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OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Oak Ridge National Laboratory will receive $497 million from the federal government, money coming from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
“These kinds of large amounts of money happen once in a decade or so,” said Dr. Thomas Zacharia, director of ORNL.
Dr Zacharia said the money will go a long way towards innovation and creating more jobs in the area. One of the biggest projects is a second target station, which is important for materials research and will cost more than $42 million.
“New battery technology for energy storage, whether it’s on the grid or for new cars as we get into electric vehicles,” Zacharia said.
The second target station is one of several facilities the lab will build, thanks to the funding.
Zacharia said energy and climate change are two of the biggest challenges facing society. The new facilities will directly contribute to innovation in these fields.
“In terms of how we build our homes, how we’re getting information, how we travel, how we move,” Zacharia said.
The investment in the lab will also add jobs, adding to an already growing lab.
“We’ve grown the lab by about 1,500 jobs in the last few years,” Zacharia said. “The knock-on effects of these inventions and small businesses starting around the lab will create more jobs.”
Zacharia said these projects will unfold over the next few years, and he believes the investment will enrich the community and drive the lab into the future.
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