On December 1, the United States Department of Energy renamed the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to the so-called “National Laboratory of the Rockies.”
The announcement of this change did not directly indicate any imminent changes in policy. However, the removal of the reference to green energy may imply a further selling out to the oil and gas industry, which fueled Trump and the Republican Party in 2024. The assistant secretary of energy, Audrey Robertson, also stated that, “We are no longer picking and choosing energy sources…”
This statement misrepresents the intention of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which was to create alternative sources of energy in the face of the 1970s oil shock. The laboratory made several advances in wind and solar technologies.
Trump has graffitied several institutions within the federal government to sate his ego, including this one.
