Friends of PNNL rally around lab to save Tri-Cities jobs, innovation | Opinion
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Proposed 2026 budget cuts could eliminate $250+M in PNNL research funding.
- Losses may trigger over 1,000 job cuts at PNNL, risking 2,500 more locally.
- Federal lawmakers hold funding power; local advocacy efforts seek reversal.
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is more than just a workplace for 6,000+ people. It’s the Tri-Cities’ largest employer, the heart of a thriving local economy, and one of the nation’s top engines of scientific innovation.
But now, it’s under serious threat. The proposed 2026 President’s Budget would eliminate PNNL’s entire $160 million Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program represents more than $100 million from the Biological and Environmental Research program.
These aren’t just numbers. We have heard informally that this could mean more than 1,000 people at PNNL could lose their jobs. This represents an astounding $112.8 million dollars in lost earnings, according to economic data.
These cuts wouldn’t just shrink the lab. They’d shrink the Tri-Cities economy. When scientists, engineers and other PNNL staff lose their jobs, that ripples outward to those who provide services to them and their families. Teachers, healthcare workers, farmers, grocers, and small business owners all feel the hit. In total, about 2,500 more jobs in the Tri-Cities could be at risk from this ripple effect.
There’s also a national cost. The EERE program helps people save money on energy bills by making homes and businesses more efficient. The BER program provides crucial data on climate change, helping people prepare for conditions like less snow in the mountains, which affects water supplies for farms and cities. Losing these programs means losing the knowledge we need to plan for a safer, more sustainable future.
That’s why Friends of PNNL was formed. Our group, made up of former employees and supporters, wants people to know what’s happening and how to help.
The good news? Congress can stop these cuts, but only if enough of us speak up. Congressman Dan Newhouse, Senator Patty Murray, and Senator Maria Cantwell have been vocal supporters of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for years, but they need to hear from you now.
In particular, Congressman Newhouse is on the House of Representative Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, which is marking up the 2026 President’s Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Energy. Senator Murray is vice-chair of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee which will be marking up the 2026 President’s Budget Request. They have a direct say in next year’s funding for PNNL.
This is your opportunity to let your legislators know that this proposed budget hurts both local families and the national interest.
Email Rep. Dan Newhouse at newhouse.house.gov (or 202-225-5816), Sen. Patty Murray at murray.senate.gov (202-224-2621), and Sen. Maria Cantwell at cantwell.senate.gov (202-224-3441).
Tell them who you are, where you live, and that you want to protect jobs and science by restoring full funding for DOE’s EERE and BER programs. Let’s protect local jobs, our community, and our future. Speak up to help keep the Tri- Cities strong.