WASHINGTON, DC -- The Department of Energy announced today that it will conduct separate competitions for the management of Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, both now managed by the University of California. The department also announced that it will extend the current contract for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory beyond its current September 30, 2005, expiration date in order to separate the two competitions.

"I have concluded that it is very important to ensure we have the broadest possible competition for future contracts," said Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. "Separating these two competitions will achieve that result."

Secretary Abraham had announced in April 2003 his intention to conduct a competition for the management of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which has been managed since its founding by the University of California on a noncompetitive basis, when the current contract expires in September 2005.

The department had also previously announced its intention to conduct a competition for the management of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The question it had not decided was whether these competitions should be linked, conducted as a single solicitation, or separated. The Secretary's decision is a result of significant internal study and is influenced by the recommendation of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board's Blue Ribbon Commission on the Use of Competitive Procedures for Department of Energy Laboratories.

The competition for the management of the Los Alamos National Laboratory will be conducted by the department's National Nuclear Security Administration. NNSA will announce the schedule for the RFP in the near future.

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