Energy Secretary visits Pacific Northwest National Lab

Perry to see scientific discovery, energy resilience and national security innovation

News Brief

August 15, 2017

• Susan Bauer, PNNL, (509) 372-6083

RICHLAND, Wash. - Energy Secretary Rick Perry will visit the D.O.E.'s Pacific Northwest National Lab today. This is the 5th national lab he's toured and has previously said the D.O.E. labs collectively are America's crown jewels of science and technology.

At PNNL, he will learn how the lab is helping to modernize the nations' electric grid to enhance reliability, resiliency and security; researching better batteries; designing and building the world's most sensitive radiation detection systems; and developing technology to protect our ports, borders and troops.

At one location, the Secretary will suit up and be taken 40 feet below ground to the Shallow Underground Lab which shields against naturally occurring radioactive backgrounds including cosmic rays. The facility houses some of the world's most sensitive radiation detection systems and research and development capabilities for environmental, natural security and fundamental physics applications such as the search for dark matter.

Following several other briefings, Perry will speak to a large group of employees representing in excess of 4,000 scientists, engineers, plan managers and staff members.

Perry will be accompanied by Senator Maria Cantwell, Representative Dan Newhouse, Representative Greg Walden of Oregon. Learn more about the Perry visit and check in for photos as they are posted.

Tags: Energy

Interdisciplinary teams at Pacific Northwest National Lab address many of America's most pressing issues in energy, the environment and national security through advances in basic and applied science. Founded in 1965, PNNL employs 4,400 staff and has an yearly budget of nearly $1 billion. It is managed by Battelle for the D.O.E.'s Office of Science. As the single biggest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information on PNNL, visit the PNNL News Center, or follow PNNL on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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