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DOE Renames NREL to National Laboratory of the Rockies, Dropping “Renewable” and “Energy”

The Department of Energy has renamed the National Renewable Energy Laboratory the National Laboratory of the Rockies, effective immediately. Assistant Secretary Audrey Robertson said the change reflects a shift toward supporting manufacturing and meeting rising energy demand. Critics, including Earthjustice, argue the renaming signals a retreat from clean-energy commitments and could raise costs for consumers. Laboratory director Jud Virden said the new name reflects a broader applied energy mission.

01:21 AM, 12/03/2025Politics

The Department of Energy announced on Monday that the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will be renamed the National Laboratory of the Rockies. The change takes effect immediately and will be used in all public materials and official correspondence.

Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson framed the move as part of a broader shift in federal priorities. "The energy crisis we face today is unlike the crisis that gave rise to NREL," Robertson said, referring to the 1973 oil crisis. "We are no longer picking and choosing energy sources. Our highest priority is to invest in the scientific capabilities that will restore American manufacturing, drive down costs, and help this country meet its soaring energy demand. The National Laboratory of the Rockies will play a vital role in those efforts."

Earlier in the year, the president issued an executive order aimed at lowering energy costs by removing what the administration described as "burdensome and ideologically motivated regulations," signaling a renewed emphasis on fossil fuels and coal. In May, the Department of Energy eliminated at least 114 positions at the laboratory.

Based in Golden, Colorado, the laboratory conducts research on rare-earth minerals, energy storage technologies, efficiency, energy-systems integration and sustainable transportation. The facility was originally founded as the Solar Energy Research Institute and was renamed the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in 1991.

"For decades, this laboratory and its scientific capabilities have pushed the boundaries of what's possible and delivered impact to the nation," laboratory director Jud Virden said. "This new name embraces a broader applied energy mission entrusted to us by the Department of Energy to deliver a more affordable and secure energy future for all."

Not everyone accepts the change. Environmental and clean-energy advocates argue the renaming downplays the lab's long-standing focus on renewables and could signal a policy shift. "Solar, wind, and other clean energy technologies are the cheapest and most cost-effective resources in Colorado, and they have been for years. Changing NREL's name will not change that fact," said Michael Hiatt, deputy managing attorney for Earthjustice in the Rocky Mountains. Hiatt added that the administration's moves to support uneconomic coal and gas plants risk increasing costs and creating energy affordability burdens for millions of Americans.

The renaming is likely to intensify debate over federal energy priorities, pitting short-term industrial and cost goals against long-term objectives for decarbonization and clean-technology development.

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