New Mexico’s National Labs Will Play an Essential Role in Unleashing American Energy

One of our country’s greatest assets and an envy of the world is the Department of Energy’s network of 17 National Laboratories. For over half a century, these labs have delivered groundbreaking advancements in technology and science, ensuring our nation’s security, preventing and ending wars, and playing a pivotal role in making America the most prosperous nation on earth.

As the nation’s Secretary of Energy and the leader of the department responsible for overseeing these labs, I am incredibly excited to be in New Mexico to visit Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque – two institutions with rich histories in the development of American nuclear deterrence and essential roles in our future energy innovation.

President Trump and I are united by a shared passion for energy and a simple, yet powerful vision: American energy is essential to our country’s security, the well-being of our citizens, and lives of people around the world. We want to unleash American Energy.

My passion for energy began with a youthful fascination with astronomy, and a curiosity as to what powers stars? Energy from nuclear fusion was the answer. Can nuclear forces only be unleashed in the center of stars, or can they be harnessed right here on earth? That question was answered right here in New Mexico.

As World War II raged, nuclear physics continued to rapidly advance, raising concerns that Nazi Germany might be the first to harness nuclear energy in the form of a highly destructive bomb. That was a threat too great to fathom. The answer was the greatest scientific and engineering concerted effort in history: the Manhattan Project.

That historic effort involved bringing the world’s greatest scientists and engineers together in Los Alamos for a frantic, secret, patriotic effort to develop, build, test and deploy nuclear weapons to win the war and the subsequent peace. This stunning effort was led by General Leslie Groves and scientific lead, physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer.

The development of nuclear technology and the weapons at Los Alamos, along with the work of our other laboratories around the country, changed the world. The United States secured the ultimate guarantor of our nation’s sovereignty, ensuring victory in World War II, maintaining peace for decades afterward, and ultimately triumphing in the Cold War.

Since the advent of nuclear weapons, a smaller percent of people have died in military conflicts than any time in recorded history. While nuclear weapons are undeniably terrifying, their broader impact has promoted peace. The establishment of American nuclear deterrence stands as one of the clearest examples of ‘peace through strength’ – a policy framework this administration is committed to restoring.

Today, Los Alamos National Lab is dedicated to ensuring the safety, reliability and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile. It is also the only facility in the U.S. capable of designing and manufacturing plutonium pits, the core component of a nuclear weapon. Additionally, the lab plays a leading role in our nation’s efforts to modernize the nation’s nuclear arsenal and maintaining the effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrence.

In 1949, Sandia emerged from Los Alamos and has since played an equally vital role in nuclear deterrence. For deterrence to be effective, it must be backed by responsible and credible power. Each year, Sandia evaluates the safety and reliability of every weapon type in the nuclear stockpile. Additionally, Sandia is delivering an unprecedented nine nuclear weapons modernization programs.

The responsible stewardship and modernization of the nation’s nuclear weapons systems is a top priority for the Department of Energy and this administration – alongside unleashing an American renaissance in affordable, abundant commercial nuclear energy.

President Trump and I are committed to leveraging our nation’s unparalleled research and development infrastructure to reduce costs for American families, strengthen the reliability of our energy system, and bolster U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and supply chain security. Our efforts will focus on advancing affordable, reliable, and secure energy technologies, which includes nuclear.

Just as the patriotic collaborations helped shape history over 70 years ago, the United States is once again calling on its brightest minds to drive this mission.

The golden era of American energy dominance is upon us. I look forward to working alongside your communities to seize this moment and secure our nation’s future.