The $95 million building will house more than 200 researchers who will collaborate to find solutions to the world’s toughest energy challenges.
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin talked Monday about how beneficial it would be for the U.S. to gain more control over its energy future.
ARGONNE, Ill. – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Bill Foster (D-IL-11) helped formally dedicate on Monday the new Energy Sciences Building (ESB) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory.
“With its caliber of work, quality of people and boldness of mission, Argonne is one of Illinois’ greatest assets,” Durbin said. “The breakthroughs that have happened here demonstrate why government should prioritize high-value research and laboratories that help America create jobs in the growth industries of tomorrow. If the United States is to remain a leader in the 21st century, we need to support the science and innovation that will address our growing energy and environmental concerns. Investments like the Energy Sciences Building will help our country solve its growing energy concerns, create jobs and maintain our position as a world leader in science and innovation.”
The $95 million building will house more than 200 researchers who will collaborate to find solutions to the world’s toughest energy challenges. The building was designed and constructed to meet the stringent environmental and energy efficiency requirements needed to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating, and an application is currently underway.
“Since we broke ground on this building three years ago, Argonne has made enormous progress in delivering on our mission of breakthrough discovery in energy science,” said Laboratory Director Eric D. Isaacs. “Now that it is complete, the cutting-edge facilities in the Energy Science Building will accelerate breakthroughs in the basic energy science that is fundamental to a wide array of energy challenges – from the development of next-generation battery systems, to the discovery of revolutionary chemical transformation processes for creating new biofuels, to the creation of transformational systems for solar energy production.”
Research at the ESB will focus on the development of reliable, safe, and long-lived battery systems; efficient and environmentally friendly processes for creating new fuels; and transformational methods for solar energy production.
Design and construction of the ESB was performed with sustainability in mind. The use of natural materials and energy efficient architecture will help Argonne attain water and energy efficiency targets set by DOE.
The event is by invitation and open to pre-credentialed media.
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.