Summary

The Energy Department's (DOE) national laboratories have made vital contributions to the nation's defense and to civilian science and technology efforts. However, the national laboratories today lack clearly defined missions and suffer from poor coordination to solve national problems. As a result, DOE has underutilized the laboratories' talents to tackle complex issues and these institutions may be unprepared to meet future expectations. This testimony discusses (1) DOE's management of the laboratories in light of their changing missions and (2) alternatives for managing the laboratories, including those recommended in the Galvin task force's report on the national laboratories.