From Transformative Science to Technological Breakthroughs: DOE’s National Laboratories
2025-02-12
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Source: Congress.gov
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The Subcommittee on Energy will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recesses of the subcommittee at any time. Welcome to today's hearing entitled, From Transformative Science to Technological Breakthroughs, DOE's National Laboratories. I recognize myself for five minutes for an opening statement.
So good morning, y'all. Today the Energy Subcommittee will be examining the U.S. Department of Energy's national laboratories and their role in advancing scientific discoveries as well as developing innovative technologies. Our discussion will explore several topics, including research security, DOE's world-leading user facilities, as well as emerging technologies. Since its early formation in World War II, the national laboratories have consistently been at the forefront of scientific achievement. As the largest federal recipient of basic research funding in the physical sciences, the national labs and their 28 user facilities have taken on the most fundamental challenges in the fields of computer science high energy physics fusion energy as well as material science despite these challenges the labs have made significant scientific breakthroughs which include sequencing the first human genome mapping the universe achieving fusion ignition and discovering 22 of the elements on the periodic table. These achievements have been instrumental to U.S. technological leadership, creating new industries as well as products. In tandem, through public-private partnerships, the national labs play a major role in transforming our energy sector. For instance, the National Energy Technology Lab, known as NETL, worked with industry to develop hydraulic fracturing technology. Before its widespread use in the late 2000s, the United States was actually in a dire energy state relying on foreign powers to supply natural gas. As a result, the U.S. built LNG terminals, including one in Freeport, Texas, my district, to import trillions of cubic feet of natural gas. Due to NETL's collaborative work with industry, however, the United States repurposed these same terminals to export LNG
to our allies while reducing the cost of energy at home. This showcases the importance of public-private partnerships and their ability to ensure our national security and our energy independence. Likewise, the national laboratories are involved in the development of next-generation energy technologies, for example, such as advanced nuclear energy. For over the last 20 years, researchers at Oak Ridge and Idaho National Labs have made significant improvements to triso fuel, which is a fabricated fuel using Gen 4 reactors. Partly due to the lab's work, triso fuel has been adopted by some of the leading advanced reactor companies, including X Energy, a recipient of the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. X Energy plans to use this fabricated fuel for its XE100 reactor, which will provide power and heat to Dow's industrial production facility in Seadrift, Texas, just south of my district. Moreover, the labs work in fabricated fuels along with their ability to supply HALU, which bring forth a new nuclear renaissance. With our focus on national laboratories, I would be remiss if I didn't bring up the CHIPS and Science Act. Back in the 117th Congress, I, as the Energy Subcommittee Ranking Member, along with the House Science Committee members, worked across the aisle to produce the Department of Energy Science for the Future Act, which included my bill, the Computing Advancements for Material Science, CAMS Act. This large comprehensive house product ultimately became the basic text to the chips, as well as the science act, which reauthorized the office of science, basic research programs, authorized upgrades and experimental facilities, such as the electron ion collider at Brookhaven national laboratory and directed DOE to implement new research security provisions.
Despite the wide set support for this bill, Congress has yet to appropriate to the levels authorized in the CHIPS and Science Act. This failure is partly due to the Biden's administration prioritization of new and untested demonstration and deployment programs. While the IIJA and the IRA invested close to $100 billion for over 70 new programs, the Office of Science and its labs received only $2 billion. which is a paltry 2% of funding outside of the traditional appropriation process. This doesn't include the Biden administration's risky loan office, which doled out tens of billions to its political connected clean energy friends. 2017, I led a joint subcommittee hearing titled, quote, risky business, the DOE loan guarantee program, end quote. where I highlighted in my opening statement that the Yvonne Paul solar project would come at the cost of the rate payers, quote, if the project fails and goes into default, end quote. With the recent announcement by PG&E ending its relationship with Yvonne Paul, Ivan Paul, It seems that my prediction was correct. It has looks like it's coming true. Moreover, I hope that the Trump administration will work with Congress to fully fund the basic science programs at levels consistent with chips and science and reprioritize the department to focus on basic research and its labs. This will ensure U.S. competitiveness and technological prowess in the 21st century. I'd like to thank in advance our witness today for their testimony, and I look forward to our conversation here today. I now recognize the ranking member of the representative of North Carolina for her opening statement.
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