DOE names contractor to operate Tri-Cities national science lab for the next 5 years

Battelle has received a contract extension from the Department of Energy to manage and operate Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland for another five years.

Battelle, a not-for-profit corporation based in Columbus, Ohio, has operated the laboratory continuously since it opened in 1965. Its current five-year contract extension expires at the end of September.

PNNL has an annual budget of about $1.25 billion and employs about 5,350 people, the majority of them at its Richland campus.

“We expect these next five years will see continued expansion of the lab and campus and Battelle’s performance will be critical to our success as a laboratory,” said Ted Pietrok, acting manager of the Richland, Wash., based Department of Energy Pacific Northwest Site Office.

DOE has been pleased with Battelle’s performance and chose not to put the contract out for bid.

Jacob Skeels, a spokesman for the Richland, Wash., based DOE Pacific Northwest Site Office, said Battelle had shown consistency in managing and operating the national lab through the pandemic.

It consistently is a top performer in DOE’s annual review of its national laboratories.

For each of the past three years it has received $12.1 million in incentive pay for its work at PNNL, which was 97% of the total pay possible.

“Battelle is excited to continue to manage and operate PNNL to serve DOE’s mission and fuel future discovery, development and deployment in support of the country’s energy, environmental and national security priorities, said Mark Peters, Battelle executive vice president for laboratory operations, in a message to PNNL employees Monday. He was joined in the message by Steve Ashby, PNNL director.

“We also look forward to further strengthening and expanding our community engagements and impact,” they told employees.

Battelle important to Tri-Cities

The Tri-City Development Council welcomed the news that Battelle would continue to be the PNNL contractor.

“PNNL is a cornerstone of the Tri-Cities economy, and under Battelle’s management the lab has consistently grown and diversified to meet ever-changing research and development challenges,” said David Reeploeg, TRIDEC vice president for federal programs.

Battelle is known for its corporate contributions to the Tri-Cities area, supporting STEM education, performing and visual arts, and human services organizations.

“Battelle is an incredible community partner, leading on a wide variety of important local efforts,” Reeploeg said.

In addition to STEM education, that includes net-zero emissions initiatives and clean energy innovation, he said.

A research and development corporation, Battelle manages nine national laboratories in conjunction with DOE and the Department of Homeland Security.

Its PNNL contract had not been publicly posted yet on Tuesday morning and limited details were available.

This story was originally published July 11, 2022 at 3:59 PM.