Labs

The National Laboratories house tremendous talent and capability, including innovation talent and skill that will be crucial to an energy transformation, but the system as it stands isunwieldy and expensive with duplicative efforts and important gaps. In many cases, however, the labs have important constituencies in Congress and are a key part of local economies – closing them or reconciling missions will not be easy.

To streamline the National Laboratory system, the incoming team should consider adopting a process similar to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC), which has helped reshape domestic military bases. The BRAC is an independent commission charged to examine the nation’s military infrastructure and make recommendations for how to rationalize the infrastructure while increasing capabilities and effectiveness; the BRAC also includes “re-use” elements that help local communities adapt when a base moves or closes down. Note that base cleanup is another facet of the BRAC process and should be incorporated into a National Labs Realignment and Closure process, as well.