DENVER — The Trump administration's shift away from renewable energy is playing out very directly in the Denver metro.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden has been renamed the National Laboratory of the Rockies. The change is effective immediately.
NREL, which employs roughly 3,500 people, was founded in 1973 in response to the oil crisis, to research a broad array of energy sources, including solar and wind.
In a statement about the change, a U.S. Department of Energy spokesperson said, "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.”
Scripps News Group's Shannon Ogden asked NREL whether the name change would shift the lab's work and whether any layoffs are expected as a result.
"No staffing changes are planned at this time. Our research focus is driven by funding, which is determined by congressional appropriation and oversight by the U.S. Department of energy," said NREL spokesman David Glickson.
Ogden also interviewed Aaron Templer, lecturer at Metropolitan State University of Denver, about the change.
"I think any time the funding changes and the agenda changes, it's smart to rethink a brand," said Templer. "They're probably wanting to send a new message about what the lab does and said it as much, broader focus they want to take in terms of energy that the name 'renewable' didn't encapsulate."
In May, more than 100 workers were laid off from NREL because of budget cuts and a change in priorities in the Trump administration.
