The National Renewable Energy Laboratory laid off 114 employees Monday, a lab official confirmed to POLITICO’s E&E News.
It was not immediately clear which branches of the Department of Energy facility were most affected, but NREL in a statement said it “continues to navigate a complex financial and operational landscape shaped by the issuance of stop work orders from federal agencies, new federal directives and budgetary shifts. As a result, NREL has experienced workforce impacts affecting 114 employees across the laboratory, including staff from both research and operations, who were involuntarily separated today.”
An internal email viewed by POLITICO’s E&E News from the NREL “leadership team” to staffers Monday announcing the job cuts said the lab is focused on preserving its “long-term mission — emphasizing careful fiscal management, aligning resources to critical priorities and working to minimize disruption to our staff.”
Headquartered in Golden, Colorado, NREL conducts research on wind, solar, geothermal, energy storage, biofuels, grid modernization and other sectors. It has more than 3,000 employees when subcontractors, interns and visiting professionals are included.
