of Energy to submit to specified congressional committees, concurrent with the President's annual budget, a list of funded projects with descriptions and funding profiles through FY2030; and directs that at least one-third of funds be managed by DOE's Office of Science. This section replaces the facilities and infrastructure strategy in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16357) with a new requirement for the Secretary to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy across DOE offices—including the Office of Science, Office of Environmental Management, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Office of Nuclear Energy, and National Nuclear Security Administration science and technology programs—for National Laboratories and single-purpose research facilities. The strategy must address maintaining existing facilities, closing unneeded ones, making modifications, and building new facilities to support current and future science and energy missions. Not later than one year after enactment, the Secretary must submit to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology a report for each such facility and office that includes (1) priority project lists with costs, schedules, and funding sources; (2) a 10-year reconfiguration plan addressing missions, operational costs, and return on investment; (3) preliminary funding estimates and allocation among budget sources; and (4) planning processes, data, metrics, prioritization criteria, and stakeholder engagement.