- DOE has updated operating directives across its national laboratory complex
- The changes remove outdated and duplicative field operation requirements
- The 2026 FedCiv Summit will explore AI, IT modernization and more
The Department of Energy has issued updated operating directives for its national laboratories, plants and sites as part a push to modernize operations across its laboratory complex.
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DOE said Thursday the updated directives stem from a review of requirements governing daily field operations, conducted in coordination with laboratory leaders and subject matter experts.
The reforms build on more than 30 years of recommendations from the Government Accountability Office, Congress, the National Academies and other independent reviews.
Why Is DOE Updating Its Laboratory Operating Directives?
The revisions are intended to eliminate outdated and duplicative requirements to enable the department’s scientific workforce to focus more on core science, energy and national security priorities. DOE said the changes are designed to improve operational efficiency and support responsible use of federal funding, while allowing the labs, plants and sites to function more quickly without compromising established safety and security protocols.
The update advances a May 2025 executive order directing federal agencies to restore the use of “gold standard science” to drive innovation and ensure that federally funded research remains impactful, transparent and rigorous.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the update builds on the legacy of the national laboratories by advancing the Trump administration’s Restoring Gold Standard Science initiative.
“President Trump has called on DOE to build on that legacy by restoring Gold Standard Science and unleashing the full potential of American ingenuity,” Wright said. “By removing unnecessary barriers, we are giving our scientists, engineers, and technicians, more freedom to focus on the critical missions that matter most.”
The department said the updated directives seek to maintain strong oversight, accountability and operational excellence, including protections for DOE employees, the U.S. nuclear security enterprise, the public and the environment.
What Other Recent DOE Initiatives Involve the National Laboratories?
The directive update follows the department’s Genesis Mission, which brings together DOE’s 17 national laboratories with industry and academic partners to build an integrated scientific discovery platform linking supercomputers, AI, data resources, quantum systems and scientific instruments to address priority national science and technology challenges. DOE has also begun requesting input from industry and academia to help shape a new effort to build open-weight AI foundation models intended to speed up scientific research under the mission.
What Other Recent Actions Has DOE Taken?
DOE has separately appointed 20 new members to the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board to offer guidance on energy policy, scientific research, technology innovation and other issues tied to the department’s work. The department has also launched the Quantum Genesis initiative, an effort to develop and deploy a scientifically relevant fault-tolerant quantum computing capability by 2028, and finalized its Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap, a national strategy to accelerate the development and commercialization of fusion energy.
